Staying relevant is pretty much a must-do in a very digital-heavy world. Whether it’s influencers staying relevant on their socials or content marketers keeping up to date with the trends.

Relevancy with a target audience isn’t just an attempt to retain customers, it’s a way to prove to them that you can provide them with what they’re looking for. So if you’re thinking of what trends to pay closer attention as we get settled into the new year, look no further.

We’ve decided to lend you a helping hand. Here’s 5 content marketing trends that you should definitely consider jumping on the bandwagon for.

1.    Short-Form Videos

Videos have always been a content marketing strategy. But in the last year especially, short-form videos have been taking the social world by storm.

TikTok, Instagram Reels, and now YouTube Shorts have been increasing and have become one of the new hottest trends among users. In fact, 80% of all mobile data traffic is accredited to short-form videos.

Easier for branding, a short-form video gets the message across whilst promising to take only a little time from consumers. Something becoming more important now that the attention span of consumers is decreasing more and more. A viewer is more likely to be engaging or interactive with your post.

10 minutes or less is what is now being recommended as an ideal video length. But even then, 10 minutes is still considerably long for some people. Chopping a video down as much as possible to the basics, only the information that’s absolutely essential, will get the more engagement. It’s also great for you. Less time will be taking to produce content.

2.    A Human-Focused Content Experience

It’s now 2023 (I know, still crazy to write!). And honesty is very much in, so… Online spaces are, for lack of a better word, crowded.

There’s so many new businesses popping up, and so many old ones rebranding themselves. And that’s fine. Great, even. But the consumer market is changing. No longer do they want a professional business person talking all formally to them in Old English.

Of course, they still want reliability but they also want relatability. An actual company-client relationship. It’s not just about making your content the best anymore – it’s also about cultivating your customer relations. And to build those connections you have to show your empathy and emotion to them.

Because consumer loyalty comes with transparency and genuineness. 94% of customers stay loyal, actually. And of that percentage, 74% are willing to pay more for products or services that come from a brand that’s genuine.

3.    Artificial Intelligence (AI)

AI has been cementing itself as of late as a tool that has plenty to offer content marketers.

Artificial Intelligence technology will help you tremendously if you wish it to. It can help to improve content personalisation of your site – recognising repeat visitors or offering an in-app suggestion based on repetitive user behaviour.

Alongside this, it can help you out with the pressure of content production. One of the most important strategies for any business to succeed, no matter the industry they’re within, is a consistent and regular stream of content flow is crucial.

But keeping up with that consistent flow of content being made, there comes plenty of pressure, stress, and struggles. Situations where work is really backlogged, you’re having creative differences with team members, or you’ve got a creative block where content creation seems almost impossible.

AI is developing in a way that now, there are extra tools to provide support with such problems. MGC – Machine Generated Content. And yes, it is definitely still lagging a bit when it comes to the personal flare of human speech, but it can’t be discarded.

It’s definitely one to look out for!

4.    Visual-Based Content

A post over 1,000 words? What a drag.

Only kidding. Partially. (The irony… Guess how long this one is! I should practice what I’m preaching!)

There’s many instances where 1,000 word think-pieces are important but in a year (2022) where consumers’ attentions were drifting away after so long, perhaps they shouldn’t be your first go-to. If your information can’t be condensed, fine enough. But if it can? Then condense, condense, condense!

More than half of internet traffic comes from mobile users and that could mean many things – on the way to work, passing time, on a break, waiting or on public transport. So it’s always best to assume that the amount of free time they have is short.

Visual-based content is becoming a favourite for user interactions and engagements. They don’t have to commit too much of their time to check out the information you’re offering in their every-busy worlds. Personally, we think infographics are great, They’re the way forward for sharing information visually.

Typically, the most important points are included so that users can get the answer they’re searching for.

5.    Prioritising Evergreen Content

Content that is considered evergreen will never expire. That’s the whole point of it. So it’s sustainable to your business.

Now, you don’t have to prioritise it for every post but the more posts that have content that is evergreen, the better your site will be in the long run. With only a few tweaks here and there, this content can be seen by readers years ahead and still be insightful to them.

Even better is that it can take any form you want it to – blog posts, news articles, infographics, videos, or even e-guides. Just as long as it’s engaging and actually educational, it will always be able to produce successful results for your business.

What’s that saying about fine wine, again…? Ages like fine wine? Remains consistent and will actually improve as time goes on.

GrowTraffic: Get in Touch

SEO is the foundation on which you can build all of your digital marketing strategies. Strategies, including content marketing, that will help you increase your brand exposure effectively. And they’ll help to attract both new and targeted traffic to your website.

If this is something you’ve been contemplating, then don’t contemplate any longer. Just do. So why not get in touch with our team? If expertise is what you’re worried about then perhaps our 10+ years of experience will soothe those worries. And if not that then maybe the fact that we’re a multi-award-winning agency. (Promise I’m not bragging…)

We want to help you develop or even improve the SEO strategy you already have and if that’s something you want, too, then take a look at the services we offer.

Call us on 0161 706 0012 for a direct line. And if you prefer a more digital approach, send us a message via email at info@growtraffic.co.uk

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