The best way to reach customers is to treat content marketing as a long-term relationship. Give valuable information and support for as long as they need it.

A vital part of the relationship is a website that embraces new tools and tactics. Contact Optuno to update your website. Once your site is ready you can incorporate the latest content trends to boost your business.

Ready to learn more? Here are the top 8 content trends for 2018.

1. Video Consumption

If you aren’t using video as part of your content strategy, you’re missing out on potential customers.

Cisco’s annual Visual Network Index (VNI) forecast predicts video will be 82% of all Internet Protocol (IP) traffic by 2021. The estimate includes both consumer and business IP traffic such as:

• Internet Video
• IP Video-on-demand
• File Sharing Videos
• Video-streamed Gaming
• Video Conferencing
• Webinars

People watch on their phones, tablets, and computers. They stream video to all their devices. Take advantage of video content trends by incorporating it into your messaging.

Your video doesn’t have to be a professional movie. Add an explainer video on a new product to your website. Have the CEO share a story about the company history. Give behind the scenes stories about staff and products.

Post your videos on YouTube and your website. People will find them when searching for information about your products.

2. Live Video

A survey by Livestream revealed 80% of the respondents would rather watch a live video than read a blog post. 82% would tune into a live broadcast over reading social media posts.

An easy way to jump into video is to use an existing platform. Go live on Instagram or Facebook to reach your built-in audience. Try SnapChat and Periscope.People like watching videos live. Imperfections make these videos interesting and authentic.

As the internet grows, especially mobile, video will be as commonplace as voice calls. The Cisco report expects live video to grow from 3% to 13% of internet video traffic. That means video will be 80% of internet traffic by next year.

Here are some ideas for live broadcasts:

• Have a Q and A Session for Customer Questions
• Host an Interview With an Expert, or a Customer
• Unbox a New Product
• Give a Product Demonstration
• Live Stream a Conference, Event or Trade Show

You don’t have to invest in expensive equipment to take part in live video content trends. All you need is a smartphone with a good camera.

3. Diversified Content

Keep customers on your website by using different types of content. Engage your audience with infographics, blogs, gifs, quizzes, podcasts, and user-generated content.

Figure out the information your audience wants, and deliver it using a variety of tactics. You must reach them on the technology they use.

Don’t expect everyone to sit in front of a screen to view your message. Now businesses are creating content for technology like Siri, Ok Google and Alexa.

Pay attention to content trends to reach your customers.

4. Natural Language Search

Did you know that voice searches are 20% of all Google searches on mobile? People are using voice search on desktops, too. Just look at the search bar in Google — there’s a microphone option for voice searches.

Add in the rapid growth in sales of voice-activated home assistants and the trend is clear. You need to adapt for searches made without a keyboard.

Search engine optimization (SEO) for natural language search is different. We don’t speak the way we type. When you create content for your website focus on answering customer questions.

How? Use complete sentences for questions and answers in your articles. Write “What is the best website design for a dentist?” rather than “website design dentist.”

Use longer natural phrases so your keywords match natural speech patterns. Most voice searches are done on mobile devices. Make sure your site is mobile-friendly.

5. Bite-sized Content

There’s a trend towards longer content. The idea is a lengthy blog post ranks better in search engine results. While that’s true, not every keyword or topic deserves a 1,500-word article.

Yes, consumers want in-depth information. But not always. Mix up your content with short videos, infographics, and images people can read quickly.

When you write long-form articles add tweetable quotes and graphics into the post. Images add visual interest to the text. Format the graphics so it’s easy for readers to share the snack-sized content on social media. This helps increase traffic to your website.

6. Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing is a proven tactic. Nielsen reports 92% of people trust recommendations from people over brands. Even when they don’t know the person!

Readers want authentic stories with information they can put into action. They want the full story with insights, not quick quips and quotes.

Identify influential people who share your business values and target audience. Invite them to speak to your audience to promote their brand, which also introduces your brand to their audience.

Collaborate on in-depth interviews, live video broadcasts, or a series of bite-sized content. Use this content trend to build a meaningful relationship with the influencer. You’ll expand your reach to a compatible audience at the same time.

7. Remarketing

If you have customer data you can take advantage of one of the most effective content trends. The content, in this case, is display ads which are shown to people who clicked on an offer but didn’t buy anything.

Here’s how it works. If you have a list of visitors who clicked on an offer without buying, you can create a custom audience. Use the custom audience on Facebook or another platform. Show that audience a discount coupon or special offer.

You re-market your product to people who looked but didn’t buy. You can do the same thing with people who read several blog posts but didn’t sign up for your newsletter.

Google and Facebook both have remarketing programs that work on their platforms. Other solutions work across many platforms to remarket on Facebook, Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, and social media.

8. Native Advertising Growth

A native ad is paid advertising that matches the form and function of the publication. Publishers and social media use in-feed ads. Customers are fine with the idea as long as the ad is clearly labeled.

Social networks and publishers need native ads to fund their businesses. One study showed viewers looked at native ads 25% more often than display ads.

A good native ad must provide high value to its audience. The ad should be shareable, and interesting on its own.

Sign up with a distribution platform like Outbrain or Taboola to identify publishers who reach your audience. Use precision targeting to get your ad in front of the right people. Aim for potential leads you can nurture.

After you launch your campaign you can measure effectiveness with real data based on clicks.

How to Use Content Trends

Look for ways to incorporate these content trends into your marketing plans.

You want to move from blog posts and social media updates to video and personalized content. Mix up your content so readers have a variety of interesting visuals and information.

PSD Learning helps businesses get the information they need to be successful. You’ll find more insights and resources on our website.