8 Trends That Will Impact Content Marketing Plans
All marketers know that your company’s content marketing plan needs updates. Why? Because the digital marketing landscape is continuously changing. These changes will never stop appearing, as technological advancements and consumer behavior don't stay the same. What do marketers and eLearning facilities need to know to make their content more accessible, engaging, and results-oriented? We look at the 8 content marketing future trends we probably see and how they will impact marketers and the world of eLearning.
1. Include Augmented Reality In Your Content Marketing Plan
Augmented Reality (AR) has become increasingly popular, and this trend is set to continue. This is largely due to the fact that social media channels, such as Snapchat and Instagram, have been incorporating AR in their platforms, to great effect. What is particularly interesting is that many had believed that Virtual Reality (VR) would be the next big thing in content marketing—VR is immersive and all-encompassing, after all. However, the biggest drawback of VR is how expensive it is for the average user to access—VR requires special headsets to create the virtual environments, many of which can cost hundreds of dollars.
On the other hand, AR can be used via an app on a phone to simulate digital elements around you. It is an incredibly useful tool for marketers to engage with audiences. From an eLearning perspective, AR should be implemented in the content marketing plan because of how effectively it can convey real-world solutions to learners. AR in eLearning can help businesses implement more practical aspects in the learning process that will make it easier for learners to absorb what is being taught to them.
2. Chatbots Fuel The Content Marketing Funnel
The content marketing funnel is seeing a boost with the recent improvements in Artificial Intelligence and chatbots, and it is going to become a cornerstone of content marketing. Chatbots in marketing [1] have quickly gone from a joke to a necessity—thanks to more sophisticated AI and machine-learning software which have made chatbots more intuitive and effective. While most small and large businesses are using chatbots to generate leads through content marketing and to assist with customer service, in the eLearning sphere, chatbots can help to engage students and to automate sections of the learning process.
Current chatbots are able to learn from all the inputs they receive. This way, you can automate basic sections of the eLearning process. The necessity for manpower in the form of human teachers is decreased—you can bring them in at a later stage where learners need more personalized information and interaction. We also encounter processes that include multilingual live chat [2]. These make it possible for learners across the world to participate in eLearning facilities no matter the language they speak.
3. Data Will Drive Your Content Marketing Plan
Data has shown itself to be indispensable in the past few years and should factor in strongly into any content marketing plan. Basically, content marketers will create all sorts of content based on the data and metrics determined from past years and content audits. Marketers will find that data they are drawing from search results, social metrics, and web traffic drive their digital marketing strategy [3]. But what will also become clear is that it isn’t just vanity metrics and data that will matter—likes and page views have played their part in content marketing.
Data regarding engagement and quality of views will become more important, something that marketers will need to keep in mind when creating an investor deck. For companies engaging in eLearning, this trend should be noted—simply having content viewed by learners won’t be enough. Your content needs to be actively engaged with to produce comprehensive results.
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4. Interactivity Will Enter Content Marketing
We have mentioned the importance of engagement in content marketing's future. eLearning facilities and small businesses will find that interactive media can bring them success. How do you keep learners engaged when they are working all day and participating in eLearning activities? By making the eLearning process interactive.
Marketers have generally gone the interactive quiz [4] or contest route in the domain of social media—primarily to augment the content marketing funnel, but also to increase the number of followers. But that is set to change. Contest marketing [5] is going to be entering the content marketing sphere and will be producing strong results. For the eLearning world, contest marketing will make an impact on how engaged learners can be in their learning environments. Interactivity will add a level of gamification to the learning process, which will simultaneously stoke the competitive spirit in learners, while also making them more engaged in learning.
5. Live Video And Webinar Marketing
Even if you have a passing interest in content marketing, you will know that videos have become increasingly more popular. But while video content has been used in everything from Kickstarter videos [6] to advertising, what has slowly and steadily been taking over video marketing is live video. This is because of the popularity of Facebook Live, Instagram Live, and Snapchat—live videos have shown a great improvement in engagement in the world of content marketing.
Live video can play an enormously useful part in webinar marketing—it will give learners the face-to-face experience they need with their teachers, while still not requiring a teacher to be physically present in an area. This gives eLearning systems a great deal of freedom that would not have been possible without live video.
6. Incorporate Micro-Moments In Content Marketing Plans
Micro-moments are becoming more important in the content marketing sphere than many have realized. Content marketing was once seen as a means to an end—creating engaging enough content to improve brand awareness to such a point that you make sales and improve ROI. But that is not going to be the way forward in content marketing's future. There is going to be more of a focus on the micro-moments in a user’s journey.
Customer success [7] can be achieved not only through giving your customers what they need—it is about being there when they need you. This takes an extraordinary level of understanding of the customer and the context within which they are undertaking their product or learning journey. This ties into how data is driving the content marketing plans that small businesses and eLearning facilities will be creating.
Within the eLearning world, understanding what your learners need—their micro-moments—will be imperative to improving their experience and increasing engagement between the learner and the learning facility.
7. Personalize Your Content Marketing Services
Gathering data and catering to customers’ and learners’ micro-moments is all about personalizing your content marketing services. Personalization has slowly become an important factor in content marketing's future and will be at the forefront of content marketing plans. We already saw how well personalization works within the email marketing and social media spheres. Segmenting audiences helps to give audiences the specific content they want. No one wants to see generic content that is barely relevant.
And personalization is even more necessary for eLearning. Not all students learn at the same pace or understanding. They have other commitments or are nervous about their new role during the onboarding stage. You have to take these factors into consideration when creating eLearning services. Segment your audience, understand their needs, and you can create a personalized eLearning experience that will keep your learners and audience better engaged.
8. Visual Content Marketing
To make content that stands out from the crowd, marketers have been using visuals as not only an accompaniment but also as a way to illustrate the text within. But the kind of visuals one uses, and what helps the content reach more audiences, depends on the trends in graphic design and imagery. There has been a constant shift toward more dynamic and complex colors and imagery in graphic design trends over the past few years.
In recent years, however, this trend has changed and has impact how content marketers create visuals for their content. For instance, you should expect muted color palettes to make a comeback into fashion. You can also expect to stop being gradients into backgrounds. Content marketers will continue to use stock images. However, you should choose images with more neutral tones with authentic touches.
On the flip side, you might want to choose abstract and complex illustrations. eLearning platformsmust keep these visual trends in mind when creating content. This will help you stand out from the crowd, while also being on-trend.
Prepare For Various Changes
Content marketing is dominating everywhere and helps you transform your marketing efforts in various ways. Marketers and eLearning facilities have to keep an open mind to the possibilities that content marketing creates. Whether it is the increased use of AR and chatbots, or focusing on data, micro-moments, or personalization, content marketing's future is evolving. Marketers and eLearning facilities that keep up with the changes are the ones that will reach their audiences and stay above water.
References:
[1] What Is a Chatbot? The Full Guide to Chatbots in 2019
[3] How to Develop Marketing Strategies Fueled by SEO
[4] How to Create a Viral Interactive Quiz for Lead Generation
[5] The Ultimate Guide to Viral Contest Marketing
[6] Best Kickstarter Videos and Tips To Create Your Own
[7] 6 Less Known Customer Success Best Practices to Reduce Churn and Improve Retention [+Case Study]
