The field of content marketing and communications is always evolving, and technological innovations in particular are driving ever more rapid shifts in the ways that businesses communicate and engage with customers. Here are a few content marketing trends we’ve noticed, and that we think are worth keeping an eye on for the remainder of 2017.
Influencer marketing. As the reach of social media continues to expand, the vital importance of influencers in content marketing and communications only increases. In combination with the explosion in live video streaming, both earned and paid influencer marketing are quickly becoming an important cornerstone of a robust content marketing strategy.
Instagram. The introduction of live video functionality on Instagram Stories last November put the social media platform in direct competition to Snapchat’s similar feature, and indications are that Instagram may be winning the opening volleys of this battle for social media influencers. The next few months are likely to see this trend continuing, unless Snapchat can pull something out of the hat to bring people back to the younger platform.
Video marketing strategy. 2017 has been the year of video in content marketing and communications, with live video in particular taking centre stage. That said, we believe many companies are still taking a fairly haphazard approach to their video content, producing videos irregularly and vaguely hoping that one will go viral. The coming months should see smart marketers put more effort into developing strategies to deliver regular video content (both recorded and live) that delivers real value to viewers and can build a following.
Not all content marketing trends are guaranteed to be sure-fire winners, but being aware of new trends – and testing the waters with clearly defined metrics to measure the success of various approaches – can help you to develop an agile and robust content marketing and communications strategy.