Content marketing is a broad marketing approach for getting people interested in your products or services. So, knowing where to start can be a bit challenging.
If you’re not new to this, you probably already have some strategies for attracting wider audiences and spreading the word about your business.
Even if you have the experience, you shouldn’t only stick with what you know. What worked last year might not work now. You need to keep up with the pace to stand out and get better results.
Expanding your horizons will help you reach a wider audience and grow, so take a look at the top five content marketing trends you definitely shouldn’t ignore this year.
If you were focusing on only one or two types of content, it’s time to turn it up a notch. Blogging is very effective, but have you ever thought about videos, podcasts, or even interactive content?
They can greatly increase your traffic, help you generate more leads, and bring you lots of other SEO benefits.
Video has been the most popular type of content for several years now, so you should definitely start planning a part of your content strategy around it.
According to the latest Oberlo’s video marketing statistics, 54% of people want to see more videos from their favorite brands.
The same statistics show that video content helps marketers get 66% more qualified leads per year.
Podcasts are also becoming quite popular. The latest podcast statistics show that 62 million people in the U.S. listen to podcasts weekly.
There are so many more things you can try, but the key is using content formats that actually work for you.
This is why you must analyze their performance to know what your target audience likes, and what helps you achieve your goals. After all, the key is giving real value to your audience.
AI is changing the world as we know it, and content marketing is not an exception.
More and more marketers are using AI-powered tools to gather useful information about their target customers so that they can effectively address their pain points.
AI can sift through huge amounts of data in a matter of seconds, and really learn from it, thanks to its machine learning capabilities.
AI chatbots play a big part in collecting consumer data, but there are many other AI-integrated pieces of software that you can use to analyze big data.
How can this help you with content marketing? You can also accurately predict market trends and stay on top of things.
More importantly, you can use all the collected data to create personalized content that perfectly meets the needs of your target audience.
You can learn more about their preferences, interests, purchasing behavior, and many other factors necessary for creating targeted content.
Optimizing your content for search engines is crucial for increasing your online visibility, driving more traffic to your website, and generating qualified leads that you can convert.
You probably already optimize your keywords for people typing specific words and phrases into search engines, but what about voice search? Is your content optimized for people who use voice to perform search engines queries?
The latest 2019 voice search stats predict that half of all online searches will be voice searches by 2020. Don’t miss out on all those opportunities, but jump on the bandwagon and join the ride.
Optimize at least some of your content for voice and let it work its magic. The most important step to take here is to create featured snippets for your content.
They’re very useful, because they both provide quick answers to queries, and provide additional brand exposure.
If you follow this trend, make sure your website is mobile-friendly, since people primarily use voice search on mobile devices.
Hopefully, your website is already optimized for mobile, and you’re not letting waves of opportunities go down the drain.
As the term suggests, influencers have the power to influence people and connect with them on an emotional level. They can quickly engage people in various topics or brands, and turn them into loyal followers.
This is precisely why more and more businesses are collaborating with influencers, and why you should too.
Stick with micro-influencers, at least in the beginning. They have a smaller audience size of about 500-10,000 social followers, but they have a great engagement power.
They’re everyday consumers who share their own experiences, which is exactly why people find them relevant and engaging.
They can form meaningful connections, and make consumers genuinely interested in everything they say.
Working with influencers in your niche will help you quickly raise brand awareness, but another trend is rising from this one.
It’s having influencers create content on your channels, rather than having them promote your brand on theirs.
You can have it both ways, but the former will drive a lot more traffic to your website, help you build greater credibility, and generate more qualified leads.
You may be wondering what blended learning has to do with content marketing. It’s actually very important because it can help you improve content marketing skills.
Whether you’re a business owner, a content marketer looking to hone some necessary skills, or you’re responsible for training marketers, blended learning is something you don’t want to miss.
In case you’re not familiar with it, it combines online learning with instructor-led training in a classroom setting.
As such, it enables self-paced learning, which improves knowledge retention and ultimately drives better results.
It combines various types of eLearning content, including on-demand videos, quizzes, podcasts, games, webinars, and much more.
This is a trend that’s bound to continue to grow in the coming years.
To properly implement blended learning, you need eLearning software, so make sure you find one that best fits your and your learners’ needs.
Every year brings new content marketing trends that everyone looking to grow their business should follow.
So, if you want to stand out, start using different content formats, harness the power of AI, optimize your content for voice search, and start collaborating with influencers.
Last but not least, leverage blended learning to close any skill gaps and take your content marketing to the next level.
