If you’re building a brand or business, especially one that deals with e-commerce, then developing a strong content marketing strategy is key.
What is content marketing?
Content marketing is the creation of articles, videos, social media posts, and anything else that is shared online to support a brand. It’s not quite the same as advertising, though it is closely related. The main difference is that this form of marketing is meant to provide information and value to those that read, watch, or otherwise consume the content, regardless of if they make a purchase.Of course, the hope is that great content will ultimately encourage people to buy from a brand, but it’s more about building authority and name-recognition than just selling.
Why pay attention to new trends?
Since content marketing relates to the internet, it is an ever-evolving field. So, it’s not enough to just learn the basics. To have a really effective marketing strategy, you have to stay up-to-date on what tactics are popular and get the best results. That’s because new technology and developments, as well as shifts in culture and consumption patterns make it so things change quickly on the web.That’s why it is very important to make sure that you stay on top of all the burgeoning trends with content marketing, or else your brand’s strategies might steer towards the obsolete and ineffective.
Fortunately, we’ve compiled a list of some recent trends to keep you fresh and current with all things content marketing.
Trending content marketing approaches
1. Shoppable Content
Have you ever come across a really great product while scrolling through Instagram or
another social media platform? If you’re then able to buy the item just by tapping a link on the photo or video that is promoting it, then you’re interacting with shoppable content. This has really begun to takeoff in the last year or so, because apps like TikTok and Facebook are tailor-made to support this kind of marketing. Plus, it is a really effective tactic when it comes to driving sales, since it simplifies the checkout process. The less time there is for the customer to deliberate, the less likely they are to wind up changing their mind about purchasing. When paired with great posts that drive customer interest, utilizing shoppable content can go along way to encouraging immediate purchases.
2. Varied Content Creation
Publishing constant content just isn’t enough any more. Volume still plays an important
role in the success of your content marketing strategy, but it's important that you diversify your approach and ensure that you’re targeting many different forms of media and publishing on lots of platforms. Flooding your blog with posts only helps to reach people and potential customers who are inclined to read articles. If you want to maximize your audience, you shouldn’t abandon your trusty blog, but you should also make sure that you are creating videos and podcasts too. Plus, promote your content on all social media platforms. Some people gravitate towards TikTok, others towardsTwitter. In order to catch all the customers you can, you need to be posting everywhere, or you’re missing opportunities to connect.
3. AI-Powered Content
Content that has been written by artificial intelligence is quickly increasing in popularity.
It’s a great way to quickly produce content that is well optimized and requires minimal editing. It’s a very efficient strategy that is ideal if you need a lot of content written in a short amount of time.However, there are some drawbacks, like the lack of originality or creativity in the writing that is generated. AI is also going to struggle with some aspects of tone and nuance, which is why this tool is best used in conjunction with actual writers. There’s no substitute for the people, but if you use artificial and human intelligence together, you can get great results.
4. Hosting Hybrid Events
The pandemic shook up the way events were handled for everyone, as suddenly
in-person gatherings couldn’t be conducted safely.However, now that live, in-person events are on the table again, virtual meetings shouldn’t be shoved aside. The best marketing strategy is actually going to target a combination of in-person and virtual events. There are several reasons that this is beneficial, but the main one is that it maximizes attendees and increases your potential audience. Virtual events are great because they open up the guest list to people who live out of town, lack transportation, or need to stay home to make dinner or watch their children, but still want top articipate. However, in-person events have a very important role too. They foster community and loyalty and there’s no substitute for the discourse that conversing in the same room can generate. That’s why you should offer both types, or even better, hybrid options, so you don’t limit the potential reach of your event.