Content strategies have changed a lot since the first blog was said to have been published back in 1994. What may have worked over two decades ago certainly won’t work as well as the content published today, simply because the world of content marketing has drastically changed.
Even ten years ago, a blog without backlinks and images may perform consistently well on search engines. Fast forward to today, however, and content marketing has become more than trying to rank for a keyword or two. It’s all about the user experience (UX).
We’re already past the halfway point in 2019, and a number of interesting trends have emerged. One of the most prominent and perhaps shocking is this:
People Prefer Product-Centric Content
Research conducted by the company Altimeter has shaken up the content marketing strategies of many advertisers:
People want content about your products and services.
In the survey, product-focused content outperformed all other content types with 29 per cent of respondents wanting brands like yourself to share blogs highlighting specific product features, educate audiences how a product works, how to best use a product and more. 25 per cent of respondents preferred leadership or “expertise” posts, 18 per cent liked brand-focused content, and 17 per cent wanted more company-focused content.
This isn’t too surprising given how there has been a significant increase in consumers using search engines to research products and discover “how-to” content.
We’re becoming more ‘buyer aware’, and so a spike in demand for this content is to be expected.
We Live in a Data-Driven World
Creative skills go a long way in making a piece of content look nicer and provide a better user experience. But as it turns out, data analysis is the number one thing the majority of people are looking for when hiring for content.
One of the reasons behind this may be that there is a lot of creative content already out on the web. Another is that data-backed content is far more convincing and therefore a better sales tool in many cases than fancy language and sales-y jargon.
Personalised Content Outranks Generic Posts
With hundreds of thousands of blogs existing on the World Wide Web, the sad fact is that no matter what topic you’re writing on, someone has probably already written about it.
Though this may sound discouraging, the one thing that is unique about the content is the writer – you!
The takeaway here is to stop churning out statistics and quotes which someone else has already shared. Instead, add your own twist to the content. Share your experiences and what that you thought about a certain event, piece of research or statistic. Your content titles may look something like:
“What I Learned from….”
“Why [topic] Didn’t Work for Me”
“This Is What I Know From…”
Originality is key here. So don’t be afraid to share a bit about yourself while also expanding on some of the latest and greatest news and data to come out in your industry.
Does Your Content Need an Overhaul for 2019?
There are a few signs that will point to you needing to tweak and change your content strategy, including:
- Your page views are declining
- Your content isn’t getting shared
- Audiences aren’t spending time on your website
- Your content isn’t resulting in conversions
When in doubt about which approach to take, it’s a worthwhile investment to reach out to an experienced content marketer. Content marketers keep up with ever-evolving industries while producing quality content developed with your specific business needs and goals in mind.
If your content isn’t being written with today’s readers in mind, the perhaps it’s time we spoke. I welcome your call or email Contact Kerry Finch
These are excellent tips for even seasoned bloggers who get in a rut!