Marketing usually requires a large budget to get the word out about your products or services. Fortunately, there’s a way to avoid these costs and achieve higher results through content marketing.
Good content marketing takes different forms and approaches, all with a single goal – to grow your small business.
In a recent survey, 89% of the respondents claim to have seen positive results simply by marketing their content. While it is proven that content marketing works, keep in mind that this is only possible if you engage with your audience.
In this blog, let’s discuss the latest content marketing trends and strategies that you can use to scale your small business.
Video Marketing
Video is one of the most popular content used online and it is here to stay. In fact, a report from HubSpot states that 76% of marketers today consider it the most effective content format. This is not only due to its capability to keep the audience engaged but also its ability to yield a high return on investment (ROI).
Creating this type of content allows a business to create a deeper connection with its audience. Unlike traditional static content, it can easily capture the attention of the customers and takes less time to digest information.
Below are some tips to boost your video marketing efforts:
- Personalise content to your target audience’s interests
- Optimise titles, descriptions, and thumbnails for engagement
- Include clear calls to action to drive conversions
- Promote across social media and collaborate with influencers
- Analyse performance metrics and refine strategies
Augmented Reality Experiences
Artificial intelligence has made a major breakthrough since the launch of ChatGPT in 2022. Other technologies, particularly, augmented reality (AR), may soon be the next big thing.
A good example involves real estate and home design companies. These businesses use AR to promote 3D house models to help their prospects easily visualise their future homes.
While it is still not widely used, businesses are slowly adopting AR for their brand and product marketing. This is primarily due to the associated costs and the advanced equipment required.
Content with High-Value Offerings
Gone are the days when marketers solely relied on highlighting the benefits of their products and services. Today, businesses are now shifting their focus to value-driven content.
Producing value-driven content is not only for the sole purpose of acquiring customers. It is also meant to help businesses to inculcate their brand identity, message, and core values, and to resonate strongly with their target audience. This way, they are able to build a community of loyal customers who will support their brand in the long run.
These are some ways to create high-value offerings for your content:
- Provide actionable insights and practical tips
- Include expert interviews or guest contributions
- Use high-quality visuals and engaging multimedia elements
- Address common pain points and provide clear solutions
Emphasis on Visual Storytelling
While videos are widely used today, visual storytelling remains a staple component of content marketing. Visual static content, like infographics, is already a common medium, especially on social media. The real challenge is how businesses will leverage it to optimise the customer experience.
Combining it with other content formats enables you to cater to diverse audience preferences and boost your online presence. This can also help move potential customers along the buyer’s journey and increase the likelihood of their purchase.
Engaging with Interactive Content
Interactive content is an important marketing strategy for promoting a great user experience. This type of content helps to draw people into your brand and make them feel heard, valued, and involved.
Instead of simply publishing content, consider encouraging your audience to engage. Creating interactive content can also encourage social sharing, which promotes your brand.
Some great examples of interactive content include the following:
AI-Driven SEO Content Optimisation
Content marketing will always involve search engine optimisation (SEO) to boost performance, particularly in search engine results.
However, focusing solely on keywords and adding links is not enough to get your content to the top. So why not try incorporating AI tools into your SEO optimisation efforts?
Since AI already uses algorithms, it can help analyse large amounts of data. You can then use this data to make your content more relevant to your target audience’s search intent. Leveraging AI can also support your content optimisation by producing higher-quality content more quickly and automating specific tasks.
Conclusion
Incorporating the latest content marketing trends and strategies can make all the difference to the success of your small business. The key is to stay flexible and innovative to ensure your content remains relevant and impactful.
While these trends are just a starting point, it’s important that you continue to build a solid content marketing plan aimed at establishing sustainable growth. Start integrating these trends today to scale your business and connect with your target audience more effectively.
