New year, new content: 3 content marketing trends for 2023
Comms teams are getting ready to put on their out of office on and down tools for Christmas – but taking the time to understand how the latest content trends could impact your strategy for 2023 is crucial. We share three things brands will want to factor into their processes – from streamlining your output, to producing snackable video.
1. Quality comes first
Many brands used to rely on churning out low-quality key-word-stuffed content in an attempt to boost their search engine rankings. But there is little point in putting out lots of content if it doesn’t engage the people who read it. Content teams are increasingly aware of this – research from HubSpot found that 83% of brands would rather post less often but create better content.
And as algorithms evolve, doing this properly will actually sow the seeds of SEO success. Search engine Google announced this year that its latest update would reward websites that put audience needs first, over rehashed content designed solely with ranking factors in mind.
One Slovakian news platform Denník N has prioritised a streamlined approach. The publication’s approach is “publish less, publish better”, an ethos which attracts 1.55 million visitors a month. A report from the Reuters Institute highlighted how when pop artist Miroslav ‘Meky’ Žbirka died on 10 November 2021, the outlet quickly published a simple alert rather than a wordy report. This saved its journalists time and energy, allowing them to focus on producing high quality, unique and original features about the artist later.
What can brands learn from this? Don’t just rehash the obvious stories because it’s quick and easy. Keep your focus on genuinely compelling content that makes a real impact on the reader.
2. Short form video – here for the long haul
The consumption of short form video has skyrocketed over the last few years – and it’s highly likely that this trend will continue. Data from agency Social Shepherd found that users spend an average time of 84 minutes per day consuming video content and short form social platform TikTok is forecast to reach over 97 million users in 2023.
In fact, Bank of America analysts predicted that the format will provide a $100 billion dollar investment opportunity for companies like Meta, YouTube and Instagram, as they compete to become leading short form video platforms – and adding that the trend "could represent the largest shift in internet usage over the next five years."
Broadcasters and streaming services are considering how to best tailor their channels to make the most of the ways consumers are interacting with online video content. In 2021 Netflix launched ‘Fast Laughs’, a feed of quick comedy clips from its shows, while Sky have recently announced they’re planning on investing more in creating short-form content – and currently posting around 3,000 clips per week on their platforms and social channels.
Whether comms leaders are looking to communicate company updates, offer insights into company culture, or highlight new initiatives, it’s clear that they’ll have to consider how they can effectively share key messages through their target audiences’ preferred mediums.
3. Whatever you do be authentic
More content than ever is available at people’s fingertips, and audiences can inform themselves and make their own judgements about brands – so they’re not going to take in a message simply because your company wants them to. Research from visual content company Stackla suggested that while 92% of marketers believe most of their marketing efforts come across as authentic, just 51% of consumers surveyed believed less than half of brands out there create authentic comms.
Content leads will need to ensure that they present their messages clearly and with the evidence to back them up – leaving press-release waffle and corporate jargon behind. This could translate to data-driven thought leadership, interviewing the real employees running a company initiative, or sharing the decision-making process behind business updates.
At Speak, the content we create is designed to serve clients’ audiences, and, from interviewing to fact checking, we approach stories with the detail and thoroughness of a newsroom.
Want to find out how we can help?
Contact Gabrielle Bridle from our client services team: gabriellebridle@speakmedia.co.uk.