Staying updated on content marketing trends can help you engage new audiences, build trust and attract valuable traffic to your website.
Content marketing is an excellent way for businesses to establish authority and increase brand awareness with target audiences.
Ninety-seven per cent of marketers surveyed said content forms part of their marketing strategy, with 91 per cent indicating they’ve achieved some success. However, you can’t set up a marketing strategy and let it run for years. Even a one-year plan requires room to pivot. That is how swiftly the content marketing landscape is changing.
Over 75 per cent of marketers say the industry has changed more over the past three years than in the past five decades. Your marketing strategy will change as trends shift and evolve to include new ideas, channels and platforms.
What does content marketing include?
Content marketing includes tactics such as publishing articles on a company blog, creating social media content, video marketing, podcast hosting, and creating in-depth resources such as whitepapers, case studies and ebooks.
It can also include hosting a podcast, providing online course content and putting on webinars that help educate your audience. Any creation and distribution of content (written, video or audio) that helps attract and engage your target customers can be part of content marketing.
The business case for content marketing
Investing in content marketing can reward you with improved brand awareness, increased authority in your industry and a competitive advantage in the marketplace. It can even generate leads and help move customers through buying decisions.
Metrics such as sales, website traffic and social engagement are top priorities for most marketers. However, you may want to monitor other factors to see what types of content are most valuable to your audience.
10 content marketing trends to explore in 2023
Your content marketing strategy should communicate your values and messaging to target customers through various tactics.
Ideally, your marketing strategy is a fluid plan that helps guide your marketing activities through the year and can evolve as new trends emerge.
How many of these trends have you explored?
1. Using short-form videos
Videos are appealing to many audiences, creating memorable brand experiences in a short time. You can use videos to explain how or why your product works. They are also a convincing way to share positive reviews and testimonials.
You can publish video content on your website, share it via your social channels or post it on a YouTube channel.
2. Appealing to mobile users
Responsive design is essential to users surfing, scrolling and shopping on mobile devices. The chances that a potential customer will visit your website from a tablet or phone are high, so ensure your content is easy to view and navigate on smaller screens. Ensure they can quickly find the content they’re looking for from your home page and that pages load quickly.
A smart tip is to test your site regularly from different devices to see how ads and promotions appear for mobile users and if they are too disruptive.
3. Experimenting with audio content
Audio content is popular. People listen to podcasts, audiobooks and online radio programs while walking, driving or getting things done around the house.
Marketers may consider a branded podcast, creating audio content for the company blog or audio advertising, such as a radio or ad spot on a podcast that targets listeners similar to your ideal audience.
4. Optimizing for voice search
Another aspect of audio is how users find you through voice search. Many households now have voice-enabled devices in at least one room. Your customers likely enjoy the convenience of asking Siri for information on their phones or querying Alexa when standing in their kitchen.
Learning how to create content that these devices can readily find and share can help you ensure customers continue to find and rely on your website for information.
5. Offering personalized online experiences
Consumers continually expect more from their experiences on the websites they visit. Providing relevant messaging based on data is a compelling way to keep them engaged in your content.
Data that helps you understand your audience can also help you target customers more effectively with promotions that feel customized to their needs.
6. Proactively distributing content
Creating high quality content is just the first step. Distributing that content effectively through relevant channels is also essential. Learning where your ideal customers spend time online and how they research products and services can help you decide where to distribute your content.
You’ll reap more rewards from a proactive plan to get each piece of content in front of as many customers as possible.
7. Leveraging user-generated and influencer content
Consumers are often interested in what their friends and family recommend, and this influence extends to others they follow online. Reassuring potential customers that others like them have purchased and enjoyed your product or service can be compelling.
Engaging influencers gives you less control over the messaging but allows you to reach new audiences with your content. User-generated content might be inspired by a social media promotion that compels your followers to create their own content about a suggested theme.
8. Repurposing high quality content
Consumer expectations for content have risen, and most companies have responded by elevating the quality of the content they create. However, simply creating content and publishing it once may limit its impact. Instead, consider if you can get more use out of a vital piece of content by repurposing it or sharing it differently.
For example, a valuable ebook could generate a series of blog posts with further insights that inspire a discussion on your most active social media platform.
9. Embracing marketing automation tools
Some tools and platforms can help make you more efficient when organizing your workflows, creating content and sharing it through your channels. These all still need to be managed and monitored by humans, but they can amplify the efforts of a small team.
Whether you rely on an online platform to help segment and target your marketing emails or schedule social media posts, embracing new tools can help you deliver more targeted content more effectively.
10. Exploring AI
Artificial intelligence (AI) is likely a topic of conversation at any marketing roundtable or meeting. Why the sudden spike in interest? Large language models have given rise to the potential for generative AI to help brainstorm ideas, break your content into creative social posts and offer clever suggestions when you can’t quite land on the right word or metaphor.
However, use these tools with caution. They have a long way to go before they can be trusted to be accurate and reliable. Consulting a marketing expert who will guide you through these new advancements can lower your risk and ensure your content is original and strategic, ultimately helping you achieve your marketing goals.
Paying close attention to content marketing trends can help you adapt your strategy for best results. With flexibility and willingness to try new ideas, you could drive a more significant return on your investment and expand your audience of loyal customers.
Are you working from an outdated content marketing strategy playbook? Are you curious about how to leverage some of these new trends? Book a consultation with a Postmedia expert to learn more.
