You’re investing in video, and it’s been years since you stopped counting likes. You have a killer SEO strategy that’s integrated across all of your content, and your voice is well-established and clearly linked to your brand. Still, maybe it’s time to integrate some new content marketing trends into your plans for next year. (And if you aren’t at the place where you have started a solid content marketing plan — go read our white paper on the value of it for your marketing first!)
Wipe that “wait, we just did this” look off your face. It’s true; the last time you had to integrate emerging trends probably feels like yesterday. That’s because while some fads can be ignored as a waste of time and resources, integrating some key trends keeps you competitive and fresh. Here are some fads you need to look deeper at:
Collaboration: A new approach to collaboration is emerging, and it has that, “why haven’t we always done this?” feel to it. Complementary brands, who may provide different products and services, but who are targeting the same audiences, are teaming up to host Webinars and live events. If you’re toying with the idea of putting on a networking hour or some other live event, look around to see who your collaborators might be. You’ll lend each other credibility and expand your brand presence.
Micro-Moments: If you keep up with this blog, you’ve heard about micro-moments. It’s the concept of getting your brand out there when a member of your target audience reaches for their mobile device to look up something related to your product or service. It answers the in-the-moment wondering of the consumer. You don’t just want to be on their radar when they sit down purposefully to their desktop to do research. You want to be present from the first moment they think, “I wonder if anybody is providing this service…”
Omni-Channel Marketing: It’s not enough to create a blog piece and post it across all social media channels. A savvy omni-channel marketing strategy is taking into account the consistent messaging across all channels, but with a unique design to fit the particulars of that channel. The concept, the voice and the branding are all the same, but it’s tailored to the audience and atmosphere of that channel.
Value Metrics: You’re no longer checking to see how much traffic a particular piece of content brought to your website. You’re digging deeper. You want to know how often that content drove up engagement or led to a conversion. It’s important to learn the behaviors that are tied to a conversion or sale and those that tend to not correlate to any valuable actions.
Changing Search Patterns: You may have already heard that your customers are likely searching with different word combinations now that search may be happening with an Echo or other digital assistant. There are other changes you should be aware of, including consumers’ increasing tendency to do a platform search, where they begin with a preferred seller’s site instead of a search engine. A buyer may check Amazon for products like yours before they would try it in a search engine.
It can be a bit of trick, knowing when to jump on a trend and when to let it pass you by. That’s why SJC Marketing assists companies like yours in determining where they can make the biggest impact with their marketing budget. Contact us to get started with an initial consultation.