Top 10 Content Marketing Trends to Watch

Top 10 Content Marketing Trends to Watch

With the advent of AI tools and the continuous evolution of content marketing, let’s see how businesses can emotionally connect with their audiences.

It’s no secret that content marketing is a powerful tool that your brand can use to attract and engage with potential customers. If you want to win the trust of your customers and educate them with valuable content, you need to follow the latest content marketing trends.

Thanks to the latest technology and the constant evolution of content marketing and communication channels, as a business owner, you need to reshape your brand and emotionally engage with your target audience.

So, yes, 2024 promises significant changes in the marketing industry, and it is high time for brands to develop effective strategies to meet the ever-changing consumer expectations. The AI rising influence of AI has made it essential for many businesses to integrate AI tools in their content creation efforts. Moreover, data privacy, personalisation, data-driven strategy and AI automation are a few of the latest content marketing trends marketers should use in 2024 to set their brands up for success.

Let’s check out the content marketing trends for 2024 and explore how you can integrate these trends into your content marketing efforts.

Adoption of AI Tools

The popularity of AI content creation tools has made it easier for many brands to improve the process of content creation. With the launch of ChatGPT, Google Bard and other AI content creation tools, brands are now realising the true importance of generative AI. According to the AI Marketing Benchmark Report 2023, 61.4% of marketers harness the power of AI tools to improve their marketing efforts. The same report suggests that 44.4% of marketers use AI content tools for content creation. ChatGPT has now become the fastest-growing consumer application in the tech industry. After ChatGPT, Jasper.ai became the most common AI tool used by marketers.

If your brand hasn’t embraced the power of artificial intelligence, 2024 is the right time to automate your brand content AI. Remember that artificial intelligence is a business game changer and can do wonders for your brand. Fortunately, many AI tools are available in the market that can increase your productivity and give you enough time to focus on creating a solid content marketing strategy.

Here is a list of AI tools you can use for content automation.

·         OwlyWriter AI

·         ChatGPT

·         JasperAI

·         Dall-E

·         Midjourney

·         Heyday

·         Podcastle

·         Hugging Face

·         ContentBot

·         Copysmith

·         Articoolo

·         Wordsmith

·         Textio

·         Writesonic

·         Contentstack

·         Curate

·         Acrolinx

·         Yseop

Content automation is the future of content marketing, and using AI tools can help you save time and resources while amplifying your content creation process. Whether video, images or text, you can use AI tools to get different types of content from AI-powered platforms and connect with your potential customers.

Podcasts Generation

Podcasts are the next big content marketing trend for 2024 that is gaining massive popularity among modern consumers. Convenience is one of the biggest reasons this content marketing trend is the first choice for many marketers and advertisers. Podcasts are now considered the best alternative to traditional radio stations. It has become the most popular streaming format for today’s tech-savvy consumers.

Podcasts are so convenient that you can easily listen to them while on the go, exercising, or standing at the waiting counter. The possibility of hearing has made many marketers integrate them into their content marketing efforts and get the most out of them. Marketers can educate customers on important topics and build brand credibility. The best thing about podcasts is that you can easily download and listen to them anywhere, anytime.

Today’s users want in-depth, well-structured information that is easy to understand. A good podcast that effectively explains a topic includes authentic dialogues and discusses every detail of the issue, which can make it a credible source of information. The conversational tone can take your podcast to a whole new level of connection, allowing users to connect with your brand on a personal level.

According to the Influencer Marketing Hub report, approximately 68% of listeners looked for a product or service after they listened to it on a podcast. Podcasts can increase your brand awareness and drive more traffic. Here are a few steps to create a podcast to promote your products or services.

·         Identify a podcast theme and create a strategy

·         Identify the topic

·         Decide on a format

·         Create your podcast brand

·         Get recording software

·         Outline your first episode

·         Record your podcast

·         Record an intro and outro

·         Edit your podcast

·         Do SEO research and use keywords

·         Decide on podcast hosting

·         Extract the best clips and market your podcast

·         Measure performance and optimise

Topic Clusters to Improve Brand Authority

Topic clusters are another content marketing trend for 2024 that you can use to improve brand authority and improve your SEO efforts. Topic clusters are internal pages on a website covering many subtopics related to the main topic. Every topic has a main pillar page that links to different cluster pages that cover the relevant subtopics.

It is an excellent opportunity for content marketers to use topic clusters and increase their chances of getting more traffic and building brand authority. It is a great idea to audit your blog and group all the related articles on a single pillar page. Make sure to link all the content pages more sensibly so the pillar page can broadly cover every topic. 

Content pillars are essential to improve your content marketing efforts as these pages target keywords that can bring in more readers within cluster pages. Topic clusters can provide a lot of benefits for your brand, including:

·         Help readers find the relevant topics they want to learn

·         Encourage the audience to stay longer on your site and click on the cluster posts

·         Improve your overall SERPs and create a positive feedback loop

Short-Form Videos

Unsurprisingly, short-form videos are everywhere – from TikTok to YouTube Shorts, Instagram reels, and LinkedIn, you will find them on nearly every social media channel. Brands are taking this content marketing trend seriously and incorporate the trend in 2024.

According to Wyzowl’s State of Video Marketing report, consumers share short-form videos at twice the rate of any other form of content. The report suggests that more than 84% of consumers were convinced to purchase after watching a brand’s video.

According to HubSpot's 2023 Social Media Marketing Report, short-form videos work best for lead generation and user engagement. It is the right time for marketers to invest short-form videos into their content marketing plan to make the most out of it.

Short-form videos have become the most popular content format and have higher chances of going viral and creating the highest ROI. Creating attention-grabbing short-form videos may sound challenging. However, these practices will help you come up with the perfect content for your brand:

• Identify the popular trends
• Start with something eye-catching to get people excited for what’s coming
• Create original content that is relevant to your target audience
• Repurpose long-form videos
• Record vertically and keep it short
• Write the caption strategically
• Share your content on different platforms to get more reach

Content Optimisation for Voice Search

When we talk to digital assistants, we speak just like how we communicate in real life. This fact has made it essential for content marketers and SEO experts to optimise content for voice search. To get the highest position on voice search, you need to create top-notch content that can solve consumers' problems.

Voice search allows brands to capture organic traffic and a group of users using smartphones and digital assistants to find products and brands. Moreover, content optimisation for voice search can help websites achieve the highest rankings. It will give your website more authority and credibility.

If you are wondering how to optimise your content for voice search, here are some easy steps:

• Target long-tail keywords and user intent phrases and keywords
• Use question queries by creating FAQ pages
• Use a conversational tone to keep your content engaging
• Optimise your content for local audiences searching for something nearby
• Add contact information, business hours, and directions to optimise your local presence
• Focus on providing to-the-point answers to users’ queries to capture Google-featured snippets
• Use Schema markup

Community Engagement

With the advent of online forums and communities, content distribution has become more accessible. Brands can reach the right audience and create a meaningful impact with relevant content. Community engagement is one of the most effective content marketing trends for 2024 that can help you build a loyal fanbase.

You can maximise user engagement and cultivate brand advocates by actively engaging with the community and participating in the discussions. This strategy will help you amplify the distribution of your brand content. When you engage with the community, you can actively identify the brand advocates willing to promote your brand’s products through word-of-mouth.

Creating a strong community of fans and followers will allow you to encourage them to share user-generated content (UGC). You can engage with your community by featuring customer reviews, testimonials, blog posts, social media posts and other forms of content. It will encourage other fans and followers to become your brand advocates, increasing your content's reach and visibility.

Marketers must focus on creating a solid community to improve their brand’s online presence and ensure content marketing success. So, focus on creating content that resonates with them and drives long-term success and growth.

Leverage Meta Threads 

Social media channels constantly evolve and develop unique features in this digitally-obsessed world. Instagram’s latest app, Threads, has quickly gained traction. Many marketers are incorporating Threads into their social media strategy. Incorporating Threads into your content marketing plan for 2024 is also a great idea.

With Threads, you can connect with your target audience and share relevant content. The app focuses on a simple, causal approach to social media. The simple integration with Instagram has made it a fantastic tool for brands of all types. It is a great social media place with a higher chance that people will stick with it for a long time.

As a content marketer, observe how users interact and strategise how to connect to your audience. How can your brand facilitate direct communication and build strong customer relationships?

Meta Threads allows you to streamline customer interactions, respond quickly to customer queries, provide valuable feedback, and facilitate secure transactions. The app acts as a safe and dedicated space where customers and brands can communicate and foster engagement, even if they don’t have an Instagram presence. Moreover, the platform is also suitable for brands looking for targeted marketing.

Memes and Funny Content to Increase Engagement

Using memes to connect with the target audience is also gaining immense popularity. It’s no wonder that memes are funny, relatable, and easy to share. It can act as an incredible engagement tool that can be used to improve brand awareness. Adding memes to your content marketing is a great idea to connect with your audience and promote your brand. With memes, your brand can convey a message that resonates with your audience.

Incorporating memes into your content plan will allow you to connect with millennials and Gen Z. Using memes strategically in your content can entertain your audience and create a buzz in this ever-evolving digital landscape.

Since they are free and easy to make, small business owners and startups can use them as excellent content marketing tools. If you want to reach a wider audience and create more engagement opportunities, just focus on creating a viral meme and wait for the magic.  

With memes, your brand can also show the human side of your business. Memes that are funny and relatable can build your brand voice and allow you to connect with your customers on a personal level. So, include memes in your content marketing strategy for 2024 and capitalise on potential opportunities. 

Niche Content for the Target Audience

To be an industry expert and build brand credibility, you must create a niche content marketing strategy for your brand. Yes, you have read it right. Assessing your niche and creating content specifically for it can open the doors to many growth and marketing opportunities. Consider focusing your content marketing efforts on a specific audience or problem areas. It will make it easier to survive in an already well-established market.

Focus on a specific niche and create content that only targets them. Remember, if you can outrank your digital competitors, especially in organic SERPs, you must create content that specifically caters to your local audience.

Some people are interested in calculating cost per mile or manufacturing products or enterprise software. You should create content for people with purchasing power and would love to check out the detailed guide by Upper and other relevant content tailored to their needs.

Influencer Collaboration

Parenting with industry influencers is one of the most effective content marketing strategies that can do wonders if done well. Influencer collaboration can work effectively for every business size, whether you are an established brand or a small business owner. Collaborating with the right influencers can strengthen your content marketing strategy and take it to the next level.

From increased brand visibility to more audience reach, influencer collaboration can help you drive more organic traffic to your website. Many brands use this content marketing approach to improve authenticity and brand credibility. This is because influencer marketing can add a human touch to your content and make your brand more trustworthy.

When an influencer endorses your product or service, it clearly shows potential customers that your brand is trustworthy and worth paying attention to. This endorsement can significantly impact your audience and help build trust in your company.

If you haven’t harnessed the power of influencer marketing for your brand, 2024 is the right time to collect genuine recommendations from influencers. Here are a few reasons why you need to partner with influencers in 2024:

• Reach to new audiences
• Increase user engagement
• Connect with engaged audiences on a deeper level
• Encourage people to convert
• Improve your conversion rate
• Increase brand awareness
• Improve your social media presence
• Drive more traffic to your social media channels and website
• Increase organic traffic
• Build a loyal fan base

Many tools can help you find the right influencer for your brand and make your content marketing efforts workable.

User Experience Matters Most

Today’s consumers are tech-savvy and have higher expectations from brands they like to connect with. Just imagine, if you have the best content for your brand, what if your website takes longer to load or won’t perform well? It will annoy your potential customers, who will never return to your website or consider it for purchase.  

It is always a great idea to prioritise your website’s user experience to provide customers with what they want. A study suggests that over 86% of customers are ready to pay for an exceptional product experience. Another study reveals that 73% of customers trust a brand for their friendly customer service.

Content marketers need to pay attention to these critical points to improve UX:

·         Make sure your website is user-friendly and offers a positive UX.

·         It is easy to navigate and loads quickly.

·         It is aesthetically pleasing

·         The content is easy to digest and shareable

Embracing Content Marketing Trends for 2024

Content marketing is constantly growing and evolving. It is advised to quickly adapt to these trends and fine-tune your marketing approach to get the desired results. Understanding your potential customers’ preferences will help you kickstart your content marketing efforts. Experiment with all these content marketing trends, incorporate them into your strategy and increase your bottom line. Staying on top of your competitors may seem challenging initially, but leveraging these trends and knowledge will prepare you to stay ahead of the curve.