Breaking through the endless stream of noise online is a marketer’s biggest challenge. How do you differentiate your brand as you go about crafting your content marketing program? How do you keep up with a consistently evolving content marketing ecosphere?

Today, content marketing has grown into a colorful diet of techniques, some more effective than others. Sifting through new tactics gets tricky. There are too many options out there to just throw mud against a wall and see what sticks.

Which of today’s more recent tactics are worth the effort? Here are five new content marketing techniques that can help your brand shine (if you use them correctly, of course).

1. Parallax design is a storytelling powerhouse.

Parallax scrolling has made big waves in the design world. It’s a great way to spice up your content marketing.

The design technique moves foreground, middle ground, and background images at different speeds to simulate depth and motion. It’s a 3D-style website experience that leads your visitor through the viewing process. Check out this example of parallax design – just keep scrolling!

Not surprisingly, it’s an excellent strategy for storytelling. Take a look at how this New York Times article creates a powerful, interactive storytelling experience through the use of parallax design, text, and rich media.

Parallax design has some drawbacks, too. For one, it’s tough to optimize for search. It’s even tougher to simplify for mobile viewing. There are workarounds though—and it’s tough to pass up such a great opportunity to engage your audience if you have the means.

2. Vine and Instagram have redefined short video.

You’ve probably heard of Vine, and you’ve definitely heard of Instagram. The former deals exclusively in editable six-second videos, while the latter just launched a 12-second video add-on to its image-focused network.

Marketers are using the channels to create short videos for audience members with short attention spans. They’ve been used for anything from event coverage to contests. And they’ll find more niches as clever marketers get their hands on the media.

3. Native advertising is leaving display in its dust.

For several years, display advertising has been quickly losing its grip on viewer mindshare. Conversion rates are incredibly low. Savvy marketers are struggling to figure out why they allocate so many budgeting dollars towards display.

Native advertising recently made its way onto the scene as an alternative. Native ads are meant to engage the viewer without interrupting the experience she expects from a website. They appear within the context of a webpage and provide some sort of value for the visitors who click on them.

You can probably already see the role content marketing plays in native advertising. One of the most effective ways to take part is directing your audience to useful content, rather than beating them senseless with sales messages.

Simple examples of native advertising include Facebook sponsored stories and Twitter promoted tweets. They both read behavioral information on the viewer to provide content that’s relevant to their newsfeeds.

4. LinkedIn has redoubled its focus on content.

Have you visited your LinkedIn page recently? You may have noticed that your newsfeed includes a lot more content than it has in the past—links to articles, blog posts, and more specifically targeting your professional interests.

This is all because LinkedIn has made a strong push to fortify its social networking with content publishing. It’s becoming a much stronger platform for content marketing (especially for B2B) with the introduction of influencers and the ability to share your content through sponsored updates.

You could always make a compelling argument for LinkedIn as a content marketing platform. LinkedIn Groups, for instance, are great places to share targeted content with your audience. Don’t forget to use your brand page as a sounding board.

5. Facebook hashtags are all the rage.

The concept of hashtags is nothing new. Since early in its existence, Twitter has used hashtags to ease search and help define trending and timely topics.

Facebook recently introduced hashtags into its social network. And while their effectiveness is not yet clear to the marketing community, there’s definitely some wiggle room to get creative and find the value. (For an in-depth breakdown of Facebook hashtags, check out this detailed Mashable article.)

Questions on privacy are the lingering challenges that cast doubt on Facebook hashtags. At this point, it’s hard to tell whether public posts will make their way into the Facebook limelight. If they do, the potential for marketers will grow.

Sound off

Are we missing any especially powerful new content marketing techniques? Share a channel or tactic that you’re having great luck with in the comments below.

About the Author

Mark Sherbin is a freelance writer specializing in technology and content marketing. He shares occasionally insightful information at Copywriting Is Dead, where he promotes authentic communication between organizations and their audiences. Say hello on Twitter: @MarkSherbin.