When you get to be my age, you eye trends warily. Even as I’m assured that patent-leather miniskirts are “a thing” this year, I know they’re not for me.
Content trends deserve some skepticism as well. Some will prove to be fleeting fads while others become the cornerstones of tomorrow’s content strategies. Think critically about which of the newest tools and techniques will be a great fit. Here are the trends we’ve been hearing buzzed about this week:
- Is 2017 under the influence? Michael Brenner, CEO of Marketing Insider Group, calls influencer marketing 2017’s “trendiest trend,” and we aren’t about to disagree. Influencers have amassed enthusiastic followers who trust them to speak the truth. Their straight-shooting voices cut through the din of advertising – a big plus to consumers and to the marketers who align with them. A recent survey says it provides a mind-boggling 960% return on investment. Brenner suggests that influencer marketing could be a shooting star that rockets through our orbits and burns itself out. Definitely worth a read.
- The culture of B2B content: When you’re coming up on short on new content ideas, it may pay off to buck the trends and take a look around you. (You do you!) The things that make up your company culture have some serious overlap with the things you should be communicating to win converts with your content marketing: the things that make your company unique. This article from Marketo makes a stellar case for mining your own company culture for creative content, and it even gets you started with five ways to dive in.
- Exhibit your big ideas: Discussions of marketing “storytelling” aren’t going out of style. We believe it’s the foundation of great content marketing. A story is much more than words on a page. It’s up to you to bring your brand story to life in every asset. This article from Content Marketing Institute compares the ideal content marketing experience to a museum visit – something to be experienced in at least three dimensions. Check out their advice for using three museum design principles to help you create engaging content, and you’ll be leading guided tours in no time.
- Take marketing personally: Personalization is here to stay, too. Technology allows us to identify prospects’ search, click and purchase behavior and use it to deliver the most relevant content. Increased engagement and conversion are proving that it’s worth the effort. Forrester Research credits it with a 50% increase is sales leads generated at 33% lower cost. Keep in mind that the goal is to build trust, so be cautious about overdoing it.
Have you noticed other b2b marketing trends you’d like to hear more about? Tell us in the comments section!
