2024 content trends: from AI trials to LinkedIn transformations, what can brands expect?
Trialling AI tools, getting creative on LinkedIn and engaging with new, cohesive formats – if your 2024 branded content priorities contain none of the above, read on. Speak’s managing editor, Saskia Mair, shares her insights about which editorial trends comms teams should tap into this year and why it’s essential to stay curious.
1. All about artificial intelligence
You can’t do a roundup of 2024 trends without including artificial intelligence (AI). Technology developments were on everyone’s radar last year, but with them has come uncertainty on how (and whether) to implement innovative platforms – especially when it comes to generative AI.
This year, newsrooms will likely be questioning how to find the best tools for the content they create and how they can use these in practice. A good dose of caution is crucial. There’s a huge amount of uncertainty when it comes to AI regulation – and, of course, ethics, ownership, rigour and quality.
But be careful when you talk about AI platforms, and make sure you don’t put them all in the same bucket. There are so many different ways you can approach AI. You might not want to start generating entire articles – but investigating ways to automate transcription, data analysis and SEO research could be a game changer for your editorial team.
I think the first step is for teams to trial AI platforms in a safe and controlled way. Success isn’t just about finding platforms with the right capabilities – it’s also about learning how to prompt the right platforms. It’s important to be curious about how you can make the most of these tools. What happens if you ask it to make the tone of your copy more conversational? Does it work more effectively if you brief it to summarise your report like an expert researcher? What does it do if you ask it to add five emojis?
At Speak, we’ve formed a testing strategy across the business to investigate the capabilities and limitations of various platforms. We’re constantly finding out more about which tools best complement our focus as an agency and the processes we need to have in place to protect the quality of our output.
In 2024, it will be vital to think about how audiences will respond to using AI platforms to create the content they consume. How will it affect trust? Newsrooms will need to ensure their audiences are informed about their AI and quality control strategies to ensure readers can be confident that content they generate is accurate, dependable and created with the reader in mind.
2. Not just off the press
We all know that news isn’t just about written articles anymore. We can get our editorial content through podcasts, narrated audio and even short-form content on channels like TikTok. This year, I think brand publishers are thinking more than ever about how they distribute news and engage with audiences across channels. With so many ways to consume information, people want to be able to engage with content and news in the format that suits them best. Some want to read on their phone while they’re lying on the sofa; others want to be able to listen to a podcast on their commute. These formats can work closely together – with embedded videos, shortcuts to podcast episodes, apps and QR codes all part of the experience of reading an article online.
That’s not to say there isn’t an appetite for long-form written content, too. Subscription newsletters have become really popular – which is fascinating because, in some ways, you could consider this a more old-fashioned online format.
While it’s common to see a mix of formats on the homepages of publishing platforms, I’ll be interested to see if there’s an uptick specifically on branded channels this year – and if brands take a more cohesive approach to putting out a package of news content in a range of formats.
The challenge for newsrooms will be engaging with different formats in a way that feels authentic, both to the brand and the platforms they use. We’ve all come across sponsored TikToks that feel unbearably cringy or a branded podcast that just seems like an extended ad. I can’t tell you how many bad branded ‘snapshot’ emails I end up deleting straight away – whereas if there’s a newsletter that’s consistently engaging, I’ll open it immediately because I expect it to be useful or entertaining.
When it comes to content formats, it won’t be enough to just jump on a popular bandwagon – teams will need to consider how they can really add value in a particular space.
3. The evolution of LinkedIn content
Something we’re well aware of at Speak is how LinkedIn is evolving. From a thought leadership, talent attraction and career point of view, LinkedIn is a priority for many organisations. While in the past, companies might simply have posted a link to an article, now I’m seeing brand newsrooms getting more creative with their approach.
Look out for ways that companies become more innovative with the content they publish on LinkedIn – particularly in the crossover between sharing business stories and personal insights. Anyone working on journalistic or editorial content should be aware that, compared to some of the other social media channels, LinkedIn has more of a focus on news-related content.
Some companies talk about their activities as if they are totally separate from the stories they publish about their employees. But, of course, any project will have been carried out by people. If you can navigate your way past the ‘humblebrags’, LinkedIn offers an opportunity to tell more meaningful stories about these activities – whether it’s how a colleague came up with a business idea or why a company initiative was put into practice.
In short? Stay curious about editorial content
At Speak, curiosity is one of our core values – so keeping track of trends is built into everything we do. We bring this mindset to every meeting and conversation.
But simply keeping track of trends isn’t enough. It’s easy to read a roundup of the ‘latest things’ in branded content – but you also need to test them out and learn about them.
If you’re consuming lots of insights about innovative technologies or content developments but not balancing that with investigating them further, you’re not going to be able to have as much impact on the work you create. It ultimately comes back to understanding your audiences and what they respond to.
There’s so much content out there. Whatever newsrooms post on their platforms must stand out to make readers stop scrolling.
Want to find out how to implement a best-in-class editorial strategy that connects your organisation to your always-on audience?
Contact Gabrielle Bridle from our client services team at gabriellebridle@speakmedia.co.uk or on LinkedIn.