When it comes to content marketing, staying abreast of emerging trends is paramount for businesses aiming to use content marketing to boost sales, enhance visibility, and engage with their target audience effectively. As online platforms evolve and consumer behaviors shift, new trends and strategies continue to emerge, reshaping the world of content marketing.
From leveraging data analytics to inform content strategies to harnessing the power of search engine optimization (SEO) for enhanced discoverability, businesses have an array of tools at their disposal to elevate their content marketing efforts. Whether it's through compelling blog posts, engaging social media content, or informative podcasts, content remains king in today's digital age.
Like anything else in ecommerce, entrepreneurs who continue to use the same strategy for content marketing that they used a year ago can quickly fall behind the competition.
The history of content marketing illustrates that today’s content marketing looks much different than it did in the past. What’s more, it’ll only continue to evolve as new technology arrives and consumers’ wants and needs change.
Perhaps you’re handling this area of your business, or maybe you have somebody else managing it for you instead. Either way, it’s advantageous for you to have a decent grasp of what the current landscape looks like for content marketers.
Read on to learn more about the latest content marketing trends and explore how you can leverage these key trends to drive growth and achieve your marketing objectives!
Why use content marketing?
Content marketing is an essential element for selling on the internet these days, regardless of the product or service that a business sells.
How content marketing works to grow your business is that, when done correctly, it can boost awareness of your brand and drive traffic to your website, ultimately leading to an increase in sales.
The content that you share can also do wonders for helping your website stand out among a sea of competitors.
However, these benefits aren’t achieved overnight! As you determine your strategy for your store’s content marketing, you’ll want to be sure that you have a good understanding of your ideal customer.
Note that your target market’s needs will change from time to time, so you’ll have to learn to adapt your strategy and the types of content marketing that you use accordingly.
What are the current top trends in content marketing?
If you’ve only recently launched your store or are new to content marketing for ecommerce, you may not have yet noticed how quickly things can change in this area, just like with digital marketing trends.
In fact, even those more experienced in this crucial aspect of ecommerce often find that developing a stellar content marketing strategy involves some trial and error.
Nevertheless, seeing what may likely be the horizon can help you decide how to best create content going forward. Here are several of the most important content marketing trends that you should keep in mind for 2024!
Table of contents
- 1. Short-form video content is emerging as a new priority
- 2. High-value content will be more important than ever
- 3. Content will require greater inclusivity
- 4. User experience will be more heavily weighted
- 5. Audiences will demand more honesty
- 6. Originality and creativity will need to increase
- 7. There will be a greater focus on the purpose-driven customer
- 8. Content templates will become more popular
- 9. Brands must move from being experts to visionaries
- 10. Content collaboration will grow
- 11. Content creation will become more intentional
- 12. Consumers will crave more authenticity
- 13. There will be a boom in the use of content atomization
- 14. Content creation will involve more artificial intelligence (AI)
- 15. Podcasts are growing in popularity
- 16. Live video streaming will continue to be in demand
- 17. Marketers will optimize content for Search Generative Experience
1. Short-form video content is emerging as a new priority
Short-form video content refers to concise videos typically ranging from a few seconds to a few minutes in length, designed to capture attention quickly and convey a message efficiently.
It's one of the top content marketing trends for brands due to its ability to engage audiences effectively in today's fast-paced digital landscape. Availing of short-form videos is a great way to capitalize on shrinking attention spans, mobile usage, and the popularity of social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts.
To incorporate this trend into your content marketing strategy and create compelling short-form videos for your brand, consider these tips:
- Keep it concise: Get to the point quickly to maintain viewer interest.
- Be visually appealing: Use vibrant visuals, catchy music, and eye-catching effects.
- Tell a story: Craft a narrative that resonates with your audience and communicates your brand message.
- Optimize for mobile: Ensure your videos are optimized for viewing on smartphones and tablets.
- Add a call to action: Prompt viewers to engage with your brand by including clear calls to action.
2. High-value content will be more important than ever
Consumers are beset with all kinds of different content on a daily basis.
Couple that with the extremely low attention spans that many people have while browsing the internet, and it’s no surprise that excellent content is essential for brands looking to achieve success in ecommerce.
This is likely to become even more critical in the near future as the number of online stores continues to multiply.
Shoppers are going to be choosier when it comes to which businesses they buy from. In addition, your site visitors are going to be less willing to give you their contact information to sign up for access to content, such as an eBook, if they’re not confident in your ability to deliver.
If you find yourself struggling to create content that actually has a noticeable effect on boosting sales, you’re not alone.
A survey done by Statista in 2019 found that 54% and 52% of respondents stated that their biggest issues in content marketing involved coming up with content that generates qualified leads and increases traffic, respectively.
To ensure that you’re giving your audience the most value possible, you might need to put even more effort into the market research you perform before you create your content.
Really delve into what issues your audience might be struggling with and determine how you can help them find solutions.
Remember that to be successful with content marketing, you must go beyond advertising the advantages of your product. Consider how the content you share can assist your audience in the long run.
3. Content will require greater inclusivity
Incorporating inclusivity in content marketing has been a long time coming for many businesses, but it’s no longer something that they can afford to ignore.
Your audience members want to see themselves in your content, but they also want to feel seen and heard in your brand’s actions.
In addition, they want to ensure that other groups outside of those with which they identify feel included as well.
As a content marketer, you have the opportunity to advocate for diversity and inclusivity every time you share a post. To create content that resonates deeply with your target market, you’ll be required to think deeply about various aspects of your business.
This includes the user experience, the audience research you perform, your chosen style guide, how you structure your team, and more.
Remember that it’s not enough to say that you’re welcoming of all groups. You need to actually create space and show up for them.
4. User experience will be more heavily weighted
Many content creators currently opt to cater strictly to Google when deciding what information to post and how to share it. This is especially the case when they’re working on creating content for search engine optimization (SEO).
While it’s still going to be important for you to optimize your content for keywords, there are other factors that you should consider if you haven’t already started.
This is because, as noted by Search Engine Journal, Google has begun placing greater weight on the complete user experience that websites offer, favoring those that do well with this aspect.
What does this mean for your online store? Well, you’ll want to be sure that your website loads quickly and has a design that’s easy for visitors to navigate.
Fortunately, when you use WiziShop’s ecommerce website builder to launch your online store, you'll be able to create your site in the super speedy, mobile-responsive AMP format!
You’ll also be able to choose from a wide range of templates to design a beautiful homepage that suits your brand and keeps your potential customers in mind.
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5. Audiences will demand more honesty
Hopefully you’re already being truthful in how you’re portraying your brand and your product, whether on your blog, website, social media, etc. Nevertheless, honesty will likely become even more important for future content marketing.
In this super-fast digital age, it’s very easy for consumers to discover when businesses and marketers share false information on their website, social media, or elsewhere.
Furthermore, once a lie has been spotted, it won’t take long for a brand’s audience to lose faith and share their distrust with others online via forums and social media networks.
As has been made quite clear by now, consumers have their pick when it comes to shopping on the internet. If your customers are dissatisfied, they’ll just move on to a different website.
It’s obviously best to share truthful information in the first place, but if you mess up, don’t be afraid to admit it!
Mistakes happen, and it’s very possible that even with the best research and intentions, you’ll discover new knowledge later that contradicts what you’ve previously written.
In this case, simply be up front with your audience regarding your mistake. People generally respect candidness and will appreciate an honest and rapid response to any issue that occurs.
6. Originality and creativity will need to increase
These days, it’s not always easy for businesses to create fresh content on their own that stands out from the competition.
In addition, as the aim of content marketing is to provide an audience with engaging, useful information, your content needs to do more than discuss your product’s benefits.
For this reason, companies are going to have to get a little more creative with their content and what information they share. By performing original research, you can supply your audience with a unique perspective that they can’t get elsewhere.
Remember that even if you’re just starting out in ecommerce and have a limited marketing budget, you’re not limited in creativity!
If you don’t consider yourself to be a particularly creative person, consider holding short brainstorm sessions, either alone or with other people to get some new ideas flowing.
7. There will be a greater focus on the purpose-driven customer
More shoppers have started paying attention to how brands approach (or avoid) various issues. They want to know that the brands with whom they do business care more about gaining sales and are invested in making the world a better place.
You don’t have to be passionate about every topic out there and try to solve every global problem that occurs. However, note that your current and potential customers will take note of your messaging regarding societal issues.
In fact, if you miss out on addressing a certain matter that’s important to them, they may decide to shop elsewhere.
The “purpose-driven customer” is not just a passing trend, either. Businesses must shift their way of thinking to a mindset that goes beyond just looking out for their bottom line and apply this to all aspects of their business, including content marketing.
They also need to ensure that they’re authentic in their approach, as customers can easily sense when a message isn’t genuine.
8. Content templates will become more popular
Think about the last time you decided to try something new, whether it was related to work or maybe a hobby. You probably performed some research beforehand to learn what other people have done to be successful.
After all, it’s fairly rare that somebody would start a task before first at least taking a quick peek to see how others have completed it in the past.
This is no less true when it comes to ecommerce. With the increase in online shopping, the desire for product-related templates is also on the rise.
When you create a template to share with your audience, consider different scenarios in which customers might use your product. Though templates might be more applicable to some ecommerce businesses than others, they can be a valuable tool for many customers.
Not to mention, professional-looking templates have great potential to attract more-relevant traffic to your website, leading to a higher conversion rate.
9. Brands must move from being experts to visionaries
Well-crafted content that shows that you know what you’re talking about can increase your business’s authority online, also boosting trust in your brand.
While this is important, it may soon not be quite enough to make you as successful as you could be in attracting new traffic to your store.
With the large number of ecommerce websites present, that means that your target market is bound to come across quite a bit of expert-level information on a regular basis.
You therefore must be willing to approach topics in a different way to provoke interesting discussions, possibly contradicting ideas already established as the norm.
Note that you don’t have to “stir the pot” with every piece of content that you share. However, occasionally presenting information from a new perspective can assist in differentiating your brand from the masses.
10. Content collaboration will grow
While you’re bound to come up with tons of great ideas for content to create on your own, it can sometimes help to join forces with another creative mind.
The increasing need for originality and content that really connects with an audience has led many brands to engage in content collaboration.
Content collaboration simply involves working with other people to create content. This can involve collaborating with people both inside and outside of your own organization.
For example, brands will often work with influencers in some capacity for content creation. Influencers are content creators who have developed a rather substantial following on social media platforms or elsewhere and have usually established credibility on a certain subject.
These influencers will endorse or mention the brand’s product on their own social media channels, often after receiving the product at a discounted price or as a gift.
As their thousands of followers view this content, the brand’s marketing reach has the potential to skyrocket!
11. Content creation will become more intentional
It’s true that many content creators have felt a growing pressure to get an increasing amount of content online to compete with all the other brands out there.
Nevertheless, there’s something to be said for taking a step back and slowing down a bit. In fact, if you try to do too much too quickly, you might burn yourself out and start creating some less-than-stellar content.
When you’re considering the type of content that you’d like to share with your audience, think about why you want to write an article on a certain topic or post a particular photo.
Ask yourself if the content’s going to provide true value to your current and potential customers. Be intentional with your posts and only share content that will truly be useful for your audience.
Though this may mean you’re sharing content a little less frequently, that’s okay! When it comes to content marketing, remember that quality trumps quantity any day.
With the onslaught of content that consumers face everyday, a thoughtfully crafted post can really help your business stand out from the crowd.
12. Consumers will crave more authenticity
Similar to the demand for more honesty in content, marketers will need to accommodate an increasing desire for authenticity in the posts they share.
Online shopping offers consumers all kinds of benefits, including a larger selection of items and the ability to shop anytime. However, this added convenience comes with a significant decrease in human contact.
Content marketing gives brands the opportunity to share their human side and connect with their audiences in a real, honest way. Rather than just including constant endorsements of your product in your posts, try adding personal stories that can help you to better relate to your target market.
A blog article detailing how you struggled with an issue and came up with the idea for your product to solve that problem is more powerful than an article that simply states how great the item is.
Feel free to experiment with this a bit, but don’t think that you have to invent a completely new persona to connect with your audience. Be yourself, and your enthusiasm for your business and topics related to your niche should come through naturally.
13. There will be a boom in the use of content atomization
If you haven’t already gotten started with your content marketing strategy, you’ll soon find that creating amazing, high-performing content takes lots of time and effort.
Google’s ever-evolving algorithms have made it so you can’t expect your ecommerce website to do well by cranking out a bunch of mediocre content. You’ll therefore need the amazing content that you share with your audience to be effective and as efficient as possible.
For this reason, many brands have begun incorporating content atomization into their content marketing strategies.
Content atomization is when you take a large piece of existing content or a complex concept and break it down into smaller, more concentrated segments. This will allow you to get more bang for your buck with the content that you know is already doing well for your business.
Say, for example, that your store sells eco-friendly cleaning products. You may have already written a lengthy eBook on how people can integrate eco-responsible practices into their daily lives.
With content atomization, you could then divide this main subject into specific topics, such as how to use these practices when cooking, cleaning, commuting to work, taking care of pets, and more.
In addition, you could share this content in a variety of formats, such as via blog articles, a series of YouTube videos, Instagram posts, etc. This can help your brand reach a larger audience and keep a great piece of content effective for months or possibly years.
14. Content creation will involve more artificial intelligence (AI)
As the demand for content that’s increasingly personalized continues to grow, so does the challenge of creating effective content on a regular basis.
Many marketers and content specialists have already started incorporating AI tools in their strategies to make the process of creating content easier and more efficient. This trend is likely to continue well into the future.
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Note that AI still has a ways to go before it can be used completely free of human intervention to write content of the best quality. Regardless of what AI tool or platform you should, you should always review the generated content closely before posting or sharing it.
It's important to keep in mind that artificial intelligence doesn’t quite yet have the level of cultural understanding required to create, for example, a blog article personalized for a target audience. Furthermore, it doesn’t have that human empathy needed to connect and engage with readers on a personal level.
Nevertheless, you can still use AI tools to benefit your content creation, keeping the following tips in mind:
- Understand your goals: Clearly define your objectives for using AI for creating content, whether it's improving efficiency, generating ideas, or enhancing content quality.
- Choose the right tools: Select AI-powered platforms or tools that align with your specific needs, whether it's generating written content, designing graphics, or editing videos.
- Train and fine-tune: If applicable, train AI models with your own data to customize outputs according to your brand voice, style, or preferences. Continuously refine the models to improve accuracy and relevance.
- Combine human creativity with AI: While AI can automate certain aspects of content creation, human creativity remains invaluable. Use AI as a tool to enhance human creativity rather than replace it entirely.
- Quality control: Regularly review AI-generated content to ensure it meets quality standards and aligns with your brand guidelines. Make necessary adjustments or corrections as needed.
- Stay updated: Keep abreast of advancements in AI technology and content creation algorithms to leverage the latest features and capabilities for optimal results.
- Ethical considerations: Be mindful of ethical implications such as bias in AI-generated content and ensure compliance with data privacy regulations.
By following these tips, you can effectively harness the power of AI to streamline content creation processes, improve efficiency, and enhance the quality of your unique content offerings.
In addition, AI tools and software can be used to track consumer behaviors and preferences.
When you track this data across different areas, you can more easily craft content tailored to specific users and improve the overall user experience for your audience.
You can also use AI tools to audit the content you already have to see what posts are doing well and which could use some improvement.
By discovering what kinds of content boost your rankings on search engines, increase user engagement on social media platforms, best reach your target audience, and generate the most leads for your site, you can determine where your resources are best spent for future content creation.
15. Podcasts are growing in popularity
Do you have a favorite podcast you enjoy tuning in to week after week? If so, you're not the only one!
According to Backlinko data, the number of people listening to podcasts around the globe has seen an increase year after year, with 464.7 million podcast listeners worldwide being counted in 2023 and 504.9 million listeners predicted for 2024.
Marketers are definitely taking note of this!
Podcasts have emerged as a burgeoning trend in content marketing for several compelling reasons. To start, they offer a convenient and accessible way for audiences to consume content on-the-go, whether during commutes, workouts, or household chores.
Furthermore, podcasts provide a platform for marketers and brands to establish thought leadership, share expertise, and engage with their target audience in a more intimate and authentic manner. Additionally, podcasts foster a sense of community and connection, allowing listeners to form a deeper bond with the brand.
Launching and managing a podcast for your brand requires careful planning and execution.
First, define your podcast's niche and target audience to ensure relevance and resonance. Next, invest in the best quality equipment and recording software your budget allows to deliver professional-grade audio content.
You'll also want to develop a content calendar to maintain consistency and keep listeners engaged. Don't forget to promote your podcast across various channels, including social media, email newsletters, and your website, to expand your reach and attract new listeners. Finally, regularly solicit feedback from your audience to refine your content and improve the overall listening experience.
With strategic planning and dedication, a podcast can serve as a powerful tool for brand building, audience engagement, and content marketing success!
16. Live video streaming will continue to be in demand
Live streaming has emerged as a pivotal content marketing trend for marketers in 2024 due to its unparalleled capacity to foster real-time engagement, authenticity, and connection with audiences.
As consumer preferences continue to evolve, live streaming offers a dynamic platform for businesses to humanize their interactions, showcase products or services, and build meaningful relationships with their target audience.
Live video streams can take place on a variety of free and paid platforms, including social networks like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitch, and YouTube, as well as platforms designed specifically for streaming videos live, such as Dacast, Brightcove, and Kaltura.
This trend is likely to continue in the future as advancements in technology, particularly in the realm of AI, further enhance the live streaming experience. AI-powered tools and algorithms can provide marketers with valuable insights into audience behavior, optimize content delivery, and even personalize live stream interactions in real-time, thereby maximizing engagement and driving conversions.
Marketers can leverage live streaming across various formats, including, for example, product demonstrations, behind-the-scenes glimpses, Q&A sessions, interviews, and virtual events. By offering users diverse and compelling content in your live videos, you can cater to different audience preferences and capture attention in a competitive digital landscape.
For businesses venturing into live streaming, here are some key tips to maximize effectiveness with every live video stream:
- Plan and promote: Create a detailed plan for your live stream, including topics, format, and promotion strategy to build anticipation and attract viewers.
- Aim for authentic engagement: Interact with your audience in real-time, respond to user comments, and address questions to foster a sense of community and connection.
- Invest in quality equipment: Ensure that you have reliable internet connectivity, high-quality audio and video equipment, and adequate lighting to deliver a professional live stream experience for users.
- Be consistent: Establish a regular schedule for live streams to cultivate audience expectations and maintain engagement over time.
- Analyze and iterate: Monitor metrics such as viewership, engagement, and feedback to evaluate the success of your live streams and refine your strategy for future broadcasts.
Embracing live streaming as a core component of your content marketing strategy and harnessing the power of AI-driven insights will allow you to be able to more effectively engage audiences, drive brand awareness, and ultimately, achieve your marketing objectives in the digital era.
17. Marketers will optimize content for Search Generative Experience
Search Generative Experience (SGE) refers to Google's evolving algorithmic approach aimed at generating dynamic, multimedia-rich search results that provide users with comprehensive information directly on the search engine results page (SERP).
A growing number of marketers are focusing on optimizing their content for SGE due to its potential to significantly impact search visibility and user engagement. With the proliferation of mobile devices and the increasing preference for quick access to information, users expect instant answers and engaging content without having to navigate away from the SERP.
As Google continues to prioritize enhancing user experience and delivering relevant, interactive content directly within search results, this content marketing trend will be applicable for the majority of marketers' strategies concerning SEO and content marketing.
What steps can you take to optimize your own content for SGE?
First, you'll need to make structured data a priority! Implement schema markup to provide search engines with contextually relevant information about your content, enhancing its visibility and potential for inclusion in rich search results.
Next, aim to create multimedia-rich content, incorporating visually appealing elements such as images, videos, infographics, and interactive features, for example. These items are going to make your content more engaging and suitable for inclusion in Google's multimedia-rich search results.
Don't forget to also optimize for featured snippets by crafting concise, informative content that directly answers common user queries. This will in turn boost the likelihood of your content being featured in Google's featured snippets, knowledge panels, or other rich search results formats.
Finally, always keep user intent at the forefront of your strategy. Tailor your content to address specific user queries and intents, aligning with Google's emphasis on delivering relevant and useful information to searchers.
How do you adapt your strategy when content marketing is changing?
The rules for content marketing are always changing, which can admittedly make determining an effective strategy tricky for marketers.
Nevertheless, if you’re up for the challenge, you’ll find that creating high-quality content that speaks to your audience can be super satisfying with the various benefits it brings, such as increased engagement, improved SEO, and more sales!
The key is to remain flexible in your strategy and never be afraid to change things up when you find that something’s not working for your brand.
As we navigate the ever-evolving landscape of content marketing, one thing's for certain: video remains a powerful force driving engagement and brand visibility. Marketers are increasingly recognizing the importance of incorporating video content into their content marketing strategies to help captivate users and enhance SEO efforts to boost their rankings on search engines like Google.
This year, we're witnessing the continued rise of short-form video content on digital platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels, exemplifying the shift towards more dynamic and immersive experiences for users.
By leveraging video content effectively, marketers can not only improve search visibility but also foster deeper connections with their audience, ultimately driving meaningful engagement and achieving their marketing objectives in the ever-expanding digital ecosystem.
Which of these trends are you most excited about adding to your content marketing strategy?
Are there any other content marketing trends that you think are likely to pop up this year or next?
Let us know in the comments below!
