Every year seems to bring a new set of marketing trends, those “can’t miss” opportunities that cry out for attention. If we jumped on all the trends, we would certainly get dizzy with exhaustion. However, there are some trends that you would be foolish not to recognize.
As we enter the last chapter of 2017, many companies are still working on creating a bona fide content marketing strategy. If that’s you, here are some tips: native advertising is still the gateway drug to success, and mobile is still the flavor of every month.
With that said, Smart Insights reports that content marketing is THE most important technique for driving incremental sales in 2017. In an industry that’s all about experimentation, a few key trends stand out.
Here are 10 content marketing trends that everyone is talking about.
1. Brands will continue to invest in original content
Recently, it was made public that the tech giant Apple plans to invest a billion dollars in original content. Although some gossip claims that Apple is making this move to take on Netflix, we believe there is more on Apple’s mind than streaming video. As competition in this space increases, brands need to stay relevant. Valuable and original programming can help companies grow their audience and keep current customers satisfied.
Google is also buying original content from media companies and brands to fill content gaps, while Facebook is pouring huge amounts of capital into original video. Not to be a summary, online shopping giant Amazon may be the biggest investor of all. Although the consequences remain to be seen, one thing is certain: content marketing is in the spotlight.
2. Transparency will reign as king (or queen)
Consumers are becoming increasingly insensitive. We want, and often expect, companies to be transparent, authentic, and dedicated to giving back. However, after all is said and done, many consumers are frustrated with brand advertising, environmental claims, charitable contributions, and corporate support for various causes. Although such efforts have been successful for some brands, this type of promotion is increasingly perceived as desperate or dishonest.
Going forward, brands need to focus on transparency and disclosure to close this gap as much as possible. Enter: Influencer Marketing.
However, working with influencers can be tricky. The Federal Trade Commission continues to take steps to protect consumers from companies that aren’t transparent enough, including working with influencers. Take what happened with Machinima. In 2015, the FTC slapped Machinima, a YouTube gaming network, with a warning for failing to disclose paid sponsorships to YouTube influencers.
And this is far from the only case. A quick Google search shows that a lack of disclosure and transparency has caused problems for many brands. To build (and maintain) the trust of your audience, the next phase of influencer marketing and branded content is to ensure that every piece of content created is transparent.
3. Content marketing budgets will continue to increase
All over the world, companies are spending huge amounts of money on content marketing. What serves as great news for content marketers also presents challenges for businesses with limited staff. This is driving the likelihood of companies turning to freelance writers and others who can produce content for a price.
4. Content marketing duties continue to overlap
It’s often difficult to determine exactly who is in charge of content within a company. Roles and duties change within marketing departments and even in other areas of the business. PR and communications can have separate content creators, social media managers, and other writers who aren’t integrated with the official content team, leaving no one in charge. Such clutter can lead to a very disjointed content strategy.
5. The Internet of Things will take content off the screen
Customers are no longer limited to the screen in the way they view content. While different content formats have been around for a long time, the IoT has made content intertwine with our lives in entirely new ways. Consider how we currently interact with technology, like Apple’s Siri. When users speak, Siri responds with call and answer content where and when they need it. Alexa, Amazon’s voice service, is also becoming a digital gateway to content.
Many organizations already use Alexa to share content with their audience beyond the screen of a laptop, tablet or mobile phone. For example, the American Heart Association uses Alexa to provide details on how to perform CPR, including step-by-step information on how to perform the process in an emergency situation. This content is further enriched with information on the warning signs of a stroke and heart attack.
With IoT, most content is going digital. Beacon-based proximity marketing, sensors, device pairing, and other features open up the opportunity for marketers to invest in endless types of content engagement. This type of highly targeted content can help you reach your audience in the right place at the right time.
6. The pre-recorded video is so… yesterday
It’s not exactly the time to write the pre-recorded video obituary, but it’s being overshadowed by live video. According to Buffer, 80 percent of marketing respondents in a 2016 survey want to create more video content, with 42 percent specifying live video as their preference.
While live video really exploded in 2017, we predict it will become even more common in 2018. According to Facebook, users spend three times as much time watching live video as they do pre-recorded video. Also, they comment 10 times more during live videos. A Livestream survey confirmed this, with 80 percent of respondents indicating a preference for live video over reading a blog post. This presents today’s marketers with a unique opportunity to jump on the live video bandwagon ahead of the competition.
7. Blurry lines
If you look at how content has changed over the last decade, you’ll notice that it has evolved outside of its original “container” of home media. As social media expands, as well as the ways we engage with and engage audiences, the lines between owned, earned, and paid for are beginning to blur so that they are almost indistinguishable from one another. Content can no longer be limited to these silos.
With the entire buyer’s journey in mind, the content changes to take the form of the three approaches. This underscores the importance of each form working seamlessly to support a company’s growth strategy. That means you need to align your internal and external teams to handle content development, deployment, and promotion.
8. Strategic documentation
Ask a marketer about content marketing effectiveness, and chances are he or she can pinpoint what makes the gears work effectively. That’s because companies are laser-focusing on developing well-thought-out content marketing strategies.
In 2015, only 32 percent of marketers had a documented content marketing strategy. The following year, this grew to 37 percent. This year, however, the number has skyrocketed to more than 40 percent. Our prediction for 2018, then, is that developing an effective and efficient strategy will be a job expectation.
To remain competitive in the coming year, what strategies will you include? You may want to consider more targeted content, expanded content, more efficient content creation, or other elements that will help you foster further growth.
9. Interactive visual content
We all know that live video is engaging and responsive, however, there is another type of visual content that allows you to create a completely different experience for your audience.
Virtual reality.
Virtual reality offers new opportunities for content marketing as well as customer engagement. Shopify, for example, has taken this to heart and has developed a virtual reality app that allows online shoppers to customize clothes from the comfort of home.
International Data Corporation reports that, based on sales and forecast models, augmented reality revenue will grow from just over $5 billion in 2016 to more than $160 billion by 2020. Digi-Capital’s revenue forecasts are equally optimistic and report estimated growth of $108 billion by 2021.
While the prospect of virtual reality may seem daunting, it will probably be worth it for anyone willing to give it a try. Forbes Global shows that up to 30 percent of consumer-facing brands will experiment with VR marketing by the end of this year.
However, please note that it is not solely for consumer advertising and marketing. Consider what the Golden State Warriors did when they wanted to draft Kevin Durant to the team’s roster. Using VR content marketing, they immersed him in the “Warrior Experience,” putting him on the court at Oracle Arena, as well as at the center of conversations with coach Steve Kerr in the locker room.
10. Cast, Cast, Cast
While most marketers recognize just how instrumental content is for businesses now, what remains uncertain is the medium by which content is distributed. And while there are plenty of other blogs, newsletters, and email campaigns out there, the surefire way to get your message heard above the rest is through optimal content distribution.
If you want to grab the attention of the 2.789 million active users of social media, you need to adopt a strategic distribution plan. Savvy brands will make investments not only to acquire content, but also to strategically distribute it through multi-channel approaches as 2018 progresses.
Think outside the box for profitable rewards.