Does content marketing really work? It does if you remember its core purpose – to engage your existing customers and identify new leads through the provision of useful advice and information that is of high quality and lacking the pushy sales pitch. The small business has a lot to gain from content marketing, whether it’s a blog on the website, a speech at a local service club or even a podcast.

But what are the most effective content marketing strategies in terms of today’s trends? While your audience may not change, their tastes and the information they want to receive on a consistent basis will. If you want to keep them engaged and coming back for more, you have to stay current, provide something they want and make it beneficial for them. If all you want to do is talk about your company, this isn’t the optimal medium.

There are currently three trends, featured in an Intuit Small Business blog, that are gaining the most attention in content marketing due to their reach and strength:

Mobile content – it’s no secret that consumers are increasingly mobile, demanding access to quality content and entertainment wherever they go. If the information you create through your content marketing strategy isn’t accessible or digestible through mobile channels, you’re missing out on a key audience.

Video – as consumers we are fascinated with video. If it’s quick, informative and relevant, we’ll access it and even share it within our network. In fact, a Content Marketing Benchmark report found that 56 percent of marketers are distributing video on a YouTube channel. It doesn’t require expensive equipment or a lot of experience – just patience and time.

Webinars – your audience doesn’t always have time to attend forums or training off-site, but they can spare an hour at lunch or even during the workday to improve their knowledge with a webinar. Again, they are not difficult to complete, but you have to make it relevant for your audience and drop the sales pitch.

Finally, don’t forget about the value in finding and sharing information with others via your social media network. It the content is of relevance, high quality and related to the industry, share it within your community. It not only provides value to your audience, it also demonstrates that you’re paying attention to what’s happening in your space and recognizing that your voice is not the only expert with something to say.