Content Marketing Trends for 2019 show that many marketing tactics no longer work. We produce so much content nowadays that it becomes increasingly difficult to create a message which stands out and is findable on Google and other search engines. You could argue that content marketing seems to be undermining its own success. You have to ask yourself which approach works? How to deal with the decreased organic reach of social media and Google?
Based on feedback from Dutch marketing thought leaders, the following are some of the top trends for 2019: decreasing reach of social media and organic search, personalization (e.g. "people do business with people"), targeted, reader-specific content, and the rise of video and podcast.
Here are the Top 30 Content Marketing Trends for 2019:
1. Strategy First.
Your content marketing strategy starts with setting up your (smart) goals. For whom are you creating content? What are your goals? To be able to create relevant and valuable content you have to know who your buyer persona/target audience is. The content has to be aligned with the core value of your business. Delivering the right content, to the right people, at the right time.
Download here the free Flywheel Persona guide and learn how to create personas which everyone can use throughout the entire customer journey - including market research to marketing to sales to customer service teams.
2. Know your customer's buyer journey.
To create relevant content for your customers you have to know where they are in the buyer's journey. It's important to create high-impact content (videos, case studies, white papers) for each stage of the buyer's journey. Customize high-impact content assets as much as possible, ensuring it is relevant for the buyer's role and industry. To increase views, link and share content with a short personal text or video message via email, What'sApp, LinkedIn, Instagram, or Facebook.
3. Content marketing takes time.
Developing a content marketing strategy takes time. Before you start creating content, do your research, make an inventory of your current assets, and publish a content schedule. This is especially important when you are planning to launch a campaign with several content assets and need to create or adapt content for your campaign.
4. Lobbying within your own organization.
Content Marketing is important to the entire company. It involves all employees. Be sure to have stakeholders and decision makers on your side.
5. Listen to your customers.
Keep in touch with your target audience to find out what's important to them and what their pain points are. This helps align your content with your reader, ensuring it is relevant and meaningful.
6. People like to do business with people.
People do business with people not brands. The people behind the brand who create content are more interesting than the big brand name itself. Create content and share stories about your company's thought leaders and innovators.
7. Tribe building.
Over the long term, tribe building helps build your authority and credibility and creates a solid brand name.
8. Apps to fight telephone addiction may block content on social platforms.
Smartphone providers are introducing tools to tackle screen time and phone addiction. As viewers spend less time on social media, it may be difficult for companies to reach their target audience.
9. Invest in Account Based Marketing.
In 2019 it became very important to promote your content across all social media channels. Facebook reduced the organic reach of companies, focusing more on family and friend networks. Invest in a strategy (e.g. Account Based Marketing) and marketing budget to improve reach for your target group.
10. Decreased organic reach.
A clearly visible trend in 2019 is the decreased organic reach of Facebook and Google due to changing algorithms, impacting engagement metrics. As an example, Facebook now prioritizes and rewards content that produces meaningful interactions above all else (likes, shares, comments). And video content helps increase that reach - with some stats claiming a 127% increase in pages visited on sites with video content.
To learn how to increase website traffic and visitor engagement, download our free tip sheet: 
11. Content marketing popular with B2B.
B2B companies understand that lead nurturing is the strategy to build relationships with your target audiences. Content Marketing and lead nurturing go hand in hand. However, the process breaks down if you don't align your marketing and sales teams. Collaborate across customer-focused teams to create personal touch points which help build relationships with potential buyers as they move through the consideration and decision stages of the journey.
12. The ROI of content marketing.
Content Marketing often focuses on "top of funnel" audience. However, it takes time before people convert from an interested visitor to a motivated buyer. It is important to determine your KPIs for each content asset. And don't provide too much information too soon: otherwise you will "burn" through your assets before the visitor is ready to move to the next stage of the customer journey.
13. Opportunities for more in depth content.
There is a growing need for more in-depth, relevant content: this includes content which takes longer to consume and digest, but ultimately which gives more gratification. Think about creating strategy papers, buyer guides, recorded webinars and podcasts which can help educate buyers about complex topics.
14. Content Hacking.
An important trend in 2019 is Content Hacking. Build social sharing links directly into your content, repurpose and republish blogs, embed live videos, and trial different CTAs to understand and optimize your conversion touch points. Read more on HubSpot's blog 10 Characteristics of a Growth-Focused Content Marketer
15. Be socially relevant.
Don't focus primarily on your own product: research topics that affect your audience. Examples: sustainability, climate change, AI, innovation, digital transformation.
16. Show some backbone.
Stand up for your beliefs. Show courage to create risky or edgy campaigns, knowing that not everyone shares your opinion.
- Make a statement
- Align your brand name with your buyer persona
- Addressing values of (a part of) existing and potential customers in the market.
- Don't focus too much on your product
17. Structured data.
Make your content "Google-friendly" with the help of structured data. Google is increasingly working with techniques like graphs and snippets.
18. Relevant is the new viral.
With so much content available on the Internet, it is difficult to stand out and create "groundbreaking" content. Keyword is therefore customization. Create helpful and relevant content for your buyers persona. Content that helps them to solve their problem.
- Offer a consultation, organize live webinars or write a customized white paper
- Create a helpful tool
- Share the latest news facts
- Help people learn new skills: do it yourself videos, tutorials on YouTube
19. Collecting and sharing content.
Collecting, organizing, editing and sharing existing content from your own organization or that of third parties. It has to be helpful and relevant content for your target audience such as news, blogs and background articles
20. Video
For e-commerce websites, visitors are 72% more likely to buy after watching videos on your sight. Personal video is becoming the defacto format to reach out to new prospects or nurture potential buyers (tip: think about sending a short email or text with an embedded personal video message from you, which links to a video which explains more about your product or service). Our team loves the video marketing platform from TwentyThree.
21. B2B Ephemeral.
Create temporary content that will disappear like Snapchat and create exclusive members-only content offers.
22. A look behind the scenes.
Create content which shares a closer, more personal look into your company. Offer your target audience a glimpse behind the scenes to give them a better idea of how it is to work in your organization and who are the creative leaders behind your products and services.
