12 Double-Click Worthy Content Trends

Content marketing is undergoing a massive evolution, propelled by changing consumer behaviors, emerging technologies, and shifting industry dynamics. Below are 12 key trends I think Heads of Content Marketing should be paying attention to:

1.AI Content Symphony. The most prominent trend is of course is the AI revolution orchestrating marketing personalization and innovation. AI has a significant impact on content marketing, transforming the way marketers create, personalize, distribute, and analyze content. Given the extensiveness of its impact, this article could be 100+ pages long. But a few key examples come to mind including AI tools like: Adobe Firefly a generative AI model allowing marketers to produce amazing creative stock photos, Hootsuite's OwlyWriter which instantly generates captions and ideas for every network and Lumen5 which analyzes given piece of text, and generates a corresponding video with accompanying images and music. Chatbots and virtual assistants are also used to provide instant responses and enhance customer experiences. And the rise of voice assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant, has prompted content optimization for voice searches.

2. Interactopia - Where content comes to life. We're seeing a ton more content that engages users through interactive, immersive experiences and incorporates gamification is becoming increasingly important. This includes interactive quizzes, polls, surveys, augmented reality (AR), and virtual reality (VR) experiences. These types of content can boost engagement, enhance brand storytelling, and provide unique and memorable experiences for users. One brand that did this well recently was Expedia Group with their #TravelTheAds campaign where they interacted with the branded SuperBowl ads and created travel experiences for their Twitter followers to engage with and share.

3. Fast & Furious. Enter the era of Fastvertising. While most brand content creation takes months or quarters, you may want to take a note from Ryan Reynolds with his Peleton collaboration and recognize what resonates most with target audiences is the ability for brands to have dialogues at the moment. By creating and distributing content quickly, brands can tap into trending topics or current events, which can help them connect with their target audience and spark conversations. This is a definite competitive advantage for brands that are agile and quick to respond. By staying ahead of competitors and capturing the attention of the target audience through timely and relevant content, brands can position themselves as industry leaders. It also enhances the brand's visibility as audiences are more likely to engage with and share content that is timely and relevant.

4. The People's Voice. User-generated content continues to gain popularity as a powerful tool for building brand authenticity and engagement. People trust people, more than people trust brands or corporations (1). Encouraging customers to create and share content related to your brand or products can help foster a sense of community and trust. UGC can take the form of reviews, testimonials, social media posts, and user-submitted videos or images. Think about the viral impact of Apple's "Shot on iPhone" campaign or Starbucks' "Red Cup Contest Campaign". While B2C UGC is becoming ubiquitous, I believe the B2B creator market is largely untapped and has a lot of potential.

4. Visual Velocity. Video content continues to dominate the content landscape, and its popularity is expected to grow even further. Content marketing directors should consider incorporating video into their strategies, whether it's through explainer videos, product demonstrations, webinars, or live streaming. Video content tends to capture attention, evoke emotions, and convey messages more effectively than static or non-visual content.

5. Deep Dive - Beyond the Surface. In an era of fleeting attention spans, content snackification is the name of the game. While short-form content remains relevant for quick consumption on many platforms, long-form and in-depth content pieces are gaining prominence. Comprehensive videos, guides, and thought leadership articles provide valuable information and establish brands as authoritative sources in their industries. The in-depth content can contribute to SEO, thought leadership, and building trust with the audience. Many brands are having success using short-form content on TikTok / Reels to drive longer-form content on YouTube or their website. 59% of Gen Z use short-form video apps to discover things that they watch longer versions of. (2) And yes, you will see me do just that on my TikTok channel.

6. Dust to Diamonds. As marketers, we have the habit of always creating new content. But many brands are finding success by dusting off old content, revising, repurposing, and re-distribution. Repurposing involves adapting existing content into different formats or repackaging it for various platforms. Content sustainability practices are in! Not only does this save resources and budget, but also helps create brand consistency and frequency (key to engagement) with the target audience.

8. Raw and Real. The trend of unpolished, authentic, or raw content, has gained momentum in recent years. It involves creating and sharing content that has a more genuine and unfiltered feel, often deviating from the traditional highly produced, and polished approach of mainstream media. It aims to portray a more realistic and relatable portrayal of people, brands, and experiences. By removing excessive editing, retouching, and scripted elements, content creators strive to connect with audiences on a more genuine and human level. This authenticity helps build trust, fosters stronger emotional connections, and resonates with viewers who appreciate content that feels more real and unfiltered.

9. The Value Exchange. Consumers increasingly value aligning with brands that demonstrate a clear purpose and social responsibility. 82% of shoppers want a brand's values to align with theirs and 75% of consumers would part ways with a brand over conflicting values according to a recent research study by Google Cloud. (3)

10. Micro Mobile Moments. The Double screen phenomenon is real - reshaping how customers interact with media and driving important implications for marketers. With consumers dividing their attention between multiple screens, it's essential to develop strategies that engage them across multiple channelsConsumers increasingly use their mobile devices to seek information and make quick decisions. Optimize your content for mobile devices, ensuring it loads quickly and provides a seamless user experience across devices.

11. Social Royalty: the Reign of Content Distribution. Despite what you may read about the "death of social media", that is just contrarian click-bate. The data doesn't lie. "93% of Gen Z spend an average of four hours daily on social media, and 57% of Gen Z have discovered a new product on social media within the past three months." (4). Social media platforms have massive user bases, with billions of people, and offer sophisticated targeting options that allow content creators and marketers to define and reach specific audience segments. Social media also has a unique ability to facilitate rapid content sharing and engagement and provides a space for real-time interaction and engagement with content. Content feedback loops through social are unmatched compared to other distribution methods.

12. The search engine wars. Although Google currently holds 85% of searches, there is a lot of conversation on alternative ways to search and platforms coming for the title. Reddit, Pinterest, and TikTok are becoming viable search engines for many consumers - especially Gen Z (5). “In our studies, something like almost 40% of young people, when they’re looking for a place for lunch, they don’t go to Google Maps or Search. They go to TikTok or Instagram,”. Apple is also the proverbial 800-pound gorilla in the room. Google would lose default access to more than 1.5 billion active iPhone users if Apple created its own search engine.?Stay tuned as the battle has just begun.

These trends are just the tip of the iceberg in the vast ocean of content marketing possibilities, but overall the future of content marketing lies in embracing agility, creativity, and an audience-centric approach to adapt to the ever-changing landscape.

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Sources:

1. Edelman Digital Trust Barometer: https://www.edelman.com/trust/2022-trust-barometer
2. Think with Google https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/intl/en-ca/marketing-strategies/video/short-and-long-form-videos/
3. Google Cloud Research Study https://cloud.google.com/blog/topics/consumer-packaged-goods/data-shows-shoppers-prioritizing-sustainability-and-values
4. HubSpot Consumer Trends Report https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/how-each-generation-shops-differently
5. Medium, Google Search is dying something new is coming https://medium.com/yardcouch-com/google-search-is-dying-something-new-is-coming-1c7b1bb1b213