Attention all marketers! Your content marketing is having an impact. According to Curata, nearly three-quarters of companies say their digital marketing content is increasing new sales leads or improving the quality of leads. Social media marketing is booming, and consumers are engaging with visual content at record highs.
So, where is content marketing headed in 2018? At Commit Agency, we’re constantly evaluating our digital content strategies to make sure we see the big picture. We work hard to deliver fresh, relevant and useful digital content for each of our clients. As we look ahead to the new year, here are 5 content marketing trends that we think will be hot (or hot again) in 2018.
Quality Over Quantity
Remember when companies used to churn out content like factory lines assembling widgets? Gone are the days when having a gazillion keyword-stuffed blogs on your site meant dominating the industry in engagement. First off, page views don’t necessarily equate to sales. Even if millions of people visit your clickbait article, they may quickly leave once they realize it’s fluff. And with 40% of readers never bothering to scroll below the “digital fold,” your blogs and websites need to hook the reader from the start. Today’s content curators understand that high-quality, readable, informative or entertaining digital articles are most successful.
Personalization
We’re drawn to things that feel like they’re made just for us. That’s why every souvenir store has a display of kitschy keychains and mugs personalized with first names. By customizing the content you create, you can deliver a top-notch customer experience that consumers will remember. And considering 69% of companies rate personalization as their top priority, it seems like a safe investment. Don’t just think about personalizing emails, either. Companies like Google, Facebook and Target have taken data about their customers’ likes, dislikes and spending habits and created custom marketing campaigns just for them!
Virtual and Augmented Reality
Companies have been promising widespread VR tech since gamers went into a frenzy over Oculus at last year’s E3 Expo… but it hasn’t quite happened yet. Good news: 2018 could be the year. As augmented reality and VR technologies improve, marketing possibilities will explode. Experts predict that this tech will bring in more than $150 billion by 2020! Imagine being able to virtually stand inside a luxury hotel and look around before you book or try on an outfit before purchasing it online. Even if your company doesn’t want to take a risk on early VR, consider upping your visual content production (videos, photos, virtual tours etc.) to compete.
More Key Influencers
Social influencers aren’t exactly breaking news. Companies have been using celebrities to endorse products since the glory days of Old Hollywood (just check out these glamorous vintage ciggy ads for a sample). But over the past few years, we’ve seen the rise of a new breed of influencer – the Instagram models and online celebs whose loyal followers will eagerly run out to purchase any product they see their virtual hero wearing or using. This coming year, anyone has the power to become an influencer, provided they draw enough fans. Remember, 83% of people trust the opinions of people they know – even if they’ve only “met” on social media.
Marketing Budget Boom
By now, you’re probably wondering how you’re going to deliver on-point, engaging, quality content that potential customers will like, love and share. Producing viral videos or authoring articles that garner a million page views isn’t easy. Luckily, your content marketing budget will probably be higher next year. Curata surveys show that 75% of marketers are actively increasing their content budgets. The most effective companies use more than 40 percent of their marketing budget for content. With a bigger budget, you’ll be able to deliver more impactful content; whether by hiring content experts or having the means to pay for high-value items such as videos, infographics and interactive content.
We’re excited to see more visual content, personalization and virtual technology in the year ahead – and we hope you are, too. Curious how content marketing can boost your brand or improve consumer experience? Contact Commit today to see how we can help take your digital marketing to the next level.
