On December 14, 2017, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to end net neutrality regulations, sending a shockwave through the nation. A policy put into place during the Obama administration, net neutrality was a principle that prohibited Internet service providers (ISPs) from intentionally blocking, slowing down or charging additional money for specific websites.
While views on net neutrality vary greatly across the board, it will likely mean a shifting landscape for content marketing companies and content marketing as a whole. Keep reading to learn more about net neutrality and how it may affect content marketers around the world.
What Is – or Was – Net Neutrality?
To increase transparency between consumers and ISPs and prevent blocking, throttling and paid prioritization of content, the FCC approved net neutrality rules in February 2015 under the Obama administration.
These regulations were designed to prohibit broadband providers from blocking websites or giving preference to certain digital content providers. In other words, with net neutrality rules in place, you could load websites, apps, videos and other content – no matter where it was hosted – helping ensure an open Internet.
After the repeal, the FCC will no longer regulate high-speed Internet delivery as a utility, like electricity or phone service. As a consequence, ISPs can charge more for access to specific websites and even censor content with impunity.
While some warned that repealing net neutrality would impede innovation, the Trump administration, along with the new FCC chairman, believe that unregulated business will have the opposite effect and otherwise help the economy.
What Will Happen to Inbound Content Marketing?
Over the years, smaller broadband providers have been pushed out by large, publicly traded ISPs, like Comcast, Verizon and AT&T. Since companies like these will no longer be regulated, there’s nothing stopping them from monopolizing the industry and driving up costs. And when prices increase, you may have to dole out more and more just to access the sites you want to visit. But what exactly could the repeal of net neutrality mean for your business’ content marketing strategy?
Number one: an unlevel playing field. As it stands now, both small and large businesses can vie for top results on search engines, drawing in organic traffic and giving companies of all sizes the chance to convert visitors into buyers.
Now that the Internet has become unregulated, ISPs can potentially control which websites you visit, giving certain companies an unfair advantage. As a result, businesses may have to rely on more paid content to attract new customers.
Number two: shifting marketing strategies. Right now, you might rely on SEO-rich blog posts, landing pages and social media to attract, convert and close customers. Rich, purpose-driven content that gives your potential customers something of value will still be an essential part of your future marketing strategy, but you may have to set aside more money to pay for additional fees that telecom companies can now legally charge.
Besides paying to have written content more accessible to your audience, you may also have to pay extra to imbed video or audio into your blog posts to ensure top playing speeds. It’s just one more piece of the content marketing puzzle that may require a shift in thinking thanks to the latest FCC ruling.
Number three: declining customer experience. While potential customers have seamless access to big-name websites and e-commerce retailers, they may struggle to load content on your site if you have slower service. If your website becomes sluggish in comparison with your competitors, prospects may navigate to websites with faster service to research products and services and ultimately make a buying decision.
When Will My Copywriting Agency Experience the Effects of the Net Neutrality Repeal?
You probably won’t see the consequences of repealing net neutrality tomorrow or the next day or even the day after that. But the end of net neutrality rules could have long-term implications if ISPs exploit their newfound power and begin charging both consumers and businesses to access certain content.
The content marketing landscape may shift with the end of net neutrality, but the power of great content to attract and retain loyal customers isn’t going away anytime soon. For a scalable marketing strategy built for the ever-changing inbound content marketing environment, turn to Virtucom Group’s content services.
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