It is such a thing with impatience. If trends are identified today and implemented tomorrow in a content marketing strategy, one thinks they are over again tomorrow passé. This approach is obvious because we are naturally familiar with the fast pace of the Internet and digital developments per se. But this line of reasoning falls short. Technologies and trends need time to manifest. In the respective system - and in everyday life of the people. You have to give users time to accept new trends and technologies.
Agreeing already on a swan song on already highly praised techniques such as virtual and augmented reality, just because the number of best practice examples in the mass market is still manageable, would simply be too short-sighted. These trends exist and inspire, even though many talk about the anti-trend again.
Another thing that plays a big role in locating trends: iteration. Once marked as a trend, it should not mean that this topic will never be on the agenda again. On the contrary: Only through the repetition of a trend theme and the in-depth discussion with him, this can establish itself. A buzzword becomes a trend, a trend becomes a movement.
Relevance through Real Time, Authenticity and Voice
This is what happens with the terms real time and authenticity. The aspect that something can be received live - in real time, is, so to speak, the next step in terms of authenticity. Keyword: live videos. Dialogues with smart voice tools also happen in real time. They are not "real", but allow a deceptively real conversation. So if you are ready for more directness, you will be able to score points in content marketing.
Trend: Live Videos
And that's the first trend that will influence content marketing until 2020: live videos. Live gives the impression of being more authentic than meticulously pre-planned spots, posts, etc. That behind live videos usually a well-thought-out script, plays in the case (not yet) a major role. Live videos convince in the social media channels such as Instagram Live and Facebook Live, whereby both formats have clearly not yet reached their potential.
Live formats give the user an immediacy and closeness that is difficult to achieve with other formats. Just to build trust with the customer, live videos that allow unadulterated insights, are ideally suited and are thus among the most exciting new content formats.
Trend: Social Bots & Chatbots
The fact is, the app boom is over. Users no longer feel like downloading a new app Y for Action X again. The fact is, the world's most successful apps are all messenger apps. WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger are among the most popular applications in this area. This development paves the way for chatbots in general and social bots in particular. Forbes refers to a Gartner study that predicts that by 2020, 85 percent of customer communications will be controlled via artificial intelligence and chatbots.
What are chatbots and social bots? Chatbots are programs based on artificial intelligence and data analysis, and interact with users in a messaging app in the form of text messaging. They communicate with the user using Natural Language Processing (NLP), which enables them to understand the meaning of questions and respond appropriately. Social bots are chatbots that simulate human communication in social networks. On Facebook, there are currently around 30,000 bots that companies use to connect with their customers.
In content marketing, chatbots and social bots can serve exactly what content marketing is all about: picking up users right where they are, solving their most important problems and providing them with added value through helpful answers. The biggest challenge with bots is as natural a language as possible, otherwise it can create a negative experience for the user. In addition, the DSGVO guidelines must be respected in terms of data transmission.
Trend: Voice Content Marketing
Another trend in content marketing relies on content that is not tied to a display. By 2020, 30 percent of Internet usage will be screenless. What does that mean? Audio formats such as podcasts and blogcasts are gaining in importance. The user is thereby conveyed content without having to look at his screen. Going one step further, there are interactive formats that allow for a dialogue that, thanks to Natural Language Processing (NLP), should run as naturally as possible and is smart thanks to artificial intelligence. Here is a "real" conversation with a digital device in the center, which provides the user so helpful content. In SEO, this trend is already a big topic through voice search using digital language assistants.
It is important to note that voice content marketing is not a strategy in itself, but another way to bring relevant content to the target audience. However, voice action is of course only really interesting for a content format mix when the answers and results provided by the voice tool reach at least 99 percent accuracy, which is not yet the case today. It should also be noted that voice applications are predominantly mobile and local. Voice content marketing content would have to be processed accordingly.
Trend: Amazon Content Marketing
Amazon is the largest product search engine in the world. Thirty-eight percent of consumers start their research on Amazon, 35 percent on Google, and only 21 percent on a merchant or brand website. The Amazon ecosystem is becoming increasingly interesting for content marketing measures. In the so-called Amazon stores, brands can create an individually designed hub that links to the product pages. Although there are some layout templates, text, pictures, videos, etc. can be selected. In this way, the brand can provide users with valuable content that enhances their user experience.
Because even on Amazon is the content marketing credo that the target audience can only be convinced of relevant content. Anyone who is relevant is visible and does not cope with his products in the Amazon universe. It is worthwhile to look closely and to align the content to the needs of the users. Product reviews, for example, can be very helpful. Product descriptions should also be optimized to focus on the needs of the target group. A Marketo investigation shows that brands that have upgraded their Amazon Stores with relevant content have been able to increase their sales in less than 6 months.
