Marketing
The top content marketing trends for 2023
The Future of Content Marketing: Emerging Trends
The only place in the world to boast of a consistent double-digit growth is the digital world. The global IP traffic is expected to grow 3-fold at a compound annual growth rate of 24%. The traffic related to internet, mobile growth, IP video, live video, gaming, ultra-HD is all set for a double-digit growth rate. These figures clearly point to the booming digital space and a data-driven economy. The ever changing, evolving technology is the main cause of these trends in the digital world.
Businesses therefore need to pay close attention to the emerging and existing trends so as to tap them for marketing. We can classify these broadly under three categories – audio, video and text.
Video (short and long form). Consumers’ decreasing attention spans are in line with the evolution of shorter and shorter avatars of video or vice versa! Short-form videos – Instagram reels, YouTube shorts, TikTok – vie for our attention. They can be compared to a movie trailer, if you like the trailer then go in for the longer version. If the message has to be conveyed in a short time, the content has to be crisp, clear and has to connect to the audience. Videos need to deliver value. If customers sense value, they would spend more time on what the brand is offering – leading to better engagement.
Short form video. The latest concept of mobile-first refers to any content that is suited for viewing with a mobile. A thing as simple as phone orientation is at the centre of creating vertical content for easy phone viewing. Content creators are on their toes to create content that is competitive enough to jostle for the viewing space of the customer.
Long-form video. The short forms can only attract the customers and land them in a place where in-depth marketing of the product is available. From this place onwards long-form videos take customers forward with videos that are 10+ minutes long. Travel and hospitality sectors use this form of video where potential customers can see how the place looks and what to expect from the travel.
Audio. Podcasts are the best-known audio tool for content marketing. Audio-based social platforms like Clubhouse and Twitter spaces – where live audio chat/conversation can happen, are quickly becoming the latest buzzwords in social media interactions.
Text. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) optimisation is a lot more than just grouping keywords. All the strategic keywords used may not save poor content. Use of keywords are more like markers to get to the content, but they can’t be the main content itself. Content is definitely king. Content is no longer only a tool or means to garner customers. Content itself can be a source of revenue. Text based applications like LinkedIn are also upgrading themselves to allow varied forms of media within the app.
Irrespective of the mode used to market the content, a few common outcomes and processes need to be adhered to for maximum impact. A few are listed below.
Augmented & Virtual reality (AR and VR). This added a new flavour to user experience (UX) by giving users a taste of what to expect – virtual sampling is a good descriptor here. It is also becoming more and more personalised by the day. Empathy and human connect has to be woven into any technology-based marketing, even for businesses that earlier used plain hardcore sales pitch. Sales pitch to customers in the current trend shouldn’t come across like a hard sales pitch.
Storytelling is more relatable, real and genuine. AR and VR can make the story telling more experiential in nature. An example of a real estate sector can be elaborated to drive home the point. Customers looking to buy a property would be more likely to buy if there is augmented reality to let them ‘experience’ this dream home. A virtual reality tour of the house, its surroundings and vicinity could provide a very realistic vision of the actual house.
AI and Machine Generated Content (MGC). UberSuggest helps in greater visibility for blog posts, Copy.ai specialises in helping create blogs and posts for blog writers, social media marketers, email marketers and so on. ChatGPT is an AI chatbot trained to answer queries. All these tools can be harnessed for optimising content marketing strategies. AI generated content still requires human intervention. Nevertheless, AI can help immensely where volume and speed is required in accessing and processing voluminous data.
Quality content and accuracy. Every aspect has its flip side. With digital content, it’s a challenge to keep misinformation and fake data at bay. The digital space provides fast, seamless and quick dissipation of information. We cannot be always sure if all the information available digitally is factually correct. In such a background, high quality, well-researched content will find its audience.
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