A recent article from Forbes is just one more piece of evidence that how we consume media is transforming. It is also one of the first places to present the logical effect of this cause: Savvy businesses must change their strategies to address these content marketing trends. This month, Digital Firefly Marketing explores changes in consumption, content marketing trends, and how to change with them.

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What is Content Marketing in Today’s Digital Landscape?

First things first: it’s time to stop thinking of content marketing as nothing more than the written word. Content is anything conceived, developed and shared. YouTube videos, ads, social - it’s all content. Infographics, too.

What Content Marketing Trends Are Coming Based on How We Consume Media?

We’ve been writing about it for a while: video is still on a massive upward trend when it comes to digital consumption. These numbers from Wordstream speak for themselves:

• YouTube has over a billion users, almost one-third of total internet users.
• 45% of people watch more than an hour of Facebook or YouTube videos a week.
• Users watch more than 500 million hours of YouTube videos each day.
• 72 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every 60 seconds. That’s a ratio of 259,200 to one!
• One-third of online activity is spent watching video.
• Over 500 million (half a BILLION) people are watching video on Facebook every day.
• Cisco states that Live internet video will account for 13 percent of the total video traffic in 2018.
• Viewers retain 95% of a message when they watch it in a video compared to 10% when reading it.
• Internet video traffic made up 69% of all global consumer Internet traffic in 2017.
• By 2019, internet video traffic will account for 80% of all consumer Internet traffic.

Video provides users with a more interactive experience - they don’t simply read and (hopefully) scroll. They see, they feel, they hear: the engagement of senses makes them far more likely to share, click and convert. But rather than thinking about this from a marketing perspective, what does it mean for the content you’re creating?

Don’t Miss The Trend Train

Using what we know about video, it’s easy to predict the way our content needs to adapt.

Users like how video makes them feel like a part of something. According to Forbes, interactivity is one of the next trends in content. Remember the Facebook app that required users to pick five things? It was hugely popular in the late 00’s. Buzzfeed quizzes, Instagram stories that include two choices for viewers to click: make sure your content engages readers and provides them with a chance to participate.

Look to podcasts for inspiration. Speaker-based content will help you stay ahead of the curve. The wild popularity of podcasts and audiobooks proves the power of voice. Being able to consume while on a drive or run is more attractive to today’s digital consumer than sitting in front of a screen scrolling. Consider how you can make your content consumable on the go.

Learn A Holistic Approach To Content This Month

During May 2018 we’re focusing on approaching content in a way that is most likely to be consumed and shared. If you think your site’s content could use help, contact us today for a free content audit by our professionals.