The changing nature of marketing can be scary. Every time we change our customer approach, their preferences and habits alter.
For many companies, Content marketing is a crucial aspect. For startups, it’s their most significant marketing channel for growth.
The importance of content marketing is still being discussed. A Smart Insights and HubSpot study found that 53% of marketers can clearly see ROI, and 43% have potential. However, “content” is a big word. It encompasses a variety of topics formats, formats, as well as distribution channels.
When a new technology is introduced or a new format is discovered, consumers want it, and often, we’re ordered to produce before we know the product we’re creating. Operating on the “hey-this-is-cool-let’s-make-a-lot-right-now” model is a sure way to burn through resources without specific results.
To stay relevant and up-to-date, We must be aware of the upcoming trends and have the correct kinds of content before our customers discover it elsewhere. In 2017, you must be sure to capitalize on these trends.
(Important note It is important to note that these trends will be a big thing this year. However, this means you must apply only some of the directions. Be sure to use strategies that fit your company’s image. For instance, if the video doesn’t make sense for your industry/niche/customer/brand, don’t use it.)
Content Strategies
It is essential to record your strategy to market your content. It should outline your goals, research, tactics, and metrics. Also, it should include an editorial calendar that is rolling, including topics that align with your overall objectives and be evaluated for efficiency.
A written strategy keeps you focussed on your goal. It stops you from jumping onto the latest trend.
It’s common to observe marketers investing resources in tactics that can’t help them achieve their goals. I’m thinking, “There’s no plan behind it. They’re simply doing what they do.” (The other day, I spotted an insurance company that was B2B with a Snapchat account. Sorry, but it won’t get customers.)
Unfortunately, the B2B content Marketing report from the Content Marketing Institute found that only 37 percent of Content marketers possess a clearly-written content strategy. 41% have a plan “in mind” (which is slightly better, I think); however, they haven’t yet written it down.
The good news is that most marketers plan to develop a strategy next year, which means we can expect more prepared material in the coming year.
More Video Content
Video content is familiar but has seen a massive increase in 2016. This trend will likely continue through 2017, accounting for 69 percent of Internet internet traffic. Content creators unsuited to video seek ways to benefit from this trend.
Facebook is the primary portal to the web for many users and is putting importance on videos. Facebook encourages brands and users to use Facebook Live and pushes video content up in the News Feeds.
HubSpot studies suggest that most users consume at least a portion of video content each week and pay more attention to it than printed content.
The most important thing is that video earns. The Firebrand Group study found that 83 percent of marketers get a positive return on investment from video, therefore, expect to get increasing amounts of video.
Ephemeral Content
As a content marketing professional, the idea of ephemeral content (sometimes called topical content) is a source of anxiety for me. I want my content to last forever to ensure it is searched for and used for years. The notion that the content I put my money into to develop could be obsolete in the future can be… disturbing.
However, if Snapchat has given us any lessons, brief-lasting content can be a success. The expiration dates of Snapchat content make users take advantage of the content today or else lose the content.
Snapchat isn’t the best choice for all creators. However, the principle remains. People are drawn to reading information that is timely and relevant. In 2017 we’ll see more companies investing in relevant content, like reports of conference proceedings, blogs live amidst presentations or Twitter chats.
Valuable Content
In the past, Content marketers used to post “McPosts” (fast, cheap, low-value, remarkably similar to everything else). Bloggers could create posts in just an hour without any external research or thought of the value. More pages mean more success, they believed.
However, things have changed. While Google was our first master, we could serve real people. It’s now the norm.
In 2017, we’ll continue to see focused content and content made to offer the most value to narrowly defined groups of people. The most valuable content will be helpful and distinctive.
Content length isn’t the sole measure of importance but is most easily assessed. Content that is longer outperforms content that is shorter in terms of its position on Google’s search results pages and social shares.
Creating content with high value is relatively easy, even for small-sized brands. Methods like the skyscraper technique and 10-X content are efficient ways to increase the value of your content.
Interactive Content
We’re all busy. Consuming content can take time, as there’s always more being poured into our inboxes and the feeds of social networks. We need to ensure that the content we spend our time with is relevant.
Interactive content can make your audience feel engaged. It is tailored to their needs. CMI states, “Eighty-one percent of marketers agree that interactive content grabs more attention than static content.” The advantages are evident.
The user must engage with the graph to access the remaining content. The content appears specific to the graph’s information. The authors don’t write the charts. Pages for each permutation. Identifying six to 10 common trends that apply to most people was a matter of identifying them. From a user’s point of view, the data is straight-to-the-point.