There’s no doubt that in 2016, content marketing is going to be hotter than ever. With the predicted increased amounts of content being published online, it’s crucial for content developers to stay on top of the trends in order to remain competitive. Basically, it’s less of a question of whether or not businesses should have a content marketing strategy in place, and more of a question of knowing how to do it effectively. There are a lot of different factors involved, but the following content marketing predictions for 2016 will give you a good idea of what you’ll need to take into consideration.
Quality Content Will Dominate
Crafting quality content will finally be taken seriously, with businesses trying a variety of tactics to grab their target audience’s attention. They’ll also grasp the personal and monetary investment that quality content marketing demands. Savvy marketers will also have processes in place that monitor the analytics that make it possible to make significant improvements. Regardless of the format, online marketers will make quality content creation a priority.
Exceptional Designs and Images Continue to Rule
As more and more brands start using content marketing to boost their authority and build a loyal audience, it’s going to be harder than ever to stand out. If you want to succeed in 2016, you’ll need to invest is a web presence that matches the quality of the content. This also means integrating high quality images into your blog posts, throughout your website and on social media. If you haven’t done it already, it would be well worth your while to take an online PhotoShop course. Whether you have in-house or off site design team that you regularly work with, take the time to brainstorm about how you can enhance your content marketing strategies with a great design and compelling graphics/images.
Less is More
This year, the focus will be shifting from creating a lot of content to providing the “right” content, in particular “personalized” content. Today, consumers have come to expect hyper-relevant, personalized content presented to them instantly, wherever they happen to be engaging, whether it’s via email, social media, or any other channel. There’s increased pressure to continually deliver an engaging, smooth experience and you can count on more brands stepping up their content marketing efforts this year to accomplish exactly that.
Long Form Content Benefits ROI
In 2015, long-form content (1500 to 2000 words) generated a significant amount of attention. Online marketers started to test out varying lengths to see how their target audience responded to more in depth content pieces. In many cases, it was found that the highest rated posts were typically over 2,000 words, indicating that Google prefers more comprehensive content. Whether you plan on making long-form articles part of your 2016 content marketing strategy or not, it couldn’t hurt to experiment, and monitor how well they perform in comparison to shorter posts.
The following images shows how marketers feel about different formats:
Image Credit: CMO Council
Video Content is a Must
Video content is stimulating, and content marketers that incorporate it into their efforts are almost certainly going to see success. YouTube alone draws over a billion unique visitors monthly, making it a more popular network than LinkedIn and Twitter. It has been predicted that by 2017, video will account for approximately 70% of all online consumer traffic.
One of the most effective ways to incorporate video into a content marketing strategy is by creating “How to” videos. Whether it’s Instagram, Periscope, Vine, Facebook Live, or everybody’s favorite – YouTube, this is the year when video will become a key content marketing factor for all brands as well as B2B.
Source Business 2 Community
Mobile First (Human Friendly) Is No Longer Just a Consideration
The need for a responsive, mobile first web experience is actually old news, but businesses are finally taking note, especially since Google’s Mobilegeddon announcement in April, 2016. Now mobile traffic has actually surpassed PCs, which shouldn’t come as a surprise (have you ever noticed how many people, wherever you go, are tied to their smartphones and tablets?) Today’s marketers need to pay attention to how and where their audience is receiving content and ensure that they write clear and concise content that will help mobile users carry out conversations and complete transactions on the device of their choice. Because Google appreciates content that executes well on mobile, it’s more important than ever to adopt a mobile attitude.
Creating Effective Content Marketing Strategies
The first step towards learning and growing as a content marketer is to stay in tune with the top trends. In 2016, you can anticipate seeing content marketing strategies continue to develop, requiring that all of us continue to refine our skills and make adjustments if necessary. In order to stay on top of your game, it’s important to develop new skills, whether it’s design, creating a “DYI” video or learning PhotoShop. If you don’t have the time or the desire to keep on top of your content marketing strategies yourself, consider hiring someone who does. Either way, it needs to be done, and done well if you want your online marketing efforts to succeed.
Are there any predictions you are tracking? Share with us via social media or in the comments below!
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