Let’s begin the blog by mentioning what Content Marketing really is. It is that marketing approach which involves sharing of online materials such as blogs, articles, classifieds etc to attract the audience to the website. It can be considered as an indirect way to earn potential customers as there is no explicit promotion of brands. The primary aim of Content Marketing is to generate interest in the product with the help of strong and impressive content. Better the quality of content you share, higher will be the chances of users reading your content. The ultimate intent of this type of marketing is to drive customer action that earns profit for the brand.
Take the example of any brand and you will see that there marketing heavily focuses on Content Marketing. The reason is very simple – Because it works! It is the present and very much the future of any Digital Marketing company. In the age of digital, when it has become easier to indulge in bogus activities, Content is something which is authentic. People still believe in content as it is perfectly suited for the internet savvy generation. As 2019 approaches, Content Marketing becomes even more essential. Just like other forms of digital marketing, there are some trends which will dominate this vertical. Keeping an eye on them will be helpful. A list of those is mentioned below –
- Transparency and credibility
Lets start the list by mentioning transparency and credibility. One thing a customer wants is credibility and transparency. People are engaging with your brand as they believe in what you say. But if they are not able to relate what you are trying to say with the company values and image, then it will be hard to attract them. More than 85 percent of the consumers say that transparency is a key factor in going for a brand. Even if you are successful in attracting the clients, it will become difficult to retain them. Create content by aligning it with the overall mission and vision of the company. It will also make consumer more comfortable in further engagement.
- Personalized content
Everyone likes to get attention. When we talk about the consumer, this attention is in the form of Personalized content. In 2019, brands will be benefited by personalization. There are different kinds of consumers and if you want to attract them, you need to indulge in customized serviced. It will be a waste of energy to direct your Content Marketing services in the same manner. According to 75 percent of the consumers, personally directed content is the biggest factor in purchasing. More you personalize, better will be the consumer spending. Any lack of relevance leads to decrease in engagement in the longer run which is ultimately going to hit the ROI.
- Collaboration
You have to understand the importance of collaboration to know why it is so important. It is interesting to see different brands working together and create content of different variety which wouldn’t have been possible if there was no collaboration. Without going on specific examples, let us see what the potential is. When two different brands are involved, the impact will be twice. The content will be seen by twice the number of consumers. Content Marketing done this way will be shared in on both companies’ platforms. The footfall will double and will double the probability of increasing the engagement. All you need to do is find the right collaborative partner and start with it ASAP.
- Influencers use
Okay. You may have one question in the mind – How do Influencers come into play in Content Marketing. As the buzz around Influencers is growing, using them wisely in 2019 is going to be a game changer. In the coming year, you need to target those influencers who are comfortable in penning down finely detailed content for your brand. A bit of different thinking is needed here. This will add some credibility for your brand. When people with a large number of followers will read something encouraging about you, they will give some attention to what you are saying. Give this a thought and you will realize how important this is.
- Rise of Video
Okay then. Finally, I am mentioning the importance of video now. There are many different blogs related to Digital Marketing which always focus on use of video and Content Marketing is one of them. As the time is evolving, video marketing is becoming a necessity now. More than 3/4th of the user base watch video on a daily basis. You cannot succeed if you do not think of ways to incorporate video in your Content Marketing plans. The best way to use this feature is to create short and crisp videos with perfect editing that will convey your brand’s message in the way a blog does.
- Focus on micro-moments
Micro-moment is a term coined by me. If you search a bit, you will know that Google came up with this term. Consumers experience different micro moments on a daily basis. For ex- there are ‘I want to know’ moments when an individual is exploring and searching something. Then there are ‘I want to buy’ moments when someone is interested in buying something. The search is done to assist them in buying. Content Marketing can be done by answering all the queries of the customer. You need to provide the answer in a simple format so that customer doesn’t look at other options.
- Other trends
Use of chatbots and Artificial Intelligence is going to be a talking point in 2019. Content Marketing is going to revolve around this feature. Brands will profit by providing swift answers to frequently asked questions. The solutions provided should come with provisions of 24/7 solutions. Another point is to develop content with the help and input of other team members. Ground level employees should have freedom to provide inputs in content creation. There is a big benefit of doing this. They will also provide feedback which will be real and unbiased. Make sure you are doing all this in 2019.