The Top Content Marketing Trends Going Into 2018
Content marketing has evolved from a disruptive model to one of value. Content marketing trends in 2018 will become more inspiring and complex. Your success depends on a content marketing strategy that exceeds your customers’ expectations.
Companies are riding a content marketing wave to success. Content formats and channels have evolved to become more engaging for customers. This has led to worldwide growth in revenue generation.
In 2018, content marketing trends will continue their evolution. The world’s biggest companies plan to spend billions on original content. Their efforts are setting new standards for how customer experiences reach beyond their brands.
Your competitors won’t be far behind. That means using content to build a loyal following begins now. But choosing your strategy moving forward needn’t be a hassle.
Content Marketing Trends and Your Business
86% of B2C marketers are using content marketing to drive their brands forward. And content marketing trends are evolving with changing technologies. That means more access to videos, virtual reality, and new social media capabilities.
It’s difficult to understand what that will mean for your business. You can’t adopt all these trending technologies and formats. But you can identify the most effective and choose from those results.
Don’t overlook your existing successes either. Continuity is important for your existing customers. Don’t be afraid to expand on them even as you adopt new ones.
7 Techniques for Successful Content Marketing in 2018
Content marketing trends aren’t limited to either formats or technologies. You will need a well-assembled arsenal of each. Above every trend is a well-developed content marketing strategy.
As you think about your strategy, consider where the following techniques fit in. You may already use some and need only expand upon them. But keep an eye out for successful new adoptions as well.
1. Increased Content Marketing Prioritization
Companies are investing heavily in content marketing in 2018. Expect greater skills and capabilities among your competitors’ marketing teams. Companies will increase budgets for content marketing as well.
That’s because content marketing is becoming more and more unique. Companies need to adopt more platforms and channels as well. Content teams will resemble media companies more than the teams of previous years.
Companies will increase content presence on their websites. Companies like Ronald Joyce make stunning photographs the first thing visitors see. Companies can leverage video in this way as well.
As consumers expand the way they engage content, your competitors will try to respond. As we will find, content strategies are more sophisticated than ever. Your business will depend on a content team that grows with those needs.
2. More Sophisticated Video
Video was a growing trend in 2017. By 2019, it will capture more than 80% of all web traffic. But most video capabilities were only available to larger brands.
Now, new video tools make sophisticated video more opportune than ever. Content teams don’t need specialized skills to make a professional film.
Smartphone recorders are now on par with professional cameras. With the proper direction, small teams can make professional-looking films this way. Smartphones enable companies to host live streaming videos as well.
Video editing tools powered by AI now help produce and market videos. This can take only minutes to develop. It’s easy to integrate these videos into your social media channels.
Your team must develop a video marketing strategy. Carrying this out takes little time and investment. But determining types of content is its own strategy as well.
3. Original Value-Added Content
‘Original content’ is marketing content companies produce as a value-add to customer experiences. That means the content has value in and of itself. This is in stark contrast to branded content that functions as ads.
Customers are increasingly turning down advertisements and branded posts that ‘sell.’ They want to associated brands with styles, moods, and values. Original content offers these things to customers with no request to buy.
Original content can be as simple as how-to articles and eBooks. They can be as advanced as video series with detailed plots and characters. Their authenticity and value are what they have in common.
You can leverage video tools to create a storyline for filmed content. In this way, your team will function like a media company. You can employ internal or third-party writers as well.
4. Social Media and Channel Diversification
Social media has fallen in its appeal as an engagement platform. Facebook has seen a recent decline in organic reach. It’s volatile to host content there as they make updates as well.
Social media is still essential to content marketing. You need to make social media one branch of your overall marketing strategy.
You have more opportunities to automate content marketing. If you want to distribute content across channels, automate the social media component. You can leverage that channel effectively without burdening your team.
5. Transparency
What’s more important than authority in your space? The transparency you offer customers. For Millennials, it has become an expectation.
Your promises to customers are just as reliable as your competitors’. You distinguish yourself by sharing the true values of your company. You need to ensure those values hold up to those of your customers.
You should demonstrate your true values in your content. That might involve live footage of company altruism. It could involve prioritizing green sourcing or reducing your carbon footprint.
6. Next-Generation Technologies
Content has transitioned from physical to digital in the last 20 years. Now it will transition to next-generation technologies.
Creative teams are adapting content for Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality (VR), and augmented reality (AR). Leveraging these platforms can distinguish you from your competitors. They are opportunities for great original content as well.
Be sure you know what you’re doing with these investments. It’s common for content efforts here to have limited impact. Be sure there are opportunities for publicity or revenue before you invest.
7. Creative Talent is a Foundation
Your team needn’t consist of technology experts to succeed. The accessibility of technologies is changing those standards. The new measure of success is your creative capacity.
Invest in creative people and help develop creative competencies. Your content is only as compelling as the team that develops them. As they adapt to new strategies and technologies, creativity will determine your level of success.
Get the Most Out of Your Content Strategy
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