Still stuck writing “2018” in the date? You’re not alone. The first day of every new year is usually a wash, so it can be a slow process for anyone to come to grips with the fact that it’s actually 2019.
But awake ye content marketers! The new year is upon us, and there’s little time to waste in getting up to speed on the trends that will help shape the industry in 2019.
In this week’s Content Marketing Weekly, we’ll take a look at some of the ways in which marketers will leverage technology, personalization and insight over the next 12 months, and how these strategies can help engage customers.
Three Technology Trends That Will Redefine Marketing in 2019
This peek into the not-too-distant future of marketing comes courtesy of ZDNet and some statistics from Salesforce 2018’s State of Marketing, research which points the way forward. At the top of the list of trends is cross-channel coordination. While omnichannel is a buzzword that’s often bandied about, brands are beginning to realize it does not equal a static presence across channels, but rather a dynamic personality that seizes the advantages of different marketing avenues. While only about one-third of companies observed by Salesforce were in that dynamic stage, look for the pack to catch up in 2019.
Two of the other trends highlighted by ZDNet were data unification and personalization, the latter of which is a dominant theme in the next item.
You can read more from ZDNet here.
Consumers Expect to be Riding Hyperloops and Owning Home Robots in 2030
U.S. consumers will be on their way to living a life like the Jetsons in some 10 years time. This is what they expect, at least, according to results from a survey conducted by 3D software developer Dassault Systèmes and CITE Research. While most of the attention might go to the 38 percent who say they they’ll travel by air taxi in 2030, it’s the wide expectation for personalization among consumers that is the main takeaway for content marketers.
Millennial consumers will seek personalized experiences across all channels and technologies they interact with, whether that’s for shopping, work, recreation, travel—anything. However, marketers may come up against a challenge in that consumers want personalization, but they might not always be willing to help achieve it. While 70 percent believe they will use smart home systems, just as many expressed hesitancy in sharing data.
“Consumers expect massive change in every aspect of their lives,” said Florence Verzelen, executive vice president, Industry Solutions, Field Marketing, Global Affairs, Dassault Systèmes. “This glimpse into their thinking offers valuable feedback to companies on what to explore, develop and accelerate It confirms personalized initiatives as the dominating theme behind all innovation.”
Get more insights from the survey here.
What Are Content KPIs & Why Do They Matter?
Metrics are a crucial element to consider in any content marketing strategy, and Brian Harnish has a in-depth rundown at Search Engine Journal on what they are and why you should care about them. Most content marketers are familiar with key performance indicators (KPIs), but the term can be a bit nebulous. After all, all KPIs will vary according to business, campaign, audience, medium and goals.
However, tracking KPIs will provide invaluable insight — or at least the data to mine it from — that you’re not going to get from a write-it-and-leave-it approach to content that doesn’t entail monitoring metrics.
Harnish makes the task easier by classifying common content-related KPIs you’re likely to come across into a set of buckets. For instance, page speed and impressions fall in the SEO segment, while bounce rate and time on site help visualize user engagement.
Get the full lesson on metrics here.
Just 9% of Marketers Have an AI-Based Hyper-Personalization Strategy, Study Finds
Marketers have got a fever — and the only prescription is more cowbell personalization. The importance of technology and personalization are apparent, and at their intersection wide opportunity exists to innovate. Hyper-personalization refers to the use of emerging tools like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to deliver the most satisfactory and relevant customer experiences possible.
While only about 1 in 10 marketers has a hyper-personalization strategy, according to Ascend2 research, the concept is gaining interest across the industry as automated solutions become more accessible. About a third think hyper-personalization can give them a competitive advantage.
Read more on the subject here.
As 2019 kicks into gear, drop a comment and let us know what you think will matter most to content marketing.
