ith 2019 starting, it is time to take things seriously and think of what this year is going to bring for content marketing. Technology has evolved a lot in the past years, and a lot of activities started to be taken care of robots. When it comes to marketing, there are a lot of strategies which can be and will be automated in the next years. However, nothing can replace the power of content marketing. Marketers know it very well, and thus they put all their efforts into creating enticing content pieces to attract new customers and establish long-term connections with them. On the other hand, as people’s interests evolve, content marketing will also need to keep up the pace. So, what does the future say?
Content Marketing Trends for 2019
Customers will look for authenticity and transparency
2019 is going to be the year of authenticity and transparency. Stats show that 86% of consumers consider authenticity a critical factor which will convince them to buy a product or not. What is more, 94% of them mention that transparency will keep them loyal to a brand. Therefore, next year you will need to add value to your content by aligning your content strategy to your company’s mission and vision.
Moreover, there shouldn’t be any discrepancy between what you say you offer and the quality of the products you deliver. Consumers are particular, and they will penalize every inconsistency when it comes to authenticity and transparency. Furthermore, you can easily align your content marketing strategy to your business mission by using several writing tools like GetGoodGrade or Grammarly to keep your brand voice constant.
Voice search
Consumers are shifting to a new way of searching what they need online. “People are becoming more excited about their smart devices, and the number of those who are using the search voice functionality is increasing every year. Therefore, content marketing experts’ efforts should concentrate on this side as it will dominate the virtual world in the following years”, says Michaela Williams, a content manager at Canada Writers.
Thus, instead of searching for the most relevant keywords for your audience, you should first think on the questions they would ask Google to find what they need. Your marketing efforts should be directed towards tailoring the company’s SEO strategy to respond to voice search demands of the next year.
Content personalization
Customers nowadays don’t engage with general content. They don’t and won’t appreciate those companies who only talk about their products without taking into consideration their customers’ needs.
The clients of 2019 expect targeted messages from which they immediately find the solution to their problems. They expect companies to engage them in discussions and listen to their feedback on the recent experience they had with their products. Furthermore, social media will also have the power in 2019 which means that it will become a powerful tool to use in content personalization.
New content marketing formats
Content marketing will be more than text. Visuals and audio are becoming more powerful, and 2019 is going to be the best year to use them to the maximum. So, if you didn’t start a podcast yet, then next year is the perfect moment to do it.
Danielle Michaels, a social media specialist at BestWritersCanada reveals that “the secret of 2019 will be to try as much as possible. Don’t be afraid to experiment by introducing videos, audio, or short stories in your content marketing strategy. People like diversity and they will always appreciate a marketer who brings innovation and introduces new forms of content in [their] strategy.”
However, if you plan to start doing video or audio, don’t do it just to have it done. Stay relevant and original, and you will see how fast the results will come.
Omnichannel distribution
We will no longer see consumers who have only one device. As technology evolves, so is people’s appetite to stay connected on various mobile devices and stay up to date with the latest information. Thus, omnichannel will be an essential factor to consider in 2019.
What is more, as we already mentioned, your focus should shift from text only, to various other forms. Combine it with video and audio and build your content in such a way so that it is easily accessed from any device. In addition, 2019 will challenge you when it comes to the distribution channels you will use. Social media will continue to be in the top, but it is not everything. You should dig deeper into email marketing and find ways to combine sales and marketing so that your prospects get relevant materials directly in their hands.
Take a proactive approach
The biggest lesson 2019 is going to teach marketers is that they should stay creative and enthusiastic about delivering the right content to the right people. Passive distribution won’t find its place anymore in the marketing of 2019. Therefore, your focus should be on creating personalized content and bring clients closer to your brand. Next year is going to ask a lot of flexibility and adaptability from the businesses, asking them to be transparent and authentic when it comes to their content marketing strategies.
Author Bio: James Daily is an expert in digital marketing and specializes in niche industries such as accounting, legalities and medicine. He runs Brainished as his personal blog and works as a Content Creator at FlashEssay. James loves to write, hear other people’s stories and monitor marketing trends on a global scale.