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3 Content Marketing Trends For 2020: What Should We Focus On?

CopySmiths June 8, 2020

Content marketing is crucial in 2020. Content is and always will be king. Your customers demand it and can’t get enough of it.

And yet the content marketing landscape changes so rapidly with new trends to focus on, that it makes your head spin.

The internet is filled with articles about the content marketing trends 2020 presents. Many marketers rehash the same ideas, which ultimately leaves everyone doing the same thing.

But you don’t want to do that, do you? No, you want to stand out from the pack and be a content marketing leader this year.

Instead of repeating the same advice, this article provides insights on different ideas you can try.

Learn about three very specific content marketing trends and how you can best apply them in 2020.

Why Video Content on LinkedIn Will Rule The 2020 Digital Marketing World

There are obvious platforms dedicated to video content creation like YouTube, Vimeo, and TikTok. These sites are saturated with content marketing experts competing with each other for the target audience’s attention.

But is there:

  • A website where audiences comprise of serious potential customers who respond to your content marketing efforts?
  • A social media site where your audience is willing to buy and keep visiting your page for more content?
  • A platform where your video content can be prioritized without the need to pay for promotion?
  • A website that doesn’t immediately come to mind as a video content paradise for most brand owners? One that you should be taking full advantage of?

The answer to these questions is: Yes. There’s no better social networking platform to post video content on in 2020 than LinkedIn.

In 2019, LinkedIn’s algorithm prioritized native video content over other forms of content. This led to Company Page videos appearing at the top of audiences’ news feeds and getting more impressions.

Although in 2020, the LinkedIn social media algorithm no longer prioritizes video content, it does prioritize engagement. The more your content creation leads to meaningful bonds with your audience, the more prominent it is.

“The more valuable the conversation, the higher in your feed the post will be.”

— LinkedIn

Video marketing stands head and shoulders above other marketing mediums in terms of engagement and creating a greater bond with your audience.

With that being said, one of the most effective types of video is live video. It’s incredibly immersive and it allows you to interact with your audience in real-time.

To broadcast a live video on this platform, you first need to fill out an application. If it’s approved, you can then proceed to start a live broadcast by following these simple guidelines.

The Growth of LinkedIn as a Social Media Platform

Apart from its algorithm, another reason to take advantage of LinkedIn’s massive marketing potential is its prominence as a social network.

LinkedIn’s integration with the Microsoft empire makes it a unique social networking platform. Put the world’s biggest B2B social network and one of the world’s top tech companies together, and it becomes a mammoth platform.

It can reach more customers instantly, provide access to unique features and content, and foster greater engagement.

LinkedIn is already huge but it’ll keep getting bigger in the near future. The website already has nearly 690 million members but its goal is to reach 3 billion.

According to LinkedIn’s CEO, Jeff Weiner, its vision is to become the hub for every professional and job posting worldwide.

“We are in the process of asking ourselves what it would take…to create economic opportunity for the 3 billion people in the global workforce,”

— Jeff Weiner, LinkedIn CEO

As a content marketing professional, you simply have to be active on LinkedIn.

One of LinkedIn’s biggest proponents is the entrepreneur and social media content guru, Gary Vaynerchuk.

“A social network in a suit and tie. If you’re in B2B, recruiting, or company culture, this is your online HQ.”

— Gary Vaynerchuk on LinkedIn

Using Relevant Micro-Content to Capture Micro-Moments

Google’s micro-moments happen when people search for content on how to meet urgent needs.

“Micro-moments occur when people reflexively turn to a device — increasingly a smartphone — to act on a need to learn something, do something, discover something, watch something, or buy something. They are intent-rich moments when decisions are made and preferences shaped. In these moments, consumers’ expectations are higher than ever.”

— Sridhar Ramaswamy, Former Senior Vice President of Ads & Commerce at Google

Consider the following marketing truths:

  • An audience isn’t strictly committed to a specific brand. They’re more concerned about what fills their needs as soon as possible. So they’ll purchase what’s in front of them when they’re looking for information.
  • Creating marketing content and being present in different spaces increases your brand awareness.
  • Providing relevant content to your audience, makes them choose you over competitors.

This is why you need to make sure that your brand is present in as many real-time moments as possible.

You can identify micro-moments with the help of Google’s analysis. Take, for example, the fact that mobile searches for the phrase “shopping lists” have increased by 150% over the past two years.

This means that there’s an increase in micro-moments when potential customers look for inspiration.

So how do you get in front of people in such micro-moments? By appearing everywhere you possibly can with micro-content!

In order to have micro-content, you first need to create a pillar piece of content. This optimized pillar content is made up of all the bits of information on a topic.

You can then turn them into optimized micro-content such as:

  • Images
  • Slideshows
  • Blog posts
  • Short live video
  • Tweets
  • Checklists
  • Quotes
  • And more…

Micro Content Pieces

If we go back to our example, we notice that a checklist would be great micro-content for the sharp increase in the shopping list searches.

Say you’re in the education industry, supplying school attire and equipment for instance. Providing potential customers with a back-to-school checklist like the one below is a great way of getting their attention in that micro-moment.

When it’s time for back-to-school shopping, people can see your checklist online and find it useful. They’re then likely to want to learn more about your other content and what you offer.

When creating compelling content, you want to make sure that it increases conversions. To achieve this you need the right tools and techniques such as SEO and Google Ads.

This may all seem daunting and time-consuming, and the truth is it is. However, it doesn’t have to be if you entrust your brand’s promotion to the right partner. Ensure that your brand stands out from the rest today.

The Rise of Voice Search in 2020

In 2020, it’s increasingly common to conduct quick content searches by speaking into a device. For example, people can ask questions like:

“Hey Google, where is the nearest store?”

“Hey Siri, what’s the weather like for tomorrow?”

That’s voice search and it’s changing the search engine optimization landscape. Not only is it changing how people find content but it’s also a faster way of getting content than typing.

In fact, according to the media analytics organization, comScore, 50% of all online searches will be voice-based in 2020.

A case study by PwC revealed that, of those surveyed, most people adopting voice technology are from a younger generation. The study also showed that respondents using voice search found it better than speaking to a human or texting in the following aspects:

  • Easier
  • More convenient
  • Faster
  • More personalized

This information tells us there is a clear preference for voice technology now and in the future. Soon this trend will become how everyone searches for content.

For this reason, it’s best to apply a voice search-based content marketing strategy now, rather than lagging behind later.

Strategies You Can Apply in 2020

To make sure you’re not left behind by this content marketing trend, you should:

  • Use conversational keywords that can be picked up by a voice search. Keep your content easy to read and Google will prioritize it.
  • Begin your titles with commonly used trigger words that ask or answer a question. Words like:
    • How
    • How to
    • What
    • Why
    • Who
    • When
    • Where
  • Optimize content for featured snippets that help with mobile and voice search.

Be Different, Stand Out

You can choose to follow the herd and focus on what everyone else is doing, or be different. You can be a leader in your field by creating your own content marketing trends for 2020.

Stand out from a sea of followers and put out content your own way. These three trends, combined with CopySmiths content marketing service, are the keys to marketing success in 2020 and beyond.

Katrina McKinnon

CopySmiths

I'm Katrina McKinnon, founder of CopySmiths and Small Revolution. In my 20 years of experience, I have helped online businesses create high-performing content specifically on an eCommerce store's blog. Find me on LinkedIn and Twitter.