Content marketing, once an obscure concept, has now emerged as a powerhouse in the digital marketing arena. It has successfully transformed corporate websites into niche-centric online magazines, providing valuable, engaging, and entertaining content to consumers. Thanks to content marketing’s inherent dynamism, each year ushers in fresh trends that can potentially transform the digital marketing industry.
**Video Content: The Upcoming King**
Five years back, the term ‘content marketing’ was synonymous with article writing. Today, we know that content encompasses far more—short videos being the most potent format among them all. Last year witnessed the rise of standalone visual storytelling strategies, facilitating the emergence of a separate, fast-growing video-based content marketing field. In 2017, businesses are expected to channel significant resources into short promotional videos, some even associating with celebrity actors and directors to enhance their outreach.
**Systemized Content Creation On The Horizon**
In the past, content strategies were largely exclusive to large marketing departments and content marketing agencies. However, small and medium businesses will no longer be confined to spontaneously creating and publishing articles, graphics, and videos. Going forward, content publication processes will become more systematic and streamlined.
Intrinsic to this movement toward systemization is the realization that well-orchestrated content strategies can save precious time for marketers besides driving better campaign results. Even small business entrepreneurs are likely to start building sophisticated lists and diagrams that trace content’s trajectory from the original idea to the social media promotion stage.
Entrepreneurs who either lack time or the requisite skills to develop a robust content strategy will need to leverage the expertise of agencies offering content marketing services. This will be crucial to ensure competitiveness in an increasingly saturated market.
**The Reign of Paid Distribution**
Ever since Facebook launched its Ads platform, the reach of regular posts has been on a decline. A post on your Facebook business page views by a few hundred fans could become viral in no time with a minor boost of $10 or $20.
Social networks providing paid ads options, such as Facebook, are predicted to continue reducing the reach of regular posts. As a result, paid ads will soon form an integral part of content marketing budgets. While some marketers might view this skeptically, the ability to ascertain the precise number of leads each post reaches may eventually make expense tracking more transparent.
**User-generated Content: Authentic and Reliable**
User-generated content will assume increasing importance in future content strategies due to its authenticity, attractiveness, and credibility. The Guardian reported that 70% of consumers prefer peer recommendations and reviews over formal written content. Consumers value the experiences of others with a product or company, which is why platforms featuring reviews such as Yelp, Amazon Consumer Reviews, and Angie’s List, are becoming significantly influential.
Intriguingly, customers tend to be even more engaged by positive reviews presented in creative formats such as photographs, short videos, graphics. To capitalize on this trend, companies may need to incentivize customers to share their experiences by launching campaigns that spark their creativity—an exemplary model being the Coca Cola’s ‘Share a Coke’ campaign, which saw the brand printing customers’ names on bottle labels.
**Engaging Audiences with Episodic Content**
Trends in viewership indicate that series are now eclipsing blockbuster movies, thanks to quicker video streaming options and efforts of companies like Netflix to keep viewers hooked to the screen.
Content marketing agencies can take a leaf out of their book. Episodic content not only engages audiences over longer periods but is also more affordable compared to creating several discrete content pieces. The first episode or the pilot carries immense significance—if it successfully creates suspense, consumers will undoubtedly want more.
The rising popularity of content marketing will also impact future search results. In less than a decade, every search query is predicted to return thousands of high-quality, relevant articles, videos, images, and infographics. Correspondingly, the web will become increasingly competitive, making investments in content marketing an essential part of a company’s marketing budget.
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