Yes, yes, we know: We use up a lot of space on this blog writing about content creation and how it’s important for your brand. But as two former journalists, this week we felt our points were especially on cue with the release of a new study. Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism announced its State of the News Media 2013 with a lot to say about content and how it’s delivered.

For readers who aren’t familiar with Pew, it is a nonpartisan think tank. Its media arm analyzes the rapidly changing ways the public consumes information. This report’s findings are  important for SocialProse’s clients because a lot of what you are doing is newsworthy. Of the center’s five findings, we thought we’d share the three most relevant points to your marketing.

• Brands creating content

When I worked for a past communications agency, another journalist-turned-corporate communicator and I sat in an office named “The Newsroom.” Politics, crime and weather aren’t the only source of news – business is too. And integrating news from multiple sources, having arguments to prove, and making your business relevant to the world are all things involved in strategic marketing.

“Clearly new technology and the shrinking traditional newsroom resources have created more of an opening for other content producers, ranging from those with a specific corporate agenda to those with an interest in filling the gaps in traditional reporting,” said Pew Director Ed Jurkowitz in the report.

Take this opportunity. Create newsworthy content.

• Rise of native ads, video ads, targeted ads

Just last week we wrote about the importance of finding ways to tell a story without words.

Pew’s findings show that digital advertising continued to grow in 2012 and with an increase of 47 percent to $2.9 billion, video ads showed the most explosive growth of all digital ad segments, according to the report. Video ads’ growth comes hand-in-hand with the rise of mobile devices — 38 percent of respondents in another recent Pew study said they use their tablets weekly to watch video. The third digital ad trend is local digital advertising, which grew 22 percent in 2012, to $19.9 billion, according to Borrell Associates.

Visuals illuminate your story. Find partners with the skills to make it possible.

• A major shift to mobile

Mobile is helping people consume more news, and therefore, more content. This means a lot to your business when you think about packaging. How will it look on my customer’s smart phone? Pew found that 31 percent of tablet users said that they spend more time with news since getting their mobile devices and 43 percent said that the device is adding to the amount of news they consume.

Remember that marketing is not just about selling, it’s about educating. So the sooner you know the trends — and we don’t think these are just trends — the easier it will be to educate your customers through strategic content about what value you can bring them. Incorporate these three takeaways into your marketing program and you’ll find yourself on the cutting edge.

Leslie Mladinich is a contributor to SocialProse Media.