Is It High Time to Rethink Your Content Marketing Strategy? Unfolding 2020's Trends

The year is drawing to a close. And just like the weather, everything around you is changing, gearing up for what is yet to come.

As a business owner, you're naturally wondering about what trends the New Year will bring. And it's no surprise that nothing stands still on the digital medium. Here, things are continuously adapting or evolving. The same goes for your content marketing strategy.

All the content that you post on your website reflects on your brand. That is why it's considered to be one of the most effective tools of marketing. So whether it's a blog, video, podcast, newsletter, or white paper, the content should always be valuable, relevant, and consistent.

Though your initial goal was to create brand awareness, now you're going to have to think further. Businesses are already utilizing content as a means of becoming more cost-effective, driving revenue, and personalizing the customer experience.

Unfolding the content marketing trends of 2020

If you want to remain competitive and profitable, you are going to have to implement the latest trends. It's time to analyze your approach to content marketing.

So you?ve come to the right place. Here is a list of things that your campaign should include:

1. Personalization

There's a lot of content out there. You?ll need to connect with your audience on a deeper level by creating something that resonates with them. Though much of this process can be automated through AI, take the time to ask your customers what their preferences are. You need to build a relationship beyond a persona by getting personal. This includes offering help, information, and entertainment tailored specifically for a consumer.

Personalized content is ultra-targeted. Smarterhq.com stated that 89% of digital businesses are investing in personalization, including Coca-Cola, Netflix, and Sephora. And Accenture revealed that 91% of consumers are more likely to shop with brands that recognize, remember, and provide relevant offers and recommendations.

Source: searchenginejournal.com

2. Chatbots

This AI-based technology will continue to be in demand in the coming years, mostly because of its conversational style. Connecting with customers in real-time adds value and enhances a user's experience. 63% of people prefer communicating with chatbots for the following reasons:

• Availability of 24/7 service (64%) 

• Immediate response (55%) 

• Answers questions (55%)

3. Search options

As the Digital Marketing Institute accurately pointed out, adopting emerging search strategies create a unique and optimized customer experience. This fosters relationships and builds brand loyalty.

Campaignlive stated that by 2020, 50% of queries would be through voice searches. Google's mission is to produce the best set of search results as quickly as possible. And since 5G is just around the corner, Google is more specific about loading speeds.

Devices are changing as well as people's interactions with them. Brands must alter their content strategy. Google encourages conversational, semantic phrases rather than typical keyword phrases in order to facilitate voice search.

On the other hand, visual search is taking UX to a whole new level. Social Media Today claimed that 62% of Millennials are more interested in visual search capabilities than any other emerging technology. People can conduct searches by uploading an image. Cameras are now transforming into search bars.

Source: zenithmedia.com

4. Video marketing

Videos are already popular, but they will dominate the content world in the years to come. Why?

• Video is going live through streaming. It's bolstering more audience engagement while retaining them longer than pre-recorded ones.

• Personalizing video messages is an effective 1:1marketing strategy.

• Videos are now search-friendly. 

• Technology such as 360-degree video provides a more immersive, interactive UX.

• Videos are supporting shoppable content, significantly shortening the customer's journey by providing accurate information instantly.

5. Social media presence

Cadbury created a personalized video campaign based on data from their Facebook profile. They witnessed a 65% click-through rate and a 33.6% conversation rate.

Data from social media platforms allow brands to understand how customers find their products or services. But more importantly, social media stories are keeping customers hooked and coming back for more, especially with timeline content that disappears after 24 hours.

Whether it's, Snapchat's My Story, Whatsapp's Status, or Instagram's Story, and marketers are making the most of FOMO (fear of missing out). Additional benefits include:

• Opportunity to reach a wider audience

• Increased brand awareness

• Constant engagement

• Cost-effectiveness marketing technique

• Increased traffic to a brand's page

6. Influencer marketing

With social commerce (e-commerce + social media) on the rise, it makes sense to promote marketing through people who have a strong influence on others. Besides, consumers find them more authentic. LinkedIn quoted that 92% of people trust recommendations from other consumers rather than corporate ads.

High profile brands often implement influencer marketing strategies. They form a partnership with an individual who agrees to expose their followers to the brand's product or content. This allows them to increase brand exposure, build authority, and connect with a new audience.

AI is simplifying the process of finding the right influencers, making it easier and faster. Businesses typically explore the following types of influencers:

• Bloggers

• Social Media Stars

• Celebrities

• Industry Experts

• Thought Leaders

• Customers

7. Emerging technologies

We?ve already mentioned that AI is performing well in various aspects of content marketing. It's enabling personalization and enhancing experiences.

But immersive technologies such as augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), and virtual reality (VR) will alter how users perceive the world. Content must be modified to match these trends. Gartner predicts that by 2022, 70% of enterprises will experiment with them. At the moment, AR is outpacing VR. Brands like IKEA and Sephora are already utilizing AR to enhance consumer experience and boost sales.

8. Repurpose content

Content marketing continues to evolve. Provide valuable content in a style that feels as if you are talking about a topic like a real person. Turn it into something that can be experienced, not just consumed. For instance, have a unique perspective to share, whether it's a video or blog. Remember to captivate your audience's attention within the first few seconds.

For more information about creating exceptional content, check out this blog: 10 content creation tools every marketer should have

Repurposing content helps marketers focus on quality and frequency rather than quantity. Analyze the results of the content that has been created. What is getting the most views, engagement, and conversions? Instead of researching new topics, create similar content that your audience wants. Or dive deeper into the same topic.

9. Omnichannel content

Brands must send a consistent message across all mediums, whether that's a physical storefront or an online channel. Access to content on any platform should be seamless.

When companies employ the right techniques, such as automation, it becomes easier to manage an omnichannel strategy. According to clikz.com, the results are impressive. Customer retention improves 90% higher, and the engagement rate increases nearly threefold. Therefore, understanding a customer's buying journey is key to implementing an effective omnichannel strategy.

10. Micro-moments

These are the moments when consumers turn to a device for help. It is typically some information that is required to make instant decisions. Micro-Moments that every marketer should know about are:

Optimizing voice search strategy helps to target micro-moments better. Rethinking a micro-moment strategy can permit brands to become available to consumers when they're searching. And in these instances, people usually have high expectations of receiving the right answer. Coincidently, patience is quite low.

Businesses should aim to make the most out of these opportunities by:

• Being accessible at the moment of need

• Providing relevant information

• Delivering content quickly

Final thoughts

You know that content is transforming. You're going to have to create exceptional content to cut through the online through the clutter. Provide something of value that aligns with a user's preferences and search needs. More importantly, knowing the right strategies to create and market content helps keep you ahead of the curve. 

On a closing note, remember that no matter how good the content is, always utilize the right tools to measure the metrics. Today, value (time on page, sharing, engagement) is overtaking volume (traffic and visits). And content is moving from individual pieces towards dynamic content streams.



 Alycia Gordan is a freelance writer who loves to read and write articles on healthcare technology, fitness and lifestyle. She is a tech junkie and divides her time between travel and writing. You can find her on Twitter: @meetalycia

Text: Alycia Gordan
Image: unsplash.com