Content Marketing Trends That Take the Cake: 2020 Edition

It is 2020, and we are rushing headlong into an increasingly digital age. Technology is evolving at a rapid pace, and marketers and business owners must match strides to keep their brands afloat. Content consumption has reached an all-new high. So, if you are a new-age marketer, it is time you refurbished your content marketing strategy for the year.

Content is at the center of all digital marketing efforts. Want to rake in more revenue while increasing outreach? Know what sells and what’s passé. Every second online pays, so, make sure you make the most of your content this year. Read this post to learn about the 5 top content marketing trends of the year and design your strategy accordingly.

6 content marketing trends 2020 is all about

Companies are now using content for more than promoting their brands online. Gradually progressing towards a storytelling mode, content marketing online is all about boosting engagement and improving customer experience. Here are the five (and a bonus) trends in content marketing you should definitely watch out for in 2020.

1. Content in 2020 should be short and relevant (and not TL;DR)

Human attention spans keep getting smaller with each passing day. We keep consuming content throughout the day, but most get only a fleeting glance or so. That is why TL;DR (too long; didn’t read) content does not perform that well in organic marketing efforts. Long-form content is not quite the right size for every buyer. Short content works better on the millennial generation, and we all know that’s the one with most buyers. Content that tells a story and is colourful and responsive at the same time is usually a huge hit online.

Brands that are doing it right: Airbnb, General Electric, IBM, National Geographic, Dunkin’ Donuts, and more.

What you should be doing about it:

• Go for more info-graphic-friendly content
• Keep how-to posts short and relevant
• Try to address vital consumer issues within the content
• Offer prompt solutions in the first fold of your web page or blog post

2. Voice control and search to rule content trends 

Amazon Alexa and Google Home are here to stay. If their wild popularity is anything to go by, then content needs to be voice-search-driven this year. Some studies show that voice searches will take up half of all online searches by 2020. While content marketers are more or less savvy with targeting content on social media and Google, not many have ventured into voice searches yet. However, voice searches save customers the time and effort of having to type in their queries. So, you should be making the most of this trend.

Brands that are doing it right: Nestle, Patron tequila, Domino’s Pizza, PayPal, and more.

What you should be doing about it:

• Make sure voice search query results align with the customers’ needs
• Push for featured snippets to appear on top of the Google SERP
• Target long-tail keywords and full sentences for titles and headers
• Optimise natural language of pages and posts for targeted geolocation searches

3. Personalised and interactive content is the way to go 

Interactive content and personalisation are all set to rule websites throughout 2020. 78% of customers say that they take personally-relevant content when making a purchasing decision. In fact, increasing personalisation can bring you a 500% increase in consumer spending behaviour. Lack of relevant content, on the other hand, leads to a decrease in engagement rates by 83%.

Brands that are doing it right: easyJet, Sephora, Hilton Hotels, Carnival Cruises, and more.

What you should be doing about it:

• Assess the needs of your target audience
• Set up buyer profiles and personalise them individually
• Make sure your content provides new insights
• Aim for providing solutions through content
• Go for content that gently prods users towards a buying decision

4. Diversified content can really amp up your marketing game 

If you have not started using video content in your marketing plan, it is high time you test it out. 2020 is all about newer and innovative forms of content. So, be it infographics, featured images, videos, webinars, podcasts, white papers, e-books or SlideShare posts, switch up your style with content variety. Try new formats of content as you go along, but be prepared to toss them if they don’t work for your brand. Text-only content is losing its popularity. So, you should aim for a visual content-friendly approach this year.

Brands that are doing it right: DemandBase, Cole Haan, KISSmetrics, IKEA, and more.

What you should be doing about it:

• Try shorter, bite-sized written content with your posts at first
• Post video content regularly and promote them across social media channels
• Take up trending topics like the Bottle Cap Challenge for more relevance
• Make sure you provide value through all forms of content

5. Influencers are all set to be in the spotlight 

Influencer marketing has been in the block for quite some time. But marketers are mostly apprehensive about venturing into those waters right away. Some say this has a lot to do with the common misconception that hiring influencers cost you a fortune. You don’t have to aim for the high-paid celebrity influencers right away. A social media advocate or leaders from your industry can do the job just fine.

Brands that are doing it right: Nike, GAP, Fiji Water, Turkish Airlines, and more.

What you should be doing about it:

• Instead of telling them what to do, you can partner up with an influencer
• Co-create content and keep track of what goes where
• Encourage them to post content on your platforms as well
• Steer clear of spam influencer agencies who do more harm than good

6. Bonus: Out-of-the-box content to take your brand farther 

Content saturation is one of the biggest problems on the web today. But brands are coming up with interesting ways to keep the variety going in their content marketing plans. No matter what vertical you belong to, do not be afraid to dabble in offbeat content. While some brands are gong niche to attract a specific buyer crowd, others are addressing global issues like climate change and access to education for all as part of their mixed bag content.

Brands that are doing it right: Shutterstock, Hubspot, Superdrug, Adobe, Bed Bath & Beyond, and more.

What you should be doing about it:

• Find a niche that combines your service or product with actionable tips
• Aim for problem-solving, how-to, and life hacks posts
• Play up employee activation (if you have an employee who swears by coffee, let them write about coffee)
• Do not stop at merely promoting your product – align it with actionable content.

Summing it up

As we are nearing the end of the year, the content marketing scene looks to be in for some major transformations. The content creation and distribution process are continually expanding, and so are the tools for marketing the content right. You need to keep pace with the changing times to be in the game. The 5 trends in this blog are totally among the ones you should be watching for. Your 2020 content marketing strategy needs to be seamless. Keep these 5 trends in mind, and start planning right now! Share your insights on a content marketing strategy for 2020 in the comments section.

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Created on Dec 30th 2019 05:08. Viewed 428 times.

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