Content marketing has evolved over the years, take heed of the following trends if you want to stay ahead of your competition
If you’ve been a keen observer of the content marketing landscape, you’ll surely agree that it has changed for the better. There’s no doubt that in order to compete, you need to continue to be on the lookout for the content marketing trends that will give your online business a quantum leap. That said, there’s no time to rest on your laurels. So what are these trends that you should keep your tabs on?
Long-form original content. As words continue to set the tone in content marketing, long-form original content gains traction and it’s creating a steady grip. As you may have noticed, today’s content is all about adding more and more data points. As you collect and analyze data, the ability to produce and push personalized content will become easier. Can you still vividly remember how click baits used to be so popular a few years back?
Thumbnails and headlines that seemed to be engaging only to find out that the content is irrelevant. It can be annoying to come across these posts but believe or not, they’ve lured many readers. Well, this year, it’s a different story. Now, original and relevant content is the name of the game. Use your own ideas when creating your own content. If you’re running out of ideas, you can use headline formulas to jumpstart your writing. Gone are the heydays of lazy marketers who would rather copy the hottest viral topics and headlines and make it their own.
Consumers and decision-makers are becoming keen on choosing which material to consume. They’ve become more discerning. That’s why real content that can help them solve problems in the easiest and quickest manner is in-demand right now.
The new 80/20 rule of content marketing. We’ve all been told that content marketing is king. And it’s true. But, we also know that there are millions of blogs on the planet. Yet, only 41 per cent of content marketers actually see ROI from their efforts.
Neil Patel, one of the original influencers in the digital marketing space, believes that the rule of the game has changed. Five years ago, content marketers would spend 80% of their time creating unique content, and allot 20% of their time for promotion.
Now, the gears have shifted. Today, the ultimate goal is to get every piece of content the exposure it deserves. The 80/20 Rule that works now relies on the bigger percentage as the time you should spend on promotion. This year, we’ll continue to see more long-form blog posts on the first page of Google search results. These posts are not only high-quality but they carry a high number of social shares, backlinks from authority sites, and tons of traffic.
Video and live streaming. If you ever come across an online business jumping on the live streaming bandwagon, it’s because this approach is popular and it is getting bigger and bigger. So, for marketers who have not yet toyed with the idea of putting video and live streaming under their belt, now is the perfect time.
Facebook and Youtube are now considered as a marketing staple for those who want to increase their digital footprint. Why utilize Facebook? It has been a growing priority because it has the user base that will enable you to engage with your target audience. Although pre-recorded videos still work, live streaming is slowly working its way towards the top spot. In terms of engagement, most people prefer to watch live videos than pre-produced ones. They also comment 10x more on live videos.
Micro-influencers. If you’re a business who’s looking to partner or advertise with YouTube or Instagram influencers, people with 1,000 to 1,000,000 followers or subscribers, also called ‘micro-influencers’ can help you gain higher engagement and conversion rates.
In fact, a report indicates that influencers with 1,000 followers generated 85 per cent higher engagement rates than accounts with 100,000 followers. It proves that as the number of followers goes up, the engagement tends to go down. For consumers, it seems like a smaller audience means a more hands-on, more personal influencer, which they appreciate.
Brand storytelling. Brand storytelling goes beyond telling other people who you are and what you’re doing. It has to do with creating an experience, engaging your customers, and making a big difference. Sharing the story behind your brand or your success helps you appear more relatable.
Letting your target market know the challenges you had to face to deliver your product or service will help them understand your brand and view it from a more positive perspective. With storytelling, your customers won’t see you as just another business hoping to make a profit. Rather, a company that aligns with their values and aspirations. It’s a strategy that’s focused on people, not products.
Voice search. Voice search is a popular emerging technology. It will continue to take off as consumers get smitten by home voice assistant devices like Amazon’s Echo and Google Home. And as fast as voice search is transforming the way consumers search online, it also drives a need for business to incorporate voice search strategy in their marketing efforts.
Aside from remaining relevant, adopting voice search strategies also creates a unique and optimized customer experience. Voice search queries take far less time than text-based ones, with 45 million home voice assistant devices in use in the United States alone. This trend will only get bigger, and it will transform how we do SEO as we know it. Companies who will ride this wave will reap the benefits in the future.
