Content That Performs in 2020: A Roundup of Predictions

The best part of a New Year is the chance to look back at the previous year recognizing what you did right and work to change what didn’t work for the year to come. Doing this gives you a chance to dust off the crystal ball and see if you can make predictions for what’s to come.

Let’s take a look at what’s been big in the past year and what new trends are on the horizon.

Marketing Trends Talked About in 2019

Content marketing has always been one of the top strategies for long-lasting organic SEO return on investment. It’s all about building up reputation and gaining authority so you become valuable to Google and customers.

In 2019, content was all centered around video. Everywhere you looked, people were talking about switching from traditional blogs to video blogs. And the industry held to that.

Let’s look at a few numbers from 2019. Over 80% of Americans watched online video content last year and over half of those users said they preferred watching video content, especially on social media.

Marketing Strategies That Worked in 2019 With My Clients

Not all of my clients were comfortable with creating video content. But the ones who were brave enough to get in front of the camera brought in a higher level of engagement.

The industry, as a whole, has seen this trend. If a content creator or business owner is willing to go on-camera and just be themselves, they can be successful. You don’t have to create a larger-than-life “persona” to be in video content.

Instead, just be you — customers value honesty and reality. These creators talk about themselves, their business, and what they can do for the audience. And this content is bringing in better engagement, follower growth, and more conversions/sales. All of this just by being themselves.

Don’t get me wrong — video content isn’t for everyone. Not everyone is comfortable talking in front of a camera. And not everyone is going to like you.

It’s like the real world. Not every person who walks into your business is going to like you. Not everyone who meets you in the real world is going to be won over by your personality. This isn’t a reflection on you; it’s just reality. This is part of the marketing that people get too stuck on.

Instead, be yourself and don’t worry about those who don’t like you. (Always be polite about it, “Thank you for your feedback. I hope you find what you are looking for, but we aren’t a good fit.) When you find people out there who are too critical and negative, realize these are not “your people.” But if you are real, authentic, and transparent, you will attract the right people to you.

What Others are Predicting for Content in 2020

As a content creator, I’m constantly on the lookout for others to see what advice they have to offer. Here’s some of the “greatest hits” of predictions I’ve found in my research:

Convince and Convert   

I love the folks at Convince and Convert as they have been on target with their predictions in the past. So, what do they think will be the big trends in 2020?

• User-generated content — This is a great way to get more content out and get social proof of your company or product at the same time! Let your customer’s do the creation for you. Reposting their content is easy, although you may not repost everything people say the way they say it. This is a great way to engage with your customers.

 

• Video — Here again, video is expected to be the king in 2020. Consider moving from text-only content to at least a mixture of videos and text for better engagement.

 

• Voice activated content/search — More people are using Siri and Alexa to find their content for them. This trend is set to explode so it’s something you need to get ahead of so you can ride the wave.

 

• Rehashing content — Don’t just randomly come up with a topic and then regurgitate what someone else has had to say about the subject. There’s too much of that out there on the Internet. Instead, you need to find a better angle to make your content unique and personalized.

Core DNA  

While this site is also suggesting the increase in video content, they also had some other suggestions such as:

• Personalized content — Don’t feel like you’re only speaking to one audience. In my last blog, I used a skin care content creator as an example, so let’s roll with that. In skin care, you’re talking to men and women from different backgrounds with a diversity of needs in this area. Each one has his or her own style and interests when it comes to skin care. Address each of these. By doing that, you’ll never run out of topics for content.

 

• Podcasts — Podcasts have been popular for quite a while. But now, content users are seeing a rise in “micro-podcasts.” These are short audio pieces between 1 and 5 minutes long that can give a quick burst of information without a lot of fluff.

 

Search Engine Journal

Here’s another great resource and their advice for the New Year can be summed up in three letters: EAT. They think the key area to focus on in 2020 will be establishing your Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness.

If you can display your expertise and show you’re an authority, you can earn the trust of your audience. And remember, your audience is also Google itself. By showing your authority, you can reap the benefits with higher search engine rankings.

 

My Takeaways

So, what does this all mean? In my opinion, 2020 is going to be more about bringing something original to the table. Users are being inundated with so much content that they’re getting overloaded.

2020 will be more about giving original content instead of “more of the same” content that can be found on a dozen other blogs. But this year should also be about being real and authentic. Develop your online persona by just being yourself. People will gravitate towards this authenticity.