Content Marketing: Current Trends and What to Look For in 2023
Any marketer will tell you that marketing is a perpetually evolving process. For example, if you’d ask someone 15 years ago what the term “influencer” meant, you’d probably be met with a blank stare. Back then, content marketing was mostly overly keyword-stuffed, redundant articles designed solely for the purpose of SEO. Today, content marketing looks a lot different. Think of it as valuable, consumable content with varying functionalities. Content marketing aims to give audiences something useful, and in the process, earn recognition for the brand. Content marketing strategies can involve blogs, podcasts, videos—anything consumable.
To gain some insight into the current state of content marketing as a whole, we interviewed Amanda Natividad, an experienced content marketing professional whose current role is VP of Marketing at SparkToro. We talked about what content marketing currently looks like and what marketing trends to expect in 2023. Below we breakdown our interview with Amanda to highlight the key aspects of our conversation.
Content Marketing Today
If you take a look at Twitter, TikTok, or any other social media platform, you may notice that brands have become a bit bolder. One content marketing trend Amanda discussed is how newer content doesn’t hold back the way it used to. “I’m seeing a lot more people take a point of view,” explained Amanda. She said that people find that type of content more interesting. As a result, “the definition of content has expanded,” she said. Content pieces aren’t as vague or “fluffy” as they used to be, and this style seems to better capture people’s attention.
We also talked about another current trend, which is similar to what we at StudioPod refer to as “content frequencies.” Brands have realized the value of maximizing every piece of content created. For example, a blog article and a podcast episode can share the same topic. “Ten years ago content was a blog; today content could be a podcast, a YouTube channel, a Wistia video series,” said Amanda. “It could kind of be anything at this point.” The concept is efficient because it helps marketers expand on a topic through various channels of communication and as a result, reach more audiences.
Content Marketing This Year
In 2023, expect to see some traditional marketing strategies modified to adapt to the current environment. New trends focus on a more customer-centric approach. Some examples of trends to look out for next year include:
Zero Click Content
“Zero click content is this idea of creating standalone content for any given platform for which there is value to be realized immediately. It’s standalone content for which you don't need to click out to learn more,” Amanda said. Zero click content can look like an Instagram post or a 150-word LinkedIn post that provides readers with highly-valuable information. “Clicking is only additive to your overall experience or additive to your understanding, not required.” she added. A zero click content strategy focuses on delivering a brand’s message to audiences as they scroll through their social media feed. It needs to be able to grab their attention with scroll-stopping content amidst an array of job updates, funny videos and breaking news. When viewers feel they’ve learned something new after engaging with zero click content, the marketing goal has been accomplished.
Webinars
There are also significant benefits hosting branded webinars, a strategy that became increasingly popular post-pandemic. Amanda finds significant value in hosting them and engaging with clients. Through these online sessions, Amanda encourages prospects to provide input and ask any questions they have related to SparkToro’s services. These questions give her fresh ideas for new content that she knows audiences will find valuable. “If I'm getting the same question from a couple people, I start to think, ‘Oh, maybe I should write something about this, or maybe I should create content on this thing,’” she explained. Those questions are usually what other prospective customers are wondering. Focusing on what audiences want to know allows brands to stay ten steps ahead.
Trendjacking
Trendjacking is very much what it sounds like: someone finds a trending topic and makes it their own. In marketing, trendjacking is a strategy that Amanda focuses on in her recent blog, “Trendjacking Without the Cringe.” In the past (and sometimes even now), marketers would find relevant articles and blogs online and reword them to use on their websites. Now, when marketers need ideas for fresh content, many hop on Twitter to see what’s buzzing on the Internet that day. “I think inspiration can come from the conversations people are having on Twitter,” said Amanda. A very watered-down example of trendjacking is the process of identifying top trends and topics on social media, picking one, and then figuring out how to seamlessly weave in a brand’s message. One example below is Dunkin’ Donuts, who was quick to jump on the controversial “blue/black or white/gold dress” in 2015 with a clever tweet:
No matter how well newer marketing strategies work, Amanda still relies on her one tried-and-true method: blogging. “What I would say is the strongest driver or the most resonant with our audience are probably the blog posts because those are the things that really stand the test of time,” she said. A clever, viral Twitter thread can easily reach a significant number of people, but according to Amanda, “it’s still pretty ephemeral. At the end of the day, it’s your blog post or your website that people are searching for over time.” When Amanda writes a solid blog article, she’ll also use it to create a LinkedIn post or a new Twitter thread. “[This will] hopefully gain high engagement,” she said.
Podcasts also make great content for companies that need to diversify their content marketing. Companies can use already-written content to develop new topics for podcasts. Interested in developing a podcast for your company’s marketing strategy? Contact us at StudioPod here and see how a branded podcast can set up your company for success.