12 Content Marketing Trends That Can Help Your Brand Stand Out

<< CEMA Blogs | March 15, 2019

Content is king for a reason. Standing out from the crowd and building a brand is a challenge in today’s saturated market. What people experience when they encounter your brand for the first time not only needs to be attention-getting, but also what they should expect to find going forward. When it works well, marketing content can drive consumers to seek out more information about your company by heading to your website.

Yet, crafting perfect content is often more difficult than it may at first appear. To help you find new ideas for killer content that will leave consumers wanting to learn more, 12 members of Forbes Agency Council share one content marketing trend they believe can build lasting interest in your brand.

Members of Forbes Agency Council offer tips for creating attention-getting marketing content.
Members of Forbes Agency Council offer tips for creating attention-getting marketing content.
 PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS.

1. Artificial Intelligence For Personalized Content

With a growing AI presence in marketing, the trend of hyper-personalized content that is omnipresent and speaks directly to the consumer’s needs through channels of their choosing will be of high value. We are entering the next level of maturity in regard to content personalization, beyond real-time name and content replacement and beyond simply presenting content at the right time. – A. Lee JudgeContent Monsta

2. Evergreen Content

In the services world, it’s very important to talk about what matters to the people you want to attract.  Most service firms talk shop instead of providing insights that matter to prospects. It’s important to speak to lasting trends, not the latest news. Our clients have some of the strongest engagement (time-on-page) from content published three to four years ago. That’s very counterintuitive. – Randy ShattuckThe Shattuck Group

Forbes Agency Council is an invitation-only community for executives in successful public relations, media strategy, creative and advertising agencies. Do I qualify?

We’re seeing a real shift of brands turning towards influencer and influencer-like content and away from highly produced photo and video shoots. Partly this is because large studio shoots are not cost- or time-effective given the sheer volume of content needed these days, but more importantly because it’s what their consumers want to see. – Danielle WileySway Group

4. Conversion Of Written Content

So many business-to-business companies have a treasure trove of e-books, white papers and other written content that simply isn’t being read or downloaded anymore. The effectiveness of long-form content has been dropping like a rock. Brands must transition their evergreen content to more engaging formats like short videos, podcasts and interactive games. – Scott BaradellIdea Grove

5. The Rise Of Voice Search

Voice search is going to revolutionize content marketing the way e-commerce revolutionized retail. Spoken search queries are much more natural than typed ones, especially as technology moves us away from keyboards. We need to start writing differently for ourselves and our clients now if we want to remain relevant. – Mary Ann O’BrienOBI Creative

6. Content Tied To Breaking News

Marketing agencies should always keep an eye on what is breaking in the news and what people are talking about now. Create Google Alerts and tie your content into those trends! – Drew GerberWasabi Publicity, Inc.

7. Curated Website Experiences

In a data-rich world, customers don’t just expect personalized content, they demand it. Curating their experience on your website—from serving up relevant articles based on their click path to recommending related, proprietary podcasts—will underscore that you not only have fresh and enticing content, but you understand what they’re looking for. – Howard BreindelDeSantis Breindel

8. Content Automation

While it is true that content drives valuable website traffic, it also sets you apart from your competition. In a content-hungry company environment, we forget that we are actually in a content-saturated market. Don’t lose track of what is automated as a company and what your competition is curating. Keep an advantage with content that is relevant and personal to your clients or customers. – Evangeline SuttonRegenerative Marketing LLC

9. Livestreaming

Live video has been steadily trending up since Periscope’s debut in 2015. Livestreaming rewards loyal consumers by giving them backdoor access to day-to-day operations, laying a foundation for more authentic connections and making them feel involved. Done right, livestreams also capture instant consumer analytics that allow you to tailor updates to their needs, boosting loyalty and brand equity. – Ahmad KarehTwistlab Marketing

10. Video Content

With shorter and shorter attention spans, a video is the fastest way to get information across to audiences. Whether it’s a loop on your homepage slider, a tutorial on your blog or a one-minute clip on Instagram, a video is perfect for capturing attention and, best of all, placing calls to action at the end. Video marketing is only continuing to grow year after year, and brands need to keep up! – Solomon ThimothyOneIMS

11. Long Form Content And ‘Ultimate’ Guides

Every company should be producing “ultimate” guides to their services and products. They should be writing long-form content of 2,000 to 10,000 words on a specific topic to be the resource in the area. They can produce these guides and will generally rank well, inform their consumers and become thought leaders in their area. – Peter BoydPaperStreet Web Design

12. Increased Focus On Micro Influencers

We all know influencer marketing is a hot topic. Everyone wants their content in the social media limelight. Marketers tend to forget that it’s often the quality of the audience that matters more than the quantity. If your brand has a niche audience, tap into that! For example, if your client is a candy shop in Columbus, build meaningful relationships with area food bloggers. – Lisa Arledge PowellMediaSource