5 Content Trends to Keep in Mind for 2018

It seems that the demise of “all things content” is finally upon us….just kidding, the need for top quality content isn’t going anywhere, and will be even more prevalent as 2018 progresses. Whether it is a blog post, email campaign, social media post, landing page, infographic, white paper, video or podcast, you’re going to need content to reach your marketing goals.

Even though the world of content continues to morph and evolve, every digital marketing strategy relies on it if you want results. And it’s up to you to stay on top of the changes and best practices that will ensure you reach the right audience with the right message at the right time. Or find a results-oriented content creator that can do it for you. Here are 5 content trends to watch for in 2018 that will help.

1 – The Move to Transparency

More now than ever, transparency needs to be a key element of your content creation. As millennials continue to have a louder voice and more influence in the world as a whole, that self-serving content of the past isn’t going to cut it.

Throwing around the word “Green” or “Clean” and tying them to a marketing message no longer make it past many consumers’ BS detectors. They know it’s just a thinly veiled attempt at attaching a cause to a greater marketing agenda, and it is causing what’s known as marketing fatigue.

Content in 2018 needs to be genuine and it needs to be honest. That’s not to say you can’t market to your potential customers; you are in business to make money. Just keep in mind that there has been a shift and today’s consumers are more likely to trust their peers than anyone else, and love spending money with companies they feel are making a difference.

2 – Mobile First

In 2018, if your website, e-commerce, landing pages and all other online platforms aren’t optimized for mobile, then you will be losing market share to your competitors. Google’s mobile first indexing that is said to give preference to mobile search should have a dramatic effect on search results and overall marketing results. With the number of mobile searches and purchases increasing exponentially every year, the mobile version of your site needs to be fast, functional and aesthetically pleasing in 2018.

3 – Even More Video

If you’ve been part of the video revolution when it comes to content, be ready to continue that trend and even expand it in 2018. Live video is another trend that gets great engagement and will likely continue to be a valuable content marketing tool in 2018.

Here are stats from a recent Wordstream post that show just how important video has become:

• 45% of people watch Facebook or Youtube videos for over an hour per week

• One-third of all activity online is spent watching video

• More than 500 million people watch Facebook videos daily

• 92% of people watching mobile video will share it with others

• Marketers using video grow their revenue 49% faster than those that don’t use video

• Social video is responsible for 1200% more shares than images and text combined

4 – Keeping Up with Intelligent SEO

First off, if you don’t take search engine optimization seriously or just think it will “sort itself out” then you have bigger problems than worrying about intelligent SEO. However, those of you that actively participate or outsource it to someone else, 2018 will lean toward keeping up with the increase in voice search, and the increase in local search.

To match the natural tone and “sound” of voice search terms, your content will also need to be more natural and conversational. Old-time copywriters have been touting the benefits of “writing conversationally” for decades, but much of today’s content writing falls short. And if you have a local business, including your location in web pages, blog posts and other platforms will help boost your SEO efforts.

5 – People Love a Good Story

People loving a good story is not new; we’ve always loved a good story and we always will. But in 2018, as the move from blatant advertising continues, make a point of keeping your prospects engaged through compelling stories. Benefits and features are always going to be crucial, but if you can weave them into a story that captures and holds the reader’s or viewer’s attention, all the better.

Here at The Content Company, we intend to stay up on all the current content trends in 2018, and we can help you take your content creation to the next level, too. For a free consultation to go over the possibilities, get in touch with us today.