It’s hard to judge the direction of content marketing because it keeps changing so rapidly. However, one thing is for sure, content marketing will continue to make an impact going forward. I’m surprised at the amount of people who don’t put emphasis on where it matters. For example, they refuse to add value content which is what people are looking for at this point in their lives. It’s all about making sure you have done the right research, written the best content, and provide a solution to a common problem. However, as mentioned many people fail to keep doing this which is costing them enormous time, and money. Here’s something else…
What content marketing use to be last year is Not the same as this year. Why? Technological changes come quick, and this shifts the direction everyone is moving in. Next, with the growing popularity of social media, it’s easier to find out about the content which attracts your readers, and others within your niche. With 2019 here it’s important we understand how content is changing, and what we can do going forward. Let’s explore some of the things I’ve noticed.
Optimize and Control
You have to find ways to stand out which means control is everything. There is NO shortage of content online, and the one way to stand out is by controlling your audience so they engage. It’s also important at the same time that they keep coming back because this way you build credibility as a brand. However, I’m still surprised at the amount of people who don’t know how to control their audience from the time they land on the page. For example, many bloggers think about it too long, and fail to understand “control” can be achieved easily. Here’s what I recommend
Value – You have to add more value than the other person in your niche, and it helps to know your audience. When you know what type of content they are looking for then you’ll have an easier time creating something they need. For example, research your topic and niche so you can add more value than the other person within your niche. It’s also a good idea to visit some competitor blogs to see what they are doing.
Content format – I’m a big believer that many people will have different types of content which resonates with them. This is why it’s important you know what type of content your audience loves to read, and create more of it going forward. For example, create podcasts, infographics, videos, and text then look to see where the highest engagement is going forward. Once you analyze the data, you can then create similar content going forward.
Call-To-Action – I love adding call-to-actions within my content because it helps me learn about my audience. The more I know, the more I can cater to help them out which builds trust, and control. An awesome call-to-action is email opt-in because once they are on your list, you can remarket to them over the years with great success if done the right way.
Lesson 1 – In 2019, content will be more on control because this is what will allow you to stand out compared to your competition.
More Narrow Content
Since the user search patterns are changing, it’s important to create content which Is more precise, and to the point. We all know how long-tail keywords have changed the way which people search. For example, searches for “green socks” are changing into “green socks with dots” because search engines are more precise in the way they handle information. Just like the example, blogging content is changing rapidly so you have to be more precise in whatever you target, and write. I believe as content starts to become more specific, it will change the way people interact with it too. What once was a broad field of study for anyone can now be narrowed down enormously.
If you want to make a huge impact online, then I would recommend you make the following changed to your content.
First, it’s important you target long-tail keywords going forward so you can catch more precise audience. Use this type of content to market more precise products, and services. Next, whenever adding keywords to your content, it’s important you are very precise where they are placed. It’s just as important that your content stays relevant to those keywords so it’s not misleading.
Lesson 2 – In 2019, I would expect content to be more narrow simply because people are smarter when searching for information. For example, at one point broad searches would plague search engines, however now they are so fine tuned.
DATA Driven Content
It’s all about data, and what’s been working because NO one wants to waste time on strategies which produce no conversions. Have you noticed over the years much of the popular content has been based on case studies? This is because this type of content provides actual facts which people can then implement into their marketing. For example, whenever I market different products, I try to find platforms which have a high conversion rate. I’ll usually do a quick search typing in “marketing case studies”, and will find actual data driven results. This helps me implement the same strategies WITHOUT wasting time on those which don’t work. Not to mention, marketing costs enormous money, and if you start using some with very low conversion rate, then you’ll lose more than gain.
Going forward, I believe much of the content we write will have to provide data so people know what works, and what doesn’t. This is a trend I’ve seen growing, and I don’t see slowing down anytime soon.
Lesson 3 – In 2019, usual see much more content based on data, and this will help increase your bottom line. I recommend all of you to start focusing on this type of content going forward.
Value with Fewer Words
With so much competition, it’s important you find ways to get your point across quickly. We are at a point that people want to be able to pull out value with very little effort which is way video, and podcasts have done so well overtime. In 2019, I think the new trend we’ll see is how things text is decreasing in size, however still providing enormous value. For example, we can be concise, but add value at the same time…right? I’ve read enormous content where the answer is provided with value, but the content is less than 1200 words. With that said, I think it’s important we find ways to get our point across however be able to provide the value we need to quickly. Here’s something else, if your reader sees a whole bunch of clutter on your page, then they’ll leave to a competitor website because there is no shortage content available. With that, let’s look at ways to provide value, but with fewer words:
Target the main keywords – That’s right! When you are more precise with your keyword selection, the better or “pinpointed” content you’ll write going forward. These target keywords will also provide great guidance along the way.
Avoid The Irrelevance – You have an objective you want to meet, and going forward stick to it. This means, avoid adding points which don’t meet your objective. It’s a waste of time, and room.
Keep User in Mind – This has helped me enormously because when I can continue to focus on my reader, I know what they expect. This means anything which doesn’t help meet their bottom-line I should avoid adding to my content. They won’t read it, and it will throw them off completely.
Lesson 4 – In 2019, content will have to be more precise, and to the point. With so many competitors, and information, people are looking for a quick solution which is also valuable at the same time.
Structure Will Matter
One of the biggest trends I’ve seen in recent months is increase visibility through content structure. Many people are interested to read content which is spaced, relevant, text bolded, etc. This helps them identify with the content, and know they are getting the value they deserve. For example, many people who are arriving on your website are coming through search results so have something specific they are looking for. This means they expect to find it while skimming through your content. However, here’s the problem, when reading content, it’s often cluttered with irrelevant keywords, and no reference the main topic. It’s important when writing content in the future that you focus on structure so people find the right queues to stay on the page. For example,
Spacing – make sure you have the right spacing above, and below each sentence. This will help ensure your content does not come out looking too cluttered. Next, you can help with clutter by keeping sentences to a maximum of “5” per paragraph. I like to use some of the text decoration which has been known to provide awesome queues, for example,
- Bold
- Underline
- Italic
- Etc
If you’ve read some of my other points, then you know how important it is to make sure you avoid clutter going forward.
Final Thoughts
Content and “marketing” has come a long way throughout the years, and it’s important we keep with the changing trends. If we don’t then you can rest assure your competition will be changing which will give them an edge over, you. It time to go through your content strategy looking for ways to improve going forward. I know it will take time, but you can start by reading through this content, and making some quick notes on the tweaks you have to incorporate going forward. Here’s something else,
Make sure you have a way to track progress because you’ll only know when your strategy is working if you track the results. Find out how changing your content marketing strategy has increased engagement, and if not, it’s important to find ways to improve it going forward. Make a quick list by going through this content, and then apply what you can going forward before starting your analyses.
Your feedback, and opinion will be appreciated.
