“5 Predictions for The Future of Content Marketing and Your Business”

“5 Predictions for The Future of Content Marketing and Your Business”
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There are a lot of moving parts in the digital world regarding content marketing and the vast array of options of reaching an audience. From using your website and social media platforms to email marketing, Facebook Chatbots and a host of other methods and platforms, it can be a bit overwhelming.

I’ve always preached a content marketing strategy for any size business or brand to position its authority and to build trust and credibility with prospects in a variety of ways. After all the online world is still the “information superhighway” as it was first referred to a couple of decades ago.   Whether using blogs and articles, videos or podcasts, the format of content delivery that you use can be determined by what your audience likes to consume but more importantly by what your preference of content delivery is. 

I’ve always told people to play to their strengths regarding content marketing. If you’re a good writer, then write blogs, guest blogs and write articles for LinkedIn and other online publishing platforms. If you play well in front of a camera, then create videos. If you prefer an audio format then a podcast is still hugely popular way to get your content out there. 

Because of various formats of content delivery and the ever-changing landscape of the online world with a variety of platforms to choose from, it’s hard to say where things are going—but I’m going to try.  And I fully realize that what I’m writing is definitely not “evergreen’ content and may be outdated only a few months from now.  However, due to the nature of the online world, I don’t see content marketing going out of vogue anytime soon, if ever. 

Regardless, I’m going to weigh in on where I think things are headed in the online world as far as getting your content out there to your audience.  

  1. Quality will be more important than quantity. There is so much information online today that cutting through the clutter and noise is getting harder and harder. Google continually changes its algorithms to make search more relevant for people who are looking for specialized information. Therefore, the more niched, detailed and relevant you can get with your topic, the better chance it will be seen and ranked.

2.  Video will continue to trend big.  As of this writing, video is about 16% of all content consumed online. YouTube is the second biggest website and also the second biggest search engine.  Although it’s harder to get noticed on YouTube today and build a following, there are other platforms like Instagram and Tik Tok that are video based and still viable for any brand.  Even stalwarts like Facebook and LinkedIn continue to give a lot of traction for native video content.  

3.  Audio will make a resurgence.  People will continue to get busier in their work and personal lives but will still want to consume content.  Podcasting, micro-podcasting and other forms of audio will trend even bigger in the future.  Being able to listen to information on any topic while doing dishes, driving and at other times allows people to multi-task and derive benefit when they’re not in front of their computer or tablet. 

4. Voice assistants will trend big.  According to quoracreative.com author Asad Butt, 50% of Google searches will be done by voice by 2020.  And with platforms like Amazon Alexa, Google Home and Apple’s Siri, who essentially started this, AI and machine learning will grow exponentially.  I predict that apps, platforms and entire companies will be built on these existing technologies. Businesses can use things like Alexa Skills and other emerging technologies to get their marketing message out there. 

5. Speed will be mandatory.  As businesses get used to an “I want it yesterday” world, speed will be hugely important. Slow-loading websites, unmanned “live” chats on websites and not be responsive immediately to customer concerns and needs will determine what brands score big and who won’t.  He who serves the customer not only best but fastest will win. 

The only constant is change in the online world.  The above topic areas for content marketing will at least give you some food for thought in planning your strategy for the future. 

Tim Piccirillo is a digital marketing consultant, copywriter and speaker who lives in the Tampa Bay area of Florida.  He believes the internet of things is the future and works with small and medium-sized businesses to increase their digital footprint and help scale their businesses through a customized online strategy. You can contact him at tim@timpic.com or by phone at (352) 638-4284 

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