Content marketing is always transforming itself. It is perhaps one of the most dynamic industry to have come up in today’s digital age. What worked decades ago may not work now. So, it’s crucial for content marketers to update their knowledge and skills to keep pace with the dynamism.
However, the fundamental rule of content marketing had always remained the same: providing quality-driven, relevant and engaging content to online users. This makes it necessary for marketers to pay special attention to their content marketing strategies. They have to keep pace with the latest trends while crafting their content marketing strategies.
If you are a content marketer, here are a few trends that are likely to dominate in 2018:
Long content
For those of you who don’t know, creating longer content seems to give brands the much-needed consumer attention. This is because consumers look for solutions to different everyday problems. A long post can describe steps and processes better and provides more value and depth to readers. Creating blog posts of 1000 to 1200 words can attract greater web traffic and push your ROI up. So, make sure you focus on crafting engaging, good-quality long posts this year.
Video content
Video content has become an in-thing in the past few years. Brands are using video content formats extensively to reach their audiences. 2018 will also see a rise in this trend. But it’s just not any video that brands can use. Live videos are perhaps becoming their next favourite. Social video engagement, particularly on smartphones and mobile devices, is likely to be high this year. Programmatic videos, which allows marketers to buy any video on the Internet, are also on the rise for increasing audience engagement.
Influencer marketing
Although not a new concept, influencer marketing will assume a significant position in brands’ content marketing efforts in 2018. Marketers have to focus on collaborating with influencers who would promote their product to their followers. Influencer marketing will be used to cultivate long-lasting relationships with audiences and increase brand loyalty and trust. Thus, content marketers have to leverage the power of influencers if they wish to up their game in 2018.
Tech-driven content
Ever since AR and VR entered the digital landscape, content marketing reached a whole new level. But 2018 is likely to make these technologies even more prominent in the marketing world. The increase in the use of smartphones and social applications has also given a great impetus to tech-driven content formats. Artificial intelligence (AI) will help marketers to reckon expenditure, remove biases in their current processes and optimise their marketing budget. Voice search, provided by Google Home, Alexa and Siri, are also expected to become big in 2018.
Cross-platform publishing
Multi-channel publishing is another big trend that is likely to dominate in 2018. Marketers will be inclined towards integrated and innovative content publishing platforms that would provide a holistic experience to their audiences. Multi-channel publishing allows marketers to reach a wider audience that uses different devices and platforms. As such, consumer experiences will be more personalised and digital processes will become simpler as marketers embrace multi-channel publishing. Not only this, it is also expected to lower costs and increase output, which will automatically push your ROI up.
Location-based content
The advent of GPS and geo-fencing technologies have made it possible for marketers to further personalise their advertising message. This is also true for content marketing. The use of location-based services to deliver good-quality, relevant content to consumers is likely to increase tremendously in 2018. It will help marketers to grab the attention of consumers and draw them towards their offer. Whether it’s an online brand or a traditional brick-and-mortar store, every content-oriented business has to embrace proximity marketing to widen its audience base.
Trust-building
Last but not the least, you have to focus on building trust in 2018. The business scenario has certainly changed in the past few years. They operate in an environment where consumers’ trust is shifting, making it even more difficult for marketers to win their trust. You, as a content marketer, has to focus on building long-lasting relationships with your audience. The basis of such relationships has to be, trust. This will require you to understand your consumers properly and create meaningful experiences for them.
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