5 Content Marketing Trends That Will Dominate 2023

The content marketing landscape is constantly changing based on rising trends, new technologies, and evolving human behavior. Prospective customers are getting hard to please, and the competition is more fierce than ever. That is why keeping pace with ever-changing content marketing trends is a non-negotiable component of every digital marketing strategy.

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And while trends may come and go, the importance of great content shows no sign of slowing down. But with all the new things going on, understanding which content marketing trends will help your business thrive is challenging. With that in mind, we gathered 5 key content marketing trends you should know and leverage in 2023. 

5 Content Marketing Trends to Watch for in 2023

Content is, and always will be, king. For every marketer looking for the trends shaping content marketing in 2023, this article is your go-to guide for what is changing and which content marketing trends to follow in the upcoming year. Continue reading to learn how to incorporate them into your marketing strategy and create memorable customer experiences.

Personalized Content

While users are bombarded with content from multiple sources, the average consumer’s time is more limited than ever. In 2023, marketers should find more sophisticated ways to engage their audience and add value to their content marketing efforts. The only way to make it work is through personalized content that shows you have a deep understanding of their specific needs.

What goes hand in hand with personalization? That would be data. Collecting this type of data seems intimidating, but getting prospects to fill in basic information to join your email list is more than enough. Once you have their email addresses, you can kick things off with a welcome email introducing your products, services, or brand story. In fact, you can include any type of helpful content to guide recipients through your unique selling proposition.

After that, solid email marketing software like Sendinblue and top Sendinblue alternatives will give you the necessary tools to get to the heart of personalized content. For instance, they provide you with detailed analytics that keeps track of useful metrics such as:

• Opens and clicks – The percentage of recipients that open and click on your emails
• Top locations – The locations where the most opens take place
• Best-performing links – The links that recipients interact with the most
• Email clients and devices – The top clients and devices your engaged recipients use to view your emails

These email metrics, along with the automation options provided by most ESPs, enable you to collect valuable data on recipient demographics, behavior, or browsing habits. Not to mention you can incorporate surveys in your email campaigns to collect customer feedback and find out what you could improve based on their input. That way, you can easily create customized interactions and serve content that meets your prospects’ needs. 

Follow the Empathy Road

Content volume has become overwhelming for users, resulting in decision fatigue. To stand out in such a crowded place, you need to go beyond business-focused content. With the pandemic, social distancing rules, and the rise of remote work, the last thing consumers need is more barriers, in this case, between themselves and their favorite brands. 

Engaging with your audience as human beings rather than potential buyers is an emerging content marketing trend – and we reassure you it’s here to stay. The more the world turns digital, the more crucial it becomes for brands to humanize their content. Consumers ask for brands they can relate to, and that can offer authentic and profound relationships. 

How can you achieve that? Add emotions and show empathy when addressing their pain points and providing solutions. Explore your company’s values and align your tone of voice with them while sounding authentic and natural – even if that means applying changes. Whatever you do, stay away from hard sales phrasing that is all about your business. But most importantly, answer the following questions:

• Who are your potential customers?
• What are their fears, aspirations, interests, and preferences?
• What are their biggest challenges? 

Customers are now at the center of any content marketing approach brands employ. Once you find the answers to these questions, you are on your way to creating human-focused content, offering real support, and building customer loyalty.

Leverage Short Videos

The human brain has an affinity for visual elements over text messages. Visual content catches our attention instantly, helping us grasp concepts better. Videos aren’t exactly a new trend since most marketers already trust them to attract and engage their target audience. The video content fever will persist for years to come, but what is starting to change is the video format.

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Video content like TikTok videos, Instagram Reels, or YouTube Shorts is gaining popularity, ranking among the most popular media successful brands use to connect with customers. Creating short videos with direct messages seems to solve the never-ending nightmare of users’ decreasing attention spans. This video format is more shareable than other video types, generating higher ROI and increased traffic. 

When it comes to the content you can use for your short-form videos, the sky is the limit. You can create User-Generated Content (UGC) like testimonial videos, share behind-the-scenes footage, hire video-skilled influencers to promote your brand, and more. 

The impact of short-form videos will continue growing as the number of social media users grows. Just make sure you conduct thorough research to find out which social media platforms your prospects prefer in order to reach the people most likely to become your loyal customers. 

Optimize Content Experience

With user expectations being higher than ever, optimized experiences should never come as an afterthought for marketers. You might have the best content marketing team and create the most compelling content. But if you give users a poor experience, your content marketing will get you nowhere. Content Experience (CX) has found its way into the most critical content marketing trends for 2023. CX is how you present your content to readers, from the page you display it on to the quality of the interactive elements you use. 

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Customer expectations never stop evolving, and your content marketing team should stay on track to discover your target audience’s needs in terms of content experience. You should explore their preferred content types or how to improve how your content is displayed. There is no use in putting all your effort into getting your blog noticed and creating exceptional blog posts if they take forever to load or the page is filled with ads that annoy readers.

Remember that users will only read your content if you make it convenient for them to do so. So, you might want to check some of the following elements:

• Page loading speed
• Content performance on mobile devices
• Image quality
• Paid ads placement
• Video loading speed 

Also, your team must ensure that you use a cohesive voice in your content. Apart from creating high-quality content, you must also invest in consistent messaging. So, make sure you produce content on a regular schedule to stay top of mind. Your readers appreciate regular content releases and reward them with loyalty and trust. 

Invest in Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Search Engine Optimization isn’t what we’d call new – or a trend, for that matter. SEO has been around for a long, but in 2023, marketers won’t have the luxury of avoiding it anymore. Many of them have stayed away from SEO, thinking it takes too much effort and time to get results. And we won’t lie to you; it does. SEO requires careful planning, but you must understand that as long as people use search engines, building an SEO strategy is a must-have for content creators. 

Creating SEO-optimized content helps your web pages rank higher while making it easy for users to find you. The problem is that search engines are getting smarter, and it will take more than throwing in some relevant keywords to outsmart them. Content optimization tools are a trustworthy ally in your efforts to boost conversions. But you must ensure that your content complies with current SEO strategies and that your content creators monitor what search engines recommend to improve your ranking. 

There are many variables for better rankings, but people-first content is a top priority for search engines. The idea behind creating high-quality content is to use relevant keywords for Google to move it to the top of search results. Then, its quality will take over and turn you into a top resource on specific topics. Helpful content that addresses problems in your niche will make users think of you as an industry leader. So, focus on writing for people first, and both they and search engines will reward you with increased click-through rates and conversions.

Staying up to date with content marketing trends

Content marketing isn’t exactly a walk in the park. New content marketing trends gain traction and content creators are compelled to follow them. The only way to achieve content marketing success in 2023 is to stay ahead of these trends. In this ever-shifting environment, only useful content that addresses customers’ pain points will survive. 
First and foremost, brands should keep their focus on building genuine connections through their content creation. Customer experience is at the core of all the content marketing trends detailed in this guide. Combining these trends with solution-focused content will open the way for content marketing greatness, offering your customers the best experience they could ever imagine.

Maria Fintanidou works as a Content Writer for email marketing automation software Moosend, having created the Help Articles (FAQs) and overseen the platform’s translations in Greek and Spanish. She loves exploring new cultures and ways of thinking through traveling, reading, and language learning.