The rise of the digital era gave birth to many things, not least among them a renewed vigor for content marketing. Recent changes to the field of marketing have left many professionals wondering if content marketing is still relevant in today’s era, however, and many are beginning to doubt whether they should invest time and money into content marketing during the rest of this year.
Here are 5 key reasons that content marketing is still vitally important in 2018, and why those giving up on it early are likely to regret it in the near-future.
1. Video and content marketing go hand in hand
It’s indisputable that well-produced videos and content marketing go hand in hand, which is great news considering that video-based content is more popular now than ever before. Over the past few years, we’ve seen an increasingly rapid pivot to video that’s caused many companies to place an emphasis on video content, where content marketers have a myriad of opportunities to reach their target audience.
As live streaming continues to grow at a dizzying pace, expect content marketers to take directly to streaming services with their pitches. Video content can be incredibly engaging, practically sucking users right into their screens, so content marketers have an opportunity to reach an entranced audience with their engaging and witty content, provided they don’t break user’s experiences.
2. People want genuine experiences now more than ever
Good content marketing isn’t about pushing a product on an audience, but rather about crafting genuine experiences that can be communicated across different platforms. People want real experiences now more than ever, especially since we’re so frequently inundated with misleading stories and worthless tidbits of information. On social media platforms in particular, good storytelling and heartfelt content is needed, and that’s where today’s content marketers step in.
Advertising surveys have told us that people trust those closest to them the most, which means that content marketing taking place on social media platforms is particularly well-suited to thrive in today’s media ecosystem. As long as content marketers can master the process of creating genuinely enjoyable content, they’ll find it taking root and spreading like wildfire across today’s social media environment.
3. Content marketing will soon hit the airwaves
A new emphasis on radio and voice-activated products will soon see content marketing hit the airwaves. As consumers continue to flock to trendy products like Amazon’s Alexa or Google Home, they’ll be talking to their devices more and more. This presents a serious opportunity for savvy content marketers to introduce voice-related content at a level never before seen in the market.
While content marketers have struck gold in the past by tapping into the power of podcasts, a renewed focus on audio-based technology is about to open many new doors. When brands need help designing catchy tunes or funny catchphrases to be spoken to home assistants, they’ll need content creators familiar with these new mediums to show them how it’s done.
As voice search functions take over the world, expect content marketing experts to churn out a slew of audio content that’s both engaging and informative.
4. More brands are looking to create an authentic image for themselves
The companies that are doing the best in today’s market are often those which mastered the social media process early on. Famous brands like Wendy’s have built massive online presences for themselves, causing competitors to follow in their footsteps. Brands can’t just establish authentic images for themselves on the web overnight, however—for that, they need a solid content marketing campaign.
As companies of all shapes and sizes continue to pour more resources into social media platforms, expect content marketing on channels like Facebook and Twitter to take on a new life. Many consumers are distrustful of brands and advertising on social media in general, so heartfelt content that feels authentic will be needed to get people to pay attention. At the end of the day, social media will remain too important to ignore for content marketers thinking of moving on to new turf.
5. Consumers are still going digital
While some have been holding out in vain hopes that consumers would eventually revert to their old shopping habits, it should be clear to everyone by now that the ongoing trend of digitization is going to continue for the foreseeable future. Content marketing’s future is in the hands of the internet, and aspiring professionals who are hoping to break out into the industry will increasingly come to see that going digital is their only option.
As e-commerce continues to expand at a mind-boggling pace, content marketing will need to keep growing, too, if brands still want to reach their audiences in a meaningful way. Don’t let its critics fool you—content marketing is still vitally important in 2018’s market.
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