4 Content Marketing Trends to Watch

About a month ago, I talked about how email marketing is vastly outperforming every other marketing channel when you look at ROI. I thought I’d expand this blog post to the entire field of content marketing. I want to see what the current content marketing trends are. After all, content marketing is in a constant state of evolution.

Content marketing trends: Content Marketing Institute reports

A good place to start is the 2019 Content Marketing Institute report and the 2020 Content Marketing Institute report. They provide insight into the changes and trends impacting the content field. For instance, they specify where companies are allocating their budgets and predict where the industry is headed.

2019 report

These are the key findings of the 2019 report:

• B2C content marketing budgets are on the rise
• B2C marketers will increase spending on content creation
• Using content to build customer loyalty is top-of-mind
• The overall results show a strong commitment to content marketing
• Sponsored content on social media is the top method of paid content distribution

2020 report

These are the key findings of the recent 2020 report:

• Most B2C content marketers are reporting success
• They rely heavily on email
• The majority outsource at least one content marketing activity, most likely content creation
• Conversions, content quality/quantity, and audience expansion are content marketing priorities
• Facebook is the top organic and paid social media platform used and generates the best results
• Half agree they provide optimal experiences across the customer journey

4 current content marketing trends

The 2019 report made The Keenfolks wonder what has changed from previous years. Also, where should you focus your content marketing efforts? They recently claimed these are the four current trends.

· The most utilized content formats

The most utilized content formats are video content, written digital content, and image content. Marketers use in-person content, written print content, and audio-only digital content less.

As The Keenfolks say, choosing the proper types of content for maximum engagement means identifying your target audience and conducting detailed research. A company should build a solid strategy to attract the attention of its audience, serve their needs, and achieve the company’s broader goals. Choose the format that gains the most engagement and makes the biggest impact.

· The top content distribution trends and technologies

The top content distribution trends and technologies are social media channels and their analytics tools, email marketing software, and general analytic tools. There are plenty of others, though. You should pick what works for your company.

· Increased investment in content marketing

Brands are investing in content creation more than ever, and this increase is expected to continue. Content marketing promotes your products and services but does not alienate the consumer with intrusive advertising. It provides information in a way that will gain the most attention. Investing in content creation is crucial, The Keenfolks say. In fact, failing to invest means you will not have the resources required to compete for your customer’s attention.

· Growth in ROI

According to the Keenfolks, content is a strategic asset that continues to provide value long after it has first been published. As shown, the reports demonstrate that marketers are happy with content marketing but are consumers? They are. Consumers feel closer to a brand and have a more favorable opinion of it after reading helpful branded content. More importantly, they are more likely to buy from that brand. Other forms of marketing are not that popular.