Consumers are no longer in the back seat in the marketing mix. They are taking front row seats, influencing the outcomes of product promotions. With the intrusion of advertising being resisted with several online ad-blocking software, there’s no better way to pander to the consumer’s emotions online than through content marketing.
Consumer behavior is constantly evolving. Perceptions of various content types are changing in line with developing trends. In 2018, we learned some digital marketing lessons that gave us new insights into content marketing. These have set the pace for content marketing in 2019.
Here are five trends driving content marketing in 2019.
- User-friendliness is nonnegotiable
The online population is experiencing an upsurge growth. From over 1.024 billion in 2005, the figures rose to 4.2 billion in 2018. Marketers are trying to match up the numbers by producing more content. But that’s only a half of the solution.
Consumers want to learn a thing or two from every content they consume. For this to happen, such content must be informative, educating and interesting. If any of these elements is missing in the first paragraphs, the consumer finds their way out of your site.
Online audiences aren’t alone in their resolve for user-friendly content. Search engines such as online power house Google are championing the movement by waging war against robotic contents. Search bots have been perfected to detect keyword-stuffed content. If you aren’t offering value, your content won’t see the light of day.
Relevance is another factor to consider in creating user-friendly content. A well-written content that is relevant doesn’t only educate the consumer but also drives engagement.
- Social media engagement
Social media presence is no longer optional but mandatory for a thriving business. It takes away the bureaucracy of brand-to-consumer communication.
Big brands used to hide behind the curtains of anonymity. But social media has changed the narrative. Consumers want to see the face behind the brand. This creates some level of familiarity in their interactions.
The social media consumer is always seeking information, and require a response instantly. A brand is only as good as its responsiveness. You need to be available and accessible on social media to relate with your audiences.
- Say more with video marketing
Written content dominated the content marketing space for a very long time. While this is still viable, video content is fast gaining momentum.
Time is an invaluable asset to the consumer. With over 74 million blog posts being published on a daily basis, there’s only so much they can consume.
Video compresses long texts, shortening the time of delivery. The sight of a lengthy article discourages people from reading it. Marketers try to bypass this challenge by making them shorter – cutting out some information. In just a minute, you can relay important information to the consumer in a video. The video can be watched over and over again to fully grasp your message.
Unlike text-based content that requires full attention to be read, video content can be consumed with lesser attention. Consumers may be preoccupied while your video plays in the background.
- Team up with micro influencers
Doing the right things all by yourself may give you results, but you can achieve a lot more when you join forces with the right people. Not only will your brand gain a wider reach, you’ll also enjoy higher Return on Investments (ROI).
Your audiences will find your brand more credible when it’s endorsed by someone who has some influence over them.
Harnessing the power of social media, micro influencers have built a reputation for themselves by showcasing their expertise in certain areas. Their not-so huge following enables them to have a closer relationship with their followers than celebrities.
Trust and authenticity are some of the prerogatives these social media stars have with their followers. Having micro influencers in your niche add their voice in your content marketing strategy will boost your outcomes.
- Do live streaming
Consumers have seen so much “refined” content, it’s becoming boring. They are yawning for something more authentic – to see their favorite brands in their original forms without the edits.
Live streaming is a fun way to engage your audience. It fosters closer brand-to-consumer relationships as both parties can interact in the most natural way. Facebook experienced huge success with the introduction of its live video feature. Its users watch live videos three times more than traditional ones.
A lot of brands will be talking online this year. The noise from these many voices will hinder effective communication. You need a carefully-planned content marketing strategy for your online Public Relations (PR) to be productive.
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