Blog Post By: Jessie Zenz, Baer Performance Marketing Intern
As trends in marketing come and go, it is important to stay up to date on the most effective way to reach and communicate with consumers. Examining what has already taken root this year and looking ahead to the rest of 2020, here are four content marketing trends that may be worth incorporating into your strategy.
User-Generated Content
It’s common knowledge that consumers trust reviews by their peers more than a marketer’s opinion on a product or service. Influencers and experts help inform buyers, but real reviews prompt them to act. The modern consumer has no difficulty differentiating between what is influenced and what is genuine. The overarching goal here is for marketers to find authentic feedback and present it to consumers in a way that positively shapes the way they view the brand.
Video Content
While video is by no means a new medium through which consumers may be reached, it is ever-growing in popularity. Mobile video consumption is rapidly increasing each year. In 2020, six out of ten people would rather watch an online video than TV. When incorporating video into your content marketing strategy, it is important to achieve two goals: sell your product or service in a compelling way, and share the brand story. Whether your video is ten seconds or five minutes, make your message impactful, clear, and memorable. With the potential to reach so many consumers, an opportunity should never be wasted.
Personalized Content
A mature marketplace has produced sophisticated consumers. Thus, the generic “one size fits all” marketing plans have all but fallen off our radar. Presently, marketers must focus on personalizing content for the consumer in order to achieve maximum influence. Take email lists, for example. Changing something as simple as the greeting from “Hi, subscriber” to “Hi, Jane” can make an impactful difference in if and how consumers engage. Additionally, personalized calls-to-action are increasingly well-received by customers. A first-time customer should be prompted to take different action than a repeat buyer. While these may seem like simple strategies, 90% of marketers who used personalization techniques saw an increase in positive results.
Voice Content
Audio content as a medium has long been incorporated into marketing plans via radio ads, but, recently, these are popping up everywhere; and this trend is only growing as technology spreads its wings. Possibly the most important aspect of voice content in 2020 is the increasing power of podcasts. Twenty-two percent of Americans listen to podcasts regularly, and 70% report having heard at least one show. The exceptional variety of podcasts allows marketers to reach their target market efficiently, with categories ranging from niche to popular interests.
Need a little more guidance? Content marketing encompasses much of what we do here at Baer Performance Marketing. Contact us today to see how we can develop strategies to point your company in the right direction.