Five Important Inbound Marketing Trends in 2018

Per Facebook, users are three times as likely to view live videos rather than those that have been recorded previously.

Here are five important inbound content marketing trends in 2018 along with some suggestions for mixing up your dental content marketing:

Live Video Marketing

As per Facebook, users are thrice as likely to view live videos rather than those that have been recorded previously. However, according to a 2017 report by Social Media Marketing Industry, only 28 percent of marketers use live video.

Clearly, the area of live video marketing presents significant potential for growth. In fact, by next year, 61 percent of content marketers may be using live video services. Another 69 percent are likely to acquire more knowledge about live videos.

Including live videos within your 2018-19 inbound content marketing campaign can separate you from the competition. This is especially true with live video still in its infant stages. Through broadcasting live videos, you can connect with a larger audience base, establish domain authority, build brand image and customer relationships, and enhance conversions through establishing a call-to-action. Live videos lead to a sense of urgency. This offers users immediate gratification and creates opportunities for live feedback.

Voice Search

Voice search platforms such as Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri, and Cortana are impacting the manner in which people engage with their devices. According to a 2014 survey by Northstar Research on mobile voice commissioned by Google, 55 percent of teenagers and 41 percent of adults in the US use voice search on a daily basis. Among those who use voice search, 89 percent of teens and 85 percent of adults in the US claim to do so as they view this technology as the future.

Get a leg up on the competition in 2018 by voice search content optimization. You are most likely already aware of keyword research for search engines. But what is your response to voice search? Very often, voice searches are location-oriented and employ a conversational tone.

On the other hand, keywords are usually longer. They require added emphasis on long-tail keywords. FAQ web pages are ideal for long-tail keywords as well as questions that are similar to real-life queries due to their conversational tone. Furthermore, you can optimize your voice search content through claiming a listing on Google My Business which can make it much easier to share useful information over voice search.

Emphasis on Original Content

Original content will continue its upward trend and will be extremely important in 2018. According to a 2016 Content Marketing Staffing and Tactics report by Curata, 75 percent of content marketers are putting in more investments in marketing technology. The most recent Content Marketing Institute (CMI) annual report highlights that 91 percent of B2B respondents are now using content marketing.

Inbound content marketing is the foundation for all types of marketing. It will be a key part of your marketing strategies in 2018. Each piece of content should strive to attract your target audiences at every phase of the buyer’s journey. Creating engaging and original content for buyers in the “awareness,” “consideration,” and “decision-stage” can enable you to diversify your audiences. It can build your brand’s reputation and promote it effectively.

The Value of Analytics

Content marketers are increasingly using analytics to help them arrive at data-driven decisions. Ensure that you use an analytical approach in 2018 to develop, document, or alter your content marketing strategy. Detailed research along with marketing analytics tools can help you understand your target audiences better. It can offer you insights into their interests and influencers as well as the type of content that they prefer. Garnering this information can assist you in zeroing in on the advantageous objectives such as increasing your social following or organic traffic to your site.

Multi Content Marketing

Various marketing tactics must be a part of a successful marketing strategy. As per a B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends North America 2018 study, B2B marketers incorporate 6 diverse tactics for content marketing on the average. These popular tactics are case studies, social media posts, eBooks, pre-produced videos, illustrations or photos, and infographics.

Engage proactively in various platforms to drive more organic traffic. Ce

rtain experiences can be customized for the medium such as videos for Facebook and illustrations or infographics for email marketing campaigns. However, you should try to maintain consistency across various platforms in terms of language, graphical components, design, tone, and messaging. Developing innovative content and meticulously curated pieces will enable you to create a wider scope for your inbound content marketing initiatives in 2018 and beyond.

About the Author:

Naren Arulrajah is President and CEO of Ekwa Marketing, a complete internet marketing company that focuses on SEO, social media, marketing education, and the online reputations of dentists. With a team of 180+ full time marketers, www.ekwa.com helps dentists who know where they want to go, get there by dominating their market and growing their business significantly year after year. If you have questions about marketing your practice online, call 855-598-3320 to speak one-on-one with Naren.

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