Here we take a look at a few of the top content marketing trends that are predicted for 2016.
Algorithms may encroach on freelancers’ work
According to research, you have read at least one article that was written by an algorithm without noticing. At this moment in time, journalistic algorithms are capable of piecing together basic news and sport articles. In the near future they will be able to take on more sophisticated pieces. While freelancers have been the go-to people for daily content, they may start getting replaced by these robotic algorithms. But don’t worry, the more complex topics will need to be covered by humans at least for a few more years.
A shift towards in-depth content
Google’s Knowledge graph has been around since 2012, but it’s only recently that it has really kicked it up a notch. It now appears in the majority of long-tail search queries, providing visitors with instant answers to their questions. Cortana and Siri are attempting something similar too. This sophisticated form of answering questions removes the need to click onto websites to find many answers. In 2016, this will drive content marketers to focus on longer, in-depth content to improve the click-through rate and visitor count from the search engines.
Social media will offer their own article publishing options
Facebook have already introduced ‘Instant Articles’, and it’s believed that Google want to follow suit as soon as possible. The reason Facebook started this trend was that they realised articles were getting more views on their platform in comparison to the native place it was published. It wouldn’t surprise us if we see a number of these new types of publishing options to spread over other digital and social mediums in the coming year.
Content will be more visual
There are many reasons why we will see a rise in visual content over the coming year. With the easy access to wireless connections and Internet speeds increasing, it’s giving people the capacity to view image-rich content on-the-go. Users are becoming increasingly impatient with written content, so the demand for visually appealing images and videos will increase well into 2016.
The rise of interactive content
Consumers are already becoming used to tailored newsfeeds and search results. Soon, this will be introduced into content. With the emergence of virtual reality headsets such as the Oculus Rift, it could kick-start the introduction of a truly customisable and interactive content medium.
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