Here’s something that you might find mildly surprising: Google is always changing. In fact, Google’s algorithms change, on average, hundreds of times every year. Meanwhile, anyone who has ever used social media understands that Facebook, Twitter, and their ilk are by no means stagnant: They, too, receive continual upgrades and overhauls.
What all of this means is that, if you’re trying to boost brand awareness and customer engagement through digital channels—which primarily encompass search engine traffic and social media—then you’ve got to be adaptable in your strategies. You’ve got to remain open to new technologies and new tactics.
If the Internet is constantly changing, you’ve got to be constantly changing, too.
Big Changes in Content Marketing
That’s why content marketing strategies need to be reviewed and revised on a regular basis—at the very least annually. You should revise them on the basis of your own data and analytics—your sense of what’s working and what’s not. But you should also revise them based on external content marketing trends.
And that begs the question: What are this year’s big content marketing trends? How is content marketing expected to mutate, evolve, and develop in 2016?
Publishing on social media. Facebook and Twitter have already gotten into the publishing game, and YouTube has recognized the value of user-generated content since before that term even existed. Most significantly, LinkedIn Pulse continues to be a game-changer, and a must-use tool for generating traffic and brand prestige.
Long-form content. More and more, Google is seeking to distinguish itself not just as a search tool, but as a compendium of real knowledge. Getting in with Google will mean providing content of real substance, then—long-form, in-depth articles featuring original research.
Live video streaming. You can do it on YouTube, but where you really need to be doing it is on Periscope—a great tool for directly and informally addressing your audience and proving your authority and expertise.
Data. Content marketing gets a little more data-driven every year, and 2016 will be no exception. If you don’t have metrics in place to quantify your progress and analyze your goals, now is the time to implement them, and let them shape your strategy.
As the man once said, the times, they are a-changin’—and if you want to keep up, you’ll need to give your content marketing strategy some room to evolve.