It’s not looking like the reign of content is going to be over anytime soon. For years we’ve heard that it’s all about content marketing. That seems to be holding true for 2019. With that being said, the world of content marketing changes at a rapid pace.
So what is the landscape looking like for 2019? What should you keep in mind if you want to continue pushing effective content and what are some specific tips to think about utilizing? The following will give you an overview of content and content marketing for this year.
Consider Gmail Ad Campaigns
One option that’s not necessarily new, but you might want to consider integrating into your marketing strategy in 2019 is the use of Gmail ad campaigns.
“Now you can deliver display-network-style ads directly into a user’s Gmail inbox,” writes Ajay Goel of Gmass. He goes on to say “It allows businesses to interact and engage with users like we’ve never seen before.”
Gmail ads are a form of native advertising providing you the potential to reach the more than one billion active users of the company. The idea of this kind of native advertising was in beta testing for several years after the concept was announced in 2015.
Now it’s available on a wider scale for advertisers, and the design of these ads look very similar to actual email someone receives in their Gmail inbox.
Be Strategic with Distribution
In 2019, creating great content and just hoping for the best is not an option. It’s a good time for businesses and marketers to be looking at how they’re getting content to their audience and exploring ways to be more strategic in doing that.
Take a look at your distribution data from 2018 and use it to refine your strategy and set better objectives for 2019. Think about the channels that perform well, but also specifics such as the timing of your content and the frequency with which you should be releasing and promoting content.
Also, make this the year that you finally stop using distribution channels that don’t serve you well. More specific, targeted content distribution is a much better use of resources than continuing to utilize under-performing channels just because you always have.
Values-Based Marketing
The idea that consumers prefer and even demand that companies are authentic, transparent and share their values isn’t new. It is, however, more pervasive than ever before, and not showing any signs of declining in terms of importance in the coming years.
You need to have a brand that is transparent and practices authenticity in every area. You also need to develop your brand and your content marketing around a set of values. If these are values that your targeted audience also shares, even better.
Don’t use content as a ploy or a sales tactic. If these goals drive your content strategy, it’s going to fall flat.
When you’re creating content make sure it aligns with your brand and your values, helps your audience in a real way, and builds a sense of trust that will encourage your audience to continue engaging with your content and your brand.
Optimizing for Voice Search
Consumers are increasingly using speakers and technology that allow them to do voice searches. Of course, this stems from the popularity of Siri and then Alexa, but it’s becoming something that’s widely relied-upon outside of Apple and Amazon gear.
Many people are using voice commands and digital assistants to help them search for things they would have ordinarily typed into Google. As you’re working on content strategy and creation for 2019, think about how voice commands and searchers will factor into your keyword usage.
Vary Your Content Length
Finally, there is always an ongoing debate as to whether shorter or longer content works best for your strategy.
Shorter content of around 500 words can be reader-friendly and provide a quick reference point for your audience. Longer content is going to establish your sense of authority in your industry. So how do you decide?
In 2019, don’t. Do both. Mixing up short and long content seems to be the way to go this year. Long-form content is good for rankings. However, your audience may appreciate shorter content for getting to the point and efficiently delivering what they’re looking for. Give them the best of all worlds.