With changes in technology comes changes in consumer behavior, and the ability to adapt your content marketing campaign to the current trends will be paramount to the effectiveness of your work.
Customers change quickly, and with the constant progression of technology, you can expect to be constantly adjusting to the trending consumption mediums. Technology has pushed people away from televisions and print media and has moved them in front of computer and cell phone screens. This new generation has been referred to as digital natives, who grew up in the modern age of digital technology and really know the ins and outs of tech and stay in tune with the new digital trends. Running ads on TV is much less relevant now as more people elect to stream their favorite television shows through services like Netflix or HBO Go.
On top of the shift away from television and print media, we see consumers shifting from web platforms to mobile platforms. People get huge amounts of content from apps and social media. With the sheer size and diversity of content available online, consumers have never had so many choices in which content to consume or whether or not they will see ads. Because consumers have so much power to choose what they want to see, marketers must actively look for ways to engage their audiences and differentiate themselves from the their competitors.
How is content responding?
So now that we have some understanding of how customers have changed, let’s look at how content needs to change accordingly. To engage your audience, you have to have good and intriguing content, otherwise the customer will go somewhere else. Here are some characteristics of content that will intrigue customers and drive engagement:
Visual content – If the content looks good, your customers will be more likely to make a purchase. Additionally, Content Marketing is highly saturated with written blog posts, and people are craving media that is more visually appealing and easier to consume. Visual content, meaning anything from videos to infographics, will allow you to send the same message but in a way that is simpler to understand and more fun to watch or look at. Visual content also increases your content’s shareability. Marketers are now creating even more visual content and according to Content Marketing Institute’s 55% plan to prioritize creating visual content in 2016.
Mobile-First content – According to last year’s KPCB internet trends report, people now spend more time on mobile than desktop when looking at digital media. This means it is more important than ever to make sure your content is optimized for mobile consumption. Making sure the mobile interface for website’s landing pages and blogs is easy and quick to navigate and has a clean look is essential to ensuring you reach the mobile consumers. Mobile is especially important as there are so many ways to get through to your consumer on mobile channels; making use email, mobile applications, and push notifications gives you an omni-directional way to push your marketing campaign.
Trust Influencers – Consumers are placing their trust in influencers and so should marketers. 92% of the consumers trust recommendations from other people, even someone they don’t know, over brand content. Consumers are looking to other consumers to give them non-biased information to influence their decision on what to buy or what to do. This leads to people who give knowledgeable and objective advice gaining large followings on social channels, for example, youtuber Marques Brownlee has over 3.5 million followers on is YouTube channel where he gives trustworthy and relatable tech reviews. If companies can coordinate with or fall into good graces with these influencers, they will have marketing channel that consumers trust. Additionally, the relationship between the influencer and their followers is a more interactive experience for the buyer.
Interactive Content – In conjunction with increased visuality, content will become more interactive. Interactive content allows for users to feel a greater sense of engagement to the content and in turn a sense of loyalty to the company. Interactive content is typically more succinct, easier to consume, more entertaining, and allows for interaction between parties. This interaction serves both to keep the customer engaged but also to gather information as to their preferences and can allow for the reception of the user’s contact information. It can allow for the future product recommendations to be tailored to the preferences the customer laid out while interacting with the content. Interactive content is also more shareable on social media platforms, so it is easy for you to share your content to your followers and your followers to pass it on to their friends. Learn how interactive content is better than content marketing!
Conclusion:
Going forward, the best content will have both interactive and visual elements, with sleek user interfaces and embedded media. The content will be optimized for use on both mobile and desktop platforms, especially if you are targeting a younger audience. Creating and distributing content that is visually appealing, excites audiences to consume and share and reaches the audience fast is essential for marketers going forward. If you want to learn how Votion can help you create innovative and interactive marketing campaigns, then click on the link below.