Source: The Content Strategist
Contently grew up a lot in 2017. Instead of just going through the motions, we thought about how content marketing was maturing, refined our mission, and conducted research to find out as much as possible about our clients and the industry at large.
If we learned anything from last year, it’s that marketers are striving for accountability more than ever. They’re no longer just throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks. Budgets have a purpose. Strategies get developed with long-term vision. And results need to be tangible.
As content marketing continues to transform in 2018, here are 24 predictions that will keep you one step ahead.
1. “Content marketing” will cease to be thought of as just a top-of-funnel activity for building an audience. Instead, marketers will realize content is the golden thread that connects every experience in the customer journey. Great stories aren’t just crucial for articles and videos; they’ll be necessary for case studies and sales decks as well. (Tweet this!)
-Joe Lazauskas, director of content strategy
2. Less quantity, more quality. Smart brands will reduce the amount of content they produce, using that budget to improve the production value of everything they create. (Tweet this!)
-Shane Snow, co-founder
3. For a while now, brands have tried creating their own podcasts without much success. This year, I think brands will sponsor individual episodes of existing podcasts that are already popular. (Tweet this!)
-Alli Manning, director of talent and editorial services
4. Content marketing initiatives will become table stakes for marketers to compete in their fields and keep their jobs. (Tweet this!)
-Greg Merson, sales operations manager
5. Brands will make much better use of persona research and buyer’s journey stages when planning and executing their content strategies. (Tweet this!)
-Kelly Wenzel, CMO
6. B2C companies will take more of a public stand on key topics, especially social issues, which will be reflected in their content. (Tweet this!)
-Cyrus Park, implementation manager
7. Paid distribution will lean heavily toward video as content marketers add YouTube and Facebook video to their list of most important channels. (Tweet this!)
-Felicity Blance, manager of distribution services
8. To prove their value, marketing teams will put a lot of effort into creating content that can be used across all departments. (Tweet this!)
-Luke Maloney, senior sales executive
9. The past few years have focused on the mechanics of content marketing—how the sausage is made. In 2018, brand leaders will return to a fundamental question:…
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