Content is and will likely always be king, but the look, style, and structure of the content itself are constantly shifting. What was assumed top of the heap yesterday may look quite different by tomorrow, and that’s what we’re seeing with some of the top content trends in 2024: evolution.
Whether you’re considering outsourcing your blog writing services or just want to beef up your knowledge bank, check out these big content trends influencing production this year.
Value-Driven Content Made for Customers
Before you launch your content strategy in 2024, ask yourself one major question: Are you creating content for your brand or your customer?
Every single piece of content a brand generates should deliver value. Craft content that:
- Starts a conversation by asking consumers what they want or need
- Breaks down a complex idea into usable steps
- Teaches a lesson through stories about success and failure
- Fills in gaps in competitor content
- Shares facts and data integral to your audience’s success
Strategic Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
As search engine algorithms evolve, SEO-fueled content strategy has to evolve too, including:
- Emphasizing people-first content: The days of keyword stuffing are long gone (or at least they should be). Today, Google prioritizes content that speaks to user intent and creates a stellar experience.
- Combining technical SEO and great text: Think of technical SEO, such as metadata and keywords, as the opening pitch for Google’s algorithm. Those are the tidbits that help you rank. Then follow up with people-first content to deliver value.
- Focusing on quality: Google has announced that it won’t penalize AI-generated content as long as the content still offers value, is accurate, and speaks to the audience. According to a SEMrush study, 44% of marketers found that boosting their content quality and value contributed to overall content success, and that’s pretty inspiring.
Contracting with a top SEO content writing service can help you nail this trend.
Revenue Generated By Branded Content
Company income is often directly tied to how you choose to monetize content. That may mean making a few bucks on TikTok or putting a paid gate on an eBook, so customers have to pony up $5 before they can access your words of wisdom.
The most important thing with this content marketing trend is to ensure you put a plan in place to track and analyze key performance indicators (KPIs), so you know which types of content and platforms are driving the most revenue and which need tweaking or need to be cut loose altogether.
High-Quality, Well-Researched Content
#FakeNews has dominated social media over the past few years, but even as the hashtag popularity fades, the distrust and suspicion remain.
Every point brands make should be backed by data, including links to trustworthy, unbiased sources. Links ending in .gov, .edu, and .org are typically viewed as being more balanced and accurate, but you should also look at the “About Us” page to learn how sites are funded and who’s behind the content you’re using to underscore your POV.
User Experience Matters
This point isn’t exactly new to 2024, but there does seem to be a trend showing consumers are less patient and more demanding than ever.
Consider the following stats:
- Over 70% of businesses still fail to utilize CTA buttons, leaving customers adrift rather than coaching them on what action to take next
- When ESPN polled its audience about site design and incorporated user suggestions, the company’s revenue jumped by 35%
- An overwhelming 94% of people say they don’t trust websites that seem outdated
Look at UX as a more holistic view of how a site works for and with consumers. Load times are important, but so is seeing whether your audience enjoys using your site, can find the info they want quickly, and can access that info however they want, whenever they want.
AI, Automation, and the Metaverse — Oh My!
Content marketing is increasingly powered by tech, and now artificial intelligence interfaces can even generate content that’s surprisingly coherent. And it’s not just about text either — AI image generators are turning ideas into works of art with just a few minutes of lead time.
But remember, people-first content is still important. Can you use AI and automation without using the human touch?
The answer is yes, but it takes work and agility.
- Incorporate human oversight at every step of the project to ensure content isn’t going off target or becoming too generic
- Use automation for simpler tasks, like organizing project tasks or generating video captions, and leave more complicated and nuanced content generation to actual people
- Consider using tech to enhance human-written content rather than replace it
The Growing Dominance of Podcasts
There are almost half a billion people listening to podcasts as of 2024, all eager to soak up stories, expertise, advice, and whatever else thought leaders want to offer up.
Some 60% of podcast listeners search for a product highlighted via podcast, but 58% will skip podcast ads when possible. So, go for the soft sell, incorporate product and service info into your content, and offer value first and an opportunity to buy second.
How You Can Keep up With Content Marketing Trends (and the Competition)
Perhaps the most important thing with content is consistency. It takes time to monitor trends, produce relevant content and stick to a publishing schedule. For these reasons and more, it can be invaluable to outsource so the burden isn’t entirely your own.
To make it all work:
- Create a publishing schedule and stick to it
- Use freelance writers and editors for ideation and fast and accurate content production
- Look for content platforms with a QA process to ensure deliverables are publish-ready
- Talk with contractors about the trends above and how they’d act on them while creating your content
Above all, remember that while content marketing trends are important, your brand’s style and authenticity are paramount. Find ways to make the two aspects sing together, and you’ll find progress is closer than you think.
About the author
President and Chief Executive Officer at Crowd Content, a leading content writing platform.
Carlos has leveraged his past experience as a technology executive, engineer, and corporate financier to bring innovative end-to-end content creation solutions to SMBs and enterprise clients around the globe — delivering high-quality, scalable products through the marriage of human talent, technology, automation, and artificial intelligence.
