Stay ahead of the curve and begin formulating your 2019 content marketing strategy with our run-down of the biggest trends.

#1 – Slow Marketing

Creating good quality content that resonates with users is the only way to stand out in this digital age.

With the #jomo (joy of missing out) and #selfcare hashtags growing in popularity in 2018, it is apparent that users are trying to block out the noise and focus on what really matters. The slow content trend is all about creating a strategic plan to produce higher quality content instead of publishing for publishing’s sake.

So slow down in 2019. Create in depth pieces. Take the time to research what your customer will benefit from and focus on quality rather than quantity.

Read more: Untapped Secrets of Slow Content Marketing 

#2 – Brexit

29 March 2019 will mark the day the UK leaves the EU. In a time of fear and uncertainty, listening to audiences’ concerns will be a key metric for marketers in 2019.

A lot of marketing campaigns will play on the emotions of customers by drawing on themes linked to Brexit, such  as uncertainty and unity. Even brands that are far removed from politics will be more aware of how this political and social change will impact their customers’ buying behaviours.

#3 – Native Advertising

The internet has become the most valuable platform for advertisers. Advertising online has evolved tremendously but it continues to lean towards native advertising. With the rise of ad blockers designed to counteract annoying pop-ups, native advertising offers a gentler ad encounter for the user that is less intrusive on their online experience.

Creating native content that will resonate with your audience is where the money is at. So whether it’s videos, articles or sponsored social posts, taking the time to plan out quality content that users crave will achieve engagement. It’s also important to consider your slow content strategy and aim to work with advertisers and brands that share similar values to your brand and your customers.

A great example is the Wall Street Journal and Netflix ‘Cocainenomics’ native ad to promote the Netflix show Narcos. They created an interactive piece about the history of the international drug trade, which included information, interactive map, quiz, timeline and videos. This content piece adds value, adds depth, engages those loyal with the show and commits to the ethos of entertaining through quality content.

#4 – Influencer Marketing

One of the main types of native advertising is influencer marketing. Whether it’s on social channels, blogs or websites, interest in influencer marketing has more than doubled within the year (according to Google Trends). The global spend on macro and micro influencer marketing has been consistently growing and there are no signs of it slowing down.

#5 – Personalisation

Personalising content and email campaigns is not new to us content marketers. But 2019 will be the year to up your personalisation game. Starting an email with the user’s first name will not cut it anymore. As expectations from consumers rise, brands need to think about customising the whole customer experience to increase conversion rates.

“Calls-to-action targeted to the user performed 178% better than calls to action that were the same for all visitors,” according to Hubspot.

So, how can a brand offer more personalised content? There are two ways: data collection and the integration of new technologies. By understanding who your customer is and where they come from, you will have the ability to create a content strategy that more accurately caters to your buyer personas (groups of target customers).

The best way to apply your customised content across your website, email and social content is to use software services that help create a tailored experience for each unique visitor, like HubSpot. Creating personalised content on platforms that offer this technology is as easy as changing the text font.

For example, you would be able to customise what each users sees when they visit your website based on their location, if they are a returning or new visitor, the language they speak, and where they are in the decision process.

#6 – Video Content

Video has been a big trend for content creators for the past couple years. This is not stopping in 2019. Users are more likely to view and share video content from a brand, so create short videos or personalised 1-1 videos to send to customers. It’s more likely that audiences will engage with this content type and share it with their digital contacts.

A brand that is usually in the lead for creative and short video content on social media is Oreo. See some of their Oreo Snack Hacks shot video series here.

Read more: Why All Brands Need To Think About Social Video

#7 – Visual search

Sourcing the price and stockist of a specific pillow seen in a living room image is now possible using visual search. Google’s recently launched visual search app, Google Lens, is now available on iOS. Making this app accessible to iPhone users means that brands need to up their image SEO game.

Make sure you have implemented a schema mark up and have indexed your changes using the Google Structured Testing Tool to make your brand visually searchable.

#8 – Social Media Stories

Since the invention of the short-lived Snapchat story that only lasts 24-hours, stories have been integrated into other popular social media platforms. Stories cater to the short attention span users are developing and also feed in to the FOMO users have as content disappears forever within 24 hours. If your target market falls into the ‘younger’ bracket, embracing the story format is a requirement to stay relevant in 2019.

#9 – Content pillars

Using content pillars allows a brand to create highly valuable information regarding specific topics that interests their readers. This type of quality content is becoming increasingly important for a brand’s content to stand out. Integrating these content pillars into the social media strategy will be the key element that helps brands resonate with their audience in 2019.

Read more: How-To Guide: Content Pillars for Social

#10 – Chatbots

Users are finally starting to warm up to Siri and Alexa, making Chatbot technology easier for brands to embrace. Chatbot is an interactive AI that is able to have conversations with users. Businesses of any size can use this technology to provides solutions such as sending personalised messages, gathering customer feedback or providing 1-1 customer service. The possibilities with Chatbots for marketers are endless.

If you need help to staying ahead of the curve with your content marketing, get in touch.