What Content Marketing In 2020 Could Look Like

What Content Marketing In 2020 Could Look Like
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Summary: Content marketing has made massive strides in the past few years, but in 2020 it is set to change rapidly. Marketers need to be aware of what the content marketing landscape will look like in the coming year and how to prepare for it.

8 Trends That Will Impact Content Marketing Plans

All marketers know that your company’s content marketing plan needs to be constantly updated because of the changing digital marketing landscape. And these changes are set to continue through 2020, which is the year that may be seeing some of the biggest changes in content marketing yet. What do marketers and eLearning facilities need to know to make their content more accessible, engaging, and results-oriented in 2020?

We look at the 8 content marketing trends we will see in 2020 and how it will impact marketers and the world of eLearning.

1. Include Augmented Reality In Your Content Marketing Plan

Augmented Reality (AR) has become increasingly popular throughout 2019, and this trend is set to continue in 2020. 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 in 2020. 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. Because of the ability of current chatbots to learn from all the inputs they receive, basic sections of the eLearning process can be automated. The necessity for manpower in the form of human teachers is decreased—they can be brought in at a later stage where more personalized information and interaction are required. There are also processes to include multilingual live chat [2] that will 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 for 2020. Almost all content will be created based on the data and metrics determined from past years and content audits. Marketers will find that their digital marketing strategy [3] is being propelled by the kind of data they are drawing from search results, social metrics, and web traffic. 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.

In 2020, 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.

4. Interactivity Will Enter Content Marketing

We have mentioned the importance of engagement in content marketing in 2020. eLearning facilities and small businesses will find that success can be had through interactive media. 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 2020 content marketing. 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 and will be at the forefront of content marketing plans in 2020. We have already seen how well personalization has worked within the email marketing and social media spheres—segmenting audiences has helped to give audiences the specific content they want, not the general content that is being shared among the larger world.

And for eLearning, this personalization will be even more necessary—not all students learn at the same pace or understanding. They have other commitments or are nervous about the new role they are being onboarded in. These factors have to be taken into consideration when creating eLearning services for them. 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 2020, however, that trend is set to change and it will impact how content marketers create visuals for their content. For instance, muted color palettes will be coming back into fashion, and gradients will no longer be relegated to backgrounds, but for elements within images. Stock images will continue to have use for content marketers, but the images to be used in 2020 will need to have more neutral tones with authentic touches.

On the flip side, abstract and complex illustrations are set to become the popular choice of imagery for content creators. For eLearning platforms, it will be important to keep these visual trends in mind when creating content in 2020. This will help you stand out from the crowd, while also being on-trend.

Prepare For Content Marketing Changes In 2020

Content marketing in 2020 is going to take the best parts of this year and transform it in ways that most can’t imagine. Marketers and eLearning facilities have to keep an open mind to the possibilities that content marketing will create in the upcoming year. Whether it is the increased use of AR and chatbots, or focusing on data, micro-moments, or personalization, content marketing will be evolving. The marketers and eLearning facilities that keep up with the changes are the ones that will reach their audiences and stay above water in 2020.

References:

[1] What Is a Chatbot? The Full Guide to Chatbots in 2019

[2] Multilingual Live Chat

[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]

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