We’re more than a quarter of the way through 2024 already, and it’s clear that the world of content marketing is shifting yet again. Unless you’re new to the sector, this shouldn’t come as a surprise – but it’s the way things are changing that might catch you off guard.
As always, you’re faced with two options: you either adapt and keep up with the changes the industry is going through, or you fall behind and spin your wheels using strategies that no longer work. Nobody wants to fall into the latter category (us included), which is why we’ve done a bit of digging to determine which trends we think will take the world of content marketing by storm in 2024. Read on for a summary of our predictions – and some tips to help you stay one step ahead of the game.
Surprise surprise, AI is going to be mentioned a fair bit in this article. When the likes of ChatGPT burst onto the scene back in 2022, there was a lot of talk about AI spelling the end of content marketing as we knew it. There was a lot of doubt about the future of content and the way it would be created. Would writers lose their jobs en masse? Would AI take over the industry completely?
Now, in 2024, the answer to those questions is clear: no. The role of content writers (and quality, handcrafted content) is more vital than ever before. Although chatbots have in some ways democratised quality content – it’s now extremely simple to create paragraphs or even entire blogs that are well-written and free of grammatical errors – they don’t provide a substitute for human creativity and ingenuity.
In a world of derivative, unoriginal AI content, the mission of a content writer is all the more important: above all, you have to write stuff that humans want to read. If it doesn’t offer something different to what’s already out there, why bother writing it?
Although ChatGPT and its competitors first saw the light of day in 2022, 2023 was the year that they really took off. Last year, it felt like every single webinar and industry conference revolved around AI. It was the topic that everyone wanted to weigh in on and that everyone wanted to understand.
A year on, I think it’s safe to say that AI is well and truly a part of the marketing industry. It’s not just a buzzword or a newsworthy topic – it’s part of the furniture. If you’re not using AI in some way, ask yourself why. It’s not a threat to your livelihood, but a tool you can use to make your content better than ever.
We’re calling it already: the 2020s will go down in history as the Decade of the Influencer. Although influencer marketing is nothing new, it has experienced stratospheric levels of growth in recent years – and that looks set to continue for the foreseeable future.
Glossy, immaculately produced videos used to rule the roost, but we’re increasingly seeing comparatively low-budget influencer clips dominating our social media feeds. This kind of content is more relatable and, as a result, often more engaging. It’s easier for audiences to connect with. We expect businesses of all sizes to increasingly turn to influencers to promote their products and services – and adopt a more relaxed, easygoing tone of voice on their social accounts too.
Google’s E-E-A-T guidelines remain the blueprint for quality written content – and they offer another opportunity for your words to stand out amongst a sea of uninspiring (albeit grammatically correct) AI-generated blogs and landing pages.
Don’t just focus on writing your content well – AI can do that too. Make sure you inject your expertise into every paragraph and demonstrate that you know the subject matter better than your competitors. Not only will this build trust among potential customers and lead to more conversions, but it’ll also help set your content apart from your rivals.
Attention spans are shorter than ever. Search engines are changing. People want answers to their questions, and they want them fast. In order to keep your brand at the forefront of your industry, you’ll need to create content that’s accessible and easily digestible – both by humans and by search engines.
On the subject of search engines changing, we expect the rise of AI-powered SERPs to transform the way content is distributed. Although your site’s content will always remain a ranking factor, over time, ranking on page one for all your chosen keywords will become harder and harder – particularly if you run a small business.
So, if you want your content to be seen by prospective customers and you’re serious about building brand awareness, you might have to get a little more creative. Instead of just writing content and hoping it ranks, make sure you share it on social media or send it to people’s email inboxes. SEO alone might not be enough to get you noticed.
Unsure which direction to take your content strategy in? With more than two decades of experience and an impressive back catalogue of success stories, Brave can help guide your business to success with a bespoke content strategy that works. Speak to us today to learn more.
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