Every year business experts question how content marketing could possibly change and every year digital marketing experts release lists of changes that can be expected. The idea of delivering content on a website in a way that generates revenue is constantly evolving, and in 2018 we are starting to see what were once fads turning into full-blown content marketing trends.
There used to be an emphasis on creating a single piece of content and then doing everything possible to give the content legs across a variety of platforms. The same piece of content would be purposed for social media, blogs, and industry websites.
But in 2018, the fascination marketing experts have with specialization will reach the point where each platform will have its own content based on the needs of the platform users. Social media users don’t want long pieces of content, so they will get a concise version of the content theme. That theme will run through every piece of content, but each platform will get its own customized piece to allow the company to dominate those platforms.
The Internet of Things is a process where a single user is connected through the Internet to everything from their car to their fridge. The things a person does in other parts of their life will create data that can be used to personalize their experiences with other devices.
Marketing experts have been looking at ways of putting advertising on the Internet of Things, and we will start seeing the results of that work in 2018. When you swipe your card at the gas station, an ad that is designed to appeal specifically to you will appear on the gas pump’s television screen. The hope is to reach into every part of a person’s life and give them buying options based on their real-life usage preferences.
New marketing studies show that most people hate having to watch commercials or click through ads to get to their content. In 2018, the drive to make the content part of the advertising will continue through the expansion of native advertising and other marketing options.
When you look up a user’s manual online, you might see references to other products in there with links to click to make purchases. There has been a growing trend to make marketing seamless, and that trend will evolve considerably in 2018.
Not too long ago, a major hamburger chain put out an ad that had content in it that would launch voice search devices to read information about the company’s hamburgers. The makers of voice search devices asked the hamburger chain to remove the television commercials, and it did. But the foundation had been laid for content that will integrate with voice search devices to deliver more information than users had ever thought possible.
Content marketing is constantly evolving, and that is exciting to digital marketing experts. The latest trends revolve around delivering content that is not perceived as being advertising in mediums that were never marketing platforms before. All in all, 2018 looks to be an exciting year for content marketing.
