Content Marketing is always changing—and never more so than right now. Everyone is using it, and that’s causing a shift in how people are getting results.
With so many platforms and formats to communicate with consumers today, marketers need to ask themselves one question:
Where is content marketing headed?
Refresher: Content marketing is helping the consumer find the right information at the right time.
The future of content marketing is bright, but it’s necessary to keep informed on the changes happening in this space.
Here’s where content marketing is going in 2019, and how you can put your best foot forward:
1. Content marketing, believe it or not, is in a slump when it comes to effectiveness. The reason: We’re literally drowning in content! Every market is over-saturated.
So what can you do to get noticed?
As counter-intuitive as it may seem, publish higher quality, better optimized content—even if it means you publish less often. Don’t get caught in the hamster wheel of content creation. It isn’t worth the returns, and it’s not sustainable long term.
Instead, focus on revitalizing and republishing evergreen content (relevant content with no expiration date). What posts or pages are already doing well for you? Focus your energy on rewriting or re-optimizing that content so that you can build on the momentum you already have to reach new people. Play around with the pieces (title, copy, images, links, CTAs, the metadescription) in order to generate new life for the content.
Play around with the format. It’s time to think beyond just print and digital. Create audio/video content, do social media lives, take advantage of every format you can to see what your audience prefers!
I admit, it will be difficult for some to believe that posting completely new content every day is NOT the most effective way, but the experts agree! HubSpot says that 90% of traffic is generated by only 5% of the content you post. In other words, quality wins over quantity.
2. SEO has never been more vital.
SEO is evolving. Think broad and think long as you are optimizing your content. Keep in mind that Google is now favoring “true experts,” meaning people who are posting a lot of content on a specific topic. Creating posts that are centered on one topic and linking them, rather than posting about whatever strikes your fancy, will make Google your best friend. FYI: This expertise model has been dubbed a “Topic Cluster” approach.
Keep in mind, SEO is the foundation on which your content should be built. Don’t neglect it! Keep reading for more SEO tips.
3. Video marketing is the new “It Girl” format.
The proof in numbers is off the charts!
In 2019, it’s projected video will claim more than 80% of all web traffic.
Also, 90% of customers report that video marketing helps them make buying decisions.
In other words, not using some form of video or social media live content is a BIG mistake. Get used to the camera, because video marketing is here to stay!
4. If you want to be a step ahead, adopt practices that support emerging technologies!
Jump on the bandwagon, marketers! Here are a few specific examples of these technologies, and how to get on board.
Voice-Enabled Search: The advertising market on devices and apps like Alexa, Google Home, and Siri has yet to be tapped. We are just breaking in now. A couple things to remember: search engine optimization is crucial with this technology! Don’t only think of one keyword, but long-tail question keywords as well. What would someone ask Alexa? Put that in your metadescription.
Artificial Intelligence: As it advances, it will become capable of tasks such as content creation. The thing to remember here is the more unique, personal, and creative your content, the harder it will be for AI to fake it. Make sure your brand stays authentic and trustworthy in a changing world.
Virtual Reality: Correlating heavily with the rise of video marketing, the potential for virtual reality is limitless. I can even see us having the ability to “test-drive” a product through an ad on a virtual reality platform. It’s the future of advertising—not just words and pictures, but the ability to experience the product for yourself.
Content marketing has an exciting future ahead! Start embracing it now, with multi-format, branded, evergreen content that will generate leads and buys for the years to come.
Do you have any predictions for 2019 and beyond?