Now that we’re a few months into the new year, it’s time to make certain that your content marketing is also on track. Right now is a terrific time to be a content marketer with new trends that can help you attract and retain your ideal customers. Let’s look at some of the biggest 2020 content marketing trends you need to look out for:
1. Time to Outsmart Artificial Intelligence
With Google going with BERT, and other search engines and social media platforms using more and more Artificial Intelligence (AI) in their algorithms, it becomes imperative for you to use quality content to get the hits your organization deserves. Instead of loading up a lame article stuffed with keywords, you’ll need to have high-quality content that answers a question your reader might have. Your content needs to be highly targeted to ensure that when someone searches for a specific query that your blog piece or article is there to answer it. True story: I was searching for a topic I had written about before for a client, and my own piece appeared as number one in a Google search on the subject. (Thanks, BERT!)
2. Optimize for Voice Search
When it comes to searches, more customers than ever before are using Alexa, Siri, and their smartphones’ voice-activated searches to find what they need. According to Entrepreneur, in the second quarter of 2018, sales of voice-activated devices increased 187 percent, and they continue to increase as people grow more comfortable with them. To optimize your content for voice search, focus the topic around long-tailed keywords and questions that potential leads might ask. Write in a conversational way that will appeal to your audience while also matching their voice search queries.
3. Think Multiple Platforms
At one time, businesses and organizations planned on marketing on Facebook, Google, and even MySpace. (Remember MySpace?) Nowadays, you can’t expect to reach your market just by choosing one or two platforms. You have to be able to post your content on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Google, SnapChat, TikTok, Pinterest, and LinkedIn. Staying just with one or two platforms will put you behind your competitors. When you market your content, you’re going to need to hit a broad range social media and advertising platforms. That being said, make sure that you are spending time on platforms where your customers are. If your target market isn’t using TikTok, it’s safe to say you won’t need to spend time there.
4. Strike Up a Conversation
Potential customers are looking for a more personal touch. That means you need to have more one-on-one conversations with your clients. Being able to put a name and face to a brand is big for most customers. When you can answer questions directly that your customers might have or get solid feedback from them, it benefits both you and your customers. You can do this through messaging and chat, live customer service, and email marketing. When your customers learn more about you and your organization through you and your employees, it can give them more customer satisfaction. Think about it: would you rather buy something from a faceless company you don’t recognize, or from someone you’ve come to know and trust? Most people would rather do business with a person than with a faceless entity, even if it costs a bit more.
5. Let the Chatbot Do Your Talking
Okay, this is something I’m not particularly fond of, but it’s likely to become bigger as AI improves: chatbots. If you were worried when you were going to have the time to talk with people, it’s more likely that you’ll have a chatbot do the talking for you. Nowadays even robocalls are using clever chatbots that are tough to distinguish from a real person. These chatbots have gotten so real with their scripts that when someone contacts your company, they may not even know that they’re dealing with a bot unless you tell them. Using chatbots is a great way of disseminating information that your customers need. Having excellent content available for your chatbot to refer your clients to is a great way of giving them the information they need with a personal touch.
Work With Writers Who Understand 2020 Content Marketing Trends
Do you need help applying some of these 2020 content marketing trends to your strategy? WriterAccess prides itself on staying up-to-date with the latest in content marketing. (I mean, it’s what they do!) When you’re looking for writers who know how to write for SEO, AI, and voice optimization, you should start your search on WriterAccess. Want to see for yourself? Schedule a demo today.
Maggie B. is a professional, multiple award-winning writer and editor of more than 30 books and more than a thousand articles. She earned her Master’s Degree in Liberal Studies with an emphasis in creative writing at the University of Denver. She has written articles on science, pets, sustainability, hunting, technology, outdoors and recreation, food, writing, publishing, careers, and other topics. She is the publisher for Sky Warrior Books and Garnet Mountain Press.
