One of my favorite things about the marketing world is that it continually keeps us on our toes because it’s always changing. It almost feels as if there’s never a dull moment!
Whether it’s the Google algorithm changing every few months and boosting (or burying) your website or Facebook Ads giving you a run for your money as it rolls out yet another update, it’s important to know how to best prepare your content marketing strategy as we face another new year.
According to my research on the topic, here are the top content marketing trends both you and your business should be aware of in order to catch your audience’s attention over the next twelve months.
Visual media will continue to be front and center
If you’re not already addicted to Tik Tok, congratulations. I, on the other hand, well let’s just say I have spent a few hours on that app over the past few years. And I’m not the only one. Short form videos such as Tik Tok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts will continue to rise in popularity. In fact, visual media isn’t going anywhere, anytime soon. Surprise, surprise.
Regardless of how you might feel about stepping in front of the camera, your audience expects you to — and to do it in an entertaining and authentic way! And it doesn’t need to be professional quality, although knowing how to edit a video is a huge plus. Simply use your smartphone to capture whatever it is you’re doing with your business behind the scenes. Trust me, your audience is curious enough to watch.
Closed captioning is a must
Just because short form videos are the biggest boom online these days doesn’t mean you should expect everyone to be watching with their volume turned up. More and more people are scrolling through Tik Tok without their sound on, which is one reason why closed captioning is very important.
But beyond this, it’s about accessibility for your audience. Let’s not forget that not everyone is going to want to listen to your voiceover or music or whatever you dress your content up with.
Even though videos are the most prevalent and engaging form of content found online, it doesn’t mean that written content is going anywhere! Plus, closed captioning still plays its part in the SEO world.
Social media is still kicking…albeit shifting slightly
Regardless of how you feel about social media platforms for your personal life, they're non-negotiable for your business — in fact, if your business isn’t on a few forms of social media, there’s a good chance it’s missing out on a large portion of potential customers.
But that doesn’t mean you should start every single business page you can on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Tik Tok, and YouTube. Start with one channel, the one that makes the most sense for your target audience to be on, and go from there. Over time, you’ll find that social media is an awesome way of interacting with your customers directly.
Queue the interactive content
Do you remember back when Buzzfeed quizzes were all the rage? You couldn’t scroll down your Facebook feed without seeing a bunch of people sharing what Friends character they are or something of the like.
There’s something enticing about a poll or quiz, isn’t there? It’s easy when it’s multiple choice – all you have to do is click the button! This is a great tactic for engaging with your audience online. Incorporate interactive content in your marketing plans — think quizzes, polls, games, and webinars — and make it fun and inviting.
It also offers your customers a chance to give real-time feedback and feel as though their voice has been heard by your business. Incorporate a level of interactive content into your content and social media strategy in 2023, and adjust it as needed based off of your results!
Evergreen content still remains timeless
No matter how many flashy videos you produce or social media channels you manage, you can’t forget about your core content marketing strategy and the purpose of evergreen content. Not only does evergreen content creation offer valuable information to your new and existing customers, but it also bolsters your website’s online authority and searchability thanks to SEO.
Important types of evergreen content includes case studies, white papers, how-to guides, eBooks, blog articles and more.
In the end the number one thing your content strategy must focus on in 2023, is brand humanization.
Gone are the days of impersonal, corporate-speak that’s badly disguised as relatable marketing. Humanizing your brand is a necessity. Think about it — you might be a business but you’re still run by people, who are working to sell something to other people. Why wouldn’t you want to establish relationships and make connections?
People want to invest their time, money, and trust into things that they can relate to, so give them a brand that understands exactly where they’re at in life to need your business.
I’d love to hear your thoughts – what content strategies are you employing in your business this upcoming year?