Content Marketing Trends 2019
2019 has now started and its time to see the content marketing trends for this year and the direction that content will be going towards.
Content personalisation and interactivity
Providing more personalised content that is relevant to the customer can lead to a 500% increase in consumer spending. Along with interactivity brands can differentiate themselves from competitors as well as enhance customer engagement, making the customer feel they are getting a one-to-one experience with the brand.
Example
Open Table
Open Table sends a follow-up email immediately after they have finished their meal, allowing the customer an opportunity to review the restaurant and creating user-generated content. This allows the service to gain a better understanding of the user’s needs and expectations when dining out.
Facebook and Instagram
Both platforms provide an interactive platform that allows brands to fully interact with customers in real time and create unique content with customer input.
Cross-team input and development
Everyone in the organisation has an input in the content creation process. Each team engages with the brand differently with customers. Each team plays a different role in the operation of the company and have their own unique understanding of the values of the company. A shift of how content is created should move from a marketing team creating all of the content and then other departments distribute; to a marketing team acting as a facilitator of content creation and departments create content that relates how they interact with customers.
Micro-moments
There are moments in which customers often search for quick answers to an immediate question. Google categorizes them as follows:
I want to know moments – When someone is exploring or researching but is not necessarily in purchase mode
I want to go moments – When someone is looking for a local business or is considering buying a product at a nearby store
I want to do moments – When someone wants help completing a task or trying something new
I want to buy moments – When someone is ready to make a purchase and may need help deciding what to buy or how to buy it
Great simple content that will answer the customer’s question quickly however on the back of this you can create a more detailed content if needed. FAQ’s, Instagram and Facebook stories and audio content are great for this. Get straight to the point do not beat around the bush. The more time is spent explaining, the less time for the customer to move to forward.
Chatbots and artificial intelligence
The use of chatbots and artificial intelligence is growing as customers want an answer quickly and in real-time, customers are not willing to wait a couple of days for the brand to answer a simple; in that time the customer may have gone to another brand and you have lost a potential sale.
Content cluster
Google’s more recent algorithms tend to recognise longer-form content as being more valuable therefore such content is more likely to rank higher in search results. The algorithm now places high importance of topic clusters. Topic clusters have multiple pieces of long-form valuable content revolving around a single topic. Creating content clusters will prove to Google that you are not creating keyword-stuffed content but you as a brand are dedicated to providing your audience with highly valuable information regarding the topic at hand. One page may contain all aspects of the topic on a single page with more detailed cluster blog posts addressing specific keywords related to that topic hyperlinked.
Voice Control and Search
Voice search is increasing with more products enabling his ability to search via voice. Now instead of planning to optimise keywords for someone typing into a device, marketers will need to consider how their customers ask questions with their voice. Mobile responsive and mobile-optimized websites remain important as most voice searches are done on a mobile device and Google prioritizes mobile-optimized sites in search results.
Change of marketing funnel
A traditional marketing funnel has a start and end however the new marketing funnel is more of an ongoing that cycle that requires continuous engagement. The traditional funnel leaves the customer feeling lost, ignore and used just for their wallet. However, the new marketing funnel focuses on nurturing customers especially post-sale and continuously engaging with clients to build lasting trust and form an intimate relationships.