Understanding what content your audience wants to see

Introduction

Content consumption encompasses the ways consumers interact with your content, whether it’s reading blog posts, watching videos, listening to podcasts, or engaging with social media posts.

Understanding your target audience’s preferred content types can help you craft a more effective content strategy.

For marketers, staying updated with these trends can be challenging, but repurposing content is one effective way to stay ahead.

1. Key Trends in Content Consumption

Device Trends

Mobile optimisation isn’t just a concept; it’s a necessity. Hubspot’s latest survey reveals that all demographics, except Boomers, prefer mobile devices for online shopping. To cater to a diverse audience, ensuring a seamless experience across all devices is paramount. Marketers should dig into device-related data, to inform their decisions.

Content Types

When learning about products or services, consumers turn to the internet. Gen Z stands out, preferring social media for their information.

36% of social media marketers say short-form video offers the highest ROI, the highest of any format.

One-third of social media marketers plan to invest more in short-form video than any other content format this year.

43% of social media marketers plan to try short-form videos for the first time in 2024.

Different Generational Preferences

When learning about products or services, consumers turn to the internet. Gen Z stands out, preferring social media for their information

Gen Z: Favours short-form videos, story posts, social media marketplaces, and sponsored content.

Millennials: Prefers short-form videos, ads, and marketplaces.

Gen X: Leans towards online communities , short-form videos, and ads.

Baby Boomers: Values ads, influencers, marketplaces, and online communities.

2. Effective Content Strategies

Repurpose your Content

Repurposing content is a great way to extend the life of your content and reach different audience segments. For example, this single blog post can morph into social media snippets, videos, or email newsletters .

Leverage and Embrace AI

Generative AI can streamline content production . Once you’ve developed an idea, AI can assist in creating text-driven content, audio, and even a bit of video, saving time and resources while maintaining quality, although nothing beats a real human (yet).

3. Types of Engaging Content

Funny Content: 52% of consumers enjoy humourous content. Brands can use memes and witty posts to engage their audience. Funny video content, especially, is prone to going viral.

Product Showcases: 39% of consumers appreciate content showcasing products/services. Social media selling is on the rise, with 84% of marketers predicting increased sales directly from social platforms.

Relatable Content: 38% of consumers value relatable content. Authenticity and relatability often trump polished, high-quality content. This approach helps build a stronger connection with your audience.

Brand Values: Consumers appreciate content that reflects a brand’s values. Sharing what your brand stands for can attract like-minded customers and build loyalty.

Educational Content: Tutorials and expert interviews are effective. Short-form videos offer the highest ROI, with many marketers planning to invest more in this format.

Trendy Content: Cultural moments and news stories resonate well, especially with Gen X and Millennials. Quick reaction to trends is key to leveraging this type of content effectively.

Final Reflection

Understanding content consumption trends is essential for developing a successful content strategy.

By tailoring your approach to meet audience preferences, repurposing content, and leveraging AI, you can enhance engagement and drive better results.

Stay updated with trends, and be ready to adapt to ensure your content remains relevant and impactful.

Additional Resources for Business Growth

Please check out our 50+ blogs on sales, marketing, and customer service. Subscribe to keep up to date with sales and marketing strategies, industry insights, How-Tos, CRM, Marketing Automation tools and much more.

Join our tribe community to receive other value-added content here . Keep in touch at [email protected] .

#Content #SocialMedia #Consumption #MarketingStrategy #SocialMediaMarketing