As we enter 2019, technology is enabling more intelligent content to be created, while consumers are demanding more facts before they make a purchase. This is putting more pressure on marketers to tailor content that informs, rather than simply sells, according to Warwick Boulter, CEO of software firm Collaboro. Here, he predicts the Top Five Content Marketing Trends in 2019.
Trend 1: Automated personalised marketing
The rise of the data science is enabling all organisations to read their customers better than ever before. The increased ability to mine data from consumers has provided businesses with a greater understanding of what their customers want and to tailor their offerings accordingly.
Importantly, data science can be used to measure the outcomes of the marketing campaigns and to create targeted content.
“Never before have we had access to such insights and been able to leverage data to engage, market our goods and make sales,” Boulter said.
“So, if your business isn’t analysing data to deliver insights and relevance to your next campaign, get a data scientist on deck.”
Trend 2: More educational content
Educational content about products and services fosters a greater understanding of why we need something. More and more, savvy businesses are informing consumers about their goods and services.
“Supplying educational content is just another way to distinguish your brand and earn it some additional credibility. Medibank’s educational marketing strategy, for example, involves releasing approximately five videos per month aims to foster an understanding of health, fitness and what private health insurance really is,” Boulter said.
“It’s a winning campaign and it isn’t just spin. Medibank’s ‘Medibank 100’ campaign involves conversations with diverse Australian and includes facts and figures which can help people make better and more informed decisions about private health insurance.”
Trend 3: Influencer strategy and engagement
The rise of the D-list celebrity will become more pronounced in 2019. Already, online influences such as Instagram stars, sporting heroes, and voices of Twitter have greater reach with audiences than some traditional media.
“They’re famous faces that we know, but can’t remember why we know them or for what purpose. Yet their reach is invaluable,” Boulter said.
“Just take a look at Carrot Top or Dustin Diamond, or closer to home, Adelaide star Kayla Itsines. She built her fitness empire via the power of Instagram and is an influencer of fitness and health. Businesses are likely to enlist D-list celebrities in the future to endorse and market their goods.
Trend 4: AI used to create personalised advertising campaigns
Artificial intelligence (AI) will be used increasingly in 2019 to create personalised advertising campaigns that can multiply the effectiveness of online advertising. An example is Pencil, which is a creative AI tool that enables brands to craft massive personalised ad campaigns, multiplying the effectiveness of online advertising.
“AI will also enable organisations to research and develop crucial marketing aspects, such as keyword searches, trends and current audience response, which all means faster campaign ability,” Boulter said.
“AI-based algorithms on websites can also match how each user best responds to marketing material. We are just seeing the beginning of machine learning and AI to market goods, so it’s now’s a good time to get on board and fire up your marketing team with tech experts who can write the algorithms.”
Trend 5: Storing it on the cloud
The rise in intelligent content depends very much on the existence of the cloud. Imagine a business has hundreds of pieces of digital media, each with different elements, all tagged using scene, facial and object recognition.
“If this data is stored intelligently on the cloud, the business can rapidly deploy and share owned assets,” Boulter said.
“Connecting this content library to marketing teams, agency teams and their relevant digital marketing platforms is core to being agile, efficient and ready for 2019.”
