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85 PREDICTIONS ON CONTENT MARKETING IN 201985 PREDICTIONSON CONTENT MARKETING IN 2019
85 PREDICTIONS ON CONTENT MARKETING IN 20192019 will be the year that we stop complaining about GDPR and start thankingthe privacy gods for reinforcing the notion that our job as marketers is toearn someone’s attention (and ultimately their loyalty). It will reinforce qualityand creativity in content more than ever. That will mean several things: Greatwriters and editors will have new career opportunities (and higher paying ones, ifAndy Crestodina’s prediction is right!), and brands will take a closer look at theirpublishing schedules (cranking out a million mediocre pieces will only serve to hideyour brilliant content).STEPHANIE STAHL@EditorStahlGeneral ManagerContent Marketing Institute
85 PREDICTIONS ON CONTENT MARKETING IN 2019Email newsletters will re-emerge as an important nurturing vehicle.“Hold up,” you’re thinking. “EMAIL? Is this 1999. or is this 2019? Isn’t this the age of AI and Facebook Liveand video and insert BSO* here ?” (*bright shiny object).Here’s why I believe in the power of email newsletters even more strongly today, as we head into 2019:#1. An email newsletter is the only place where individuals – not algorithms – are in control. So what ifmarketing leaned into that inherently personal space?#2. Most companies today use their email newsletter as a distribution strategy. What if we focused not onthe news but on the letter?In January I relaunched my personal newsletter (annhandley.com/newsletter) as a way to talk directlyto my audience. It’s taught me a lot about what works and what doesn’t in content and in marketing.Because I think the best email newsletters are also a kind of proxy for the best marketing in 2019, period.ANN HANDLEY@annhandleyChief Content OfficerMarketingProfs
85 PREDICTIONS ON CONTENT MARKETING IN 2019The flurry of acquisitions on the content marketing and cloud side (to this point)will be joined in 2019 by brands actively buying small to mid-sized mediacompanies. Bezos buying the Post and Benioff buying Time means that non-mediabuying media is actually a thing. The only reason it hasn’t been done to this point isthat CFOs and M&A specialists at large enterprises haven’t been thinking about it.JOE PULIZZI@JoePulizziFounderCMI and Orange Effect Foundation
85 PREDICTIONS ON CONTENT MARKETING IN 2019To remain in the game, smaller companies will need to find ways to produce content at acheaper price. They don’t have budgets to compete with high-quality video campaignsand huge social media initiatives, and they cannot go for the trendy topics. But, if they focuson efficiency and evergreen content they will stand a chance. Here are some tested winningstrategies that I think will come in handy in 2019:#1: Publishing content that already exists – e.g., turning sales questions answered via emailcommunication into useful FAQs, or turning answers to technical support tickets into aknowledge base.#2: Using content created by your audience. Even b2b companies can use this strategy – the onlytrick is to manage to sync your goal with your clients’ goals. An example here is to ask clients torecord videos promoting their services while using your solution. A clear win-win situation.LESLIE CARRUTHERS@TheSearchGuruPresident and FounderThe Search Guru
85 PREDICTIONS ON CONTENT MARKETING IN 2019Your brand voice will be more important than ever. No, not the overall “brandvoice,” but the actual sound of your brand. Connected speakers, smartspeakers, interactive audio, podcasting, and more. We’ve been so focused on videoand images that many (if not all) brands are being caught flat-footed on the power ofvoice. Voice will be the main way that consumers navigate content and technology(typing will be relegated to just long-form writing. if that). So, create and distributeyour content in a voice-based format. Find your brand voice. Think Alexa, thinkGoogle Home, think Siri, watch Apple (HomePod), and don’t dismiss Samsung either.Voice is (and will be) the new SEO. It’s a land-grab. it’s happening. Figure it out.MITCH JOEL@mitchjoelFounderSix Pixels Group
85 PREDICTIONS ON CONTENT MARKETING IN 2019More brands will begin to experiment with audio-based content such aspodcasts, audiobooks, and content made for voice-first devices such asAmazon Echo and Google Home.COURTNEY COX WAKEFIELD@courtewakefieldDigital MarketingChildren’s Health
85 PREDICTIONS ON CONTENT MARKETING IN 2019In 2019, immersive storytelling and location-based experiences will drawcustomers to brands like never before. As people crave the experiential, thebrands that understand how to deliver them narratively will see explosiveengagement.JOHN BUCHER@johnkbucherMythologist/Narrative StrategistTelling A Better Story
85 PREDICTIONS ON CONTENT MARKETING IN 2019Ithink a growing number of businesses will stop thinking about content marketingas a separate discipline and instead realize that all good marketing involvescontent marketing. You can’t have good demand generation, or good PR, or goodproduct marketing without a commitment to meeting your audience’s needs withvaluable and interesting content – the essence of content marketing. Successfulcompanies and marketing teams will increasingly blur the lines between thesedisciplines and learn to leverage best practices in content marketing and audienceengagement in every customer- and buyer-facing interaction.ALLISON WERT@allisonwertContent Marketing ManagerFrontline Education
85 PREDICTIONS ON CONTENT MARKETING IN 2019Isee three primary trends in 2019 – all of which assume no broader, major distractions fromeconomies, security, etc. The first is the continued meteoric rise (or buzz if you prefer) ofartificial intelligence within the content tech stack. There will be a distinct need for marketers– and content practitioners specifically – to begin to understand where AI actually fits in thebusiness. The second will be the need for scale of content operations. Businesses will finally takecontent seriously enough to invest in strategic operations. And, third, is the continued rise of theimportance of content marketing and first-party data in the new era of GDPR and other privacylaws and regulations that are coming online elsewhere in the world. All in all, content (andspecifically building audiences) continues to be an extraordinarily important part of the newmarketer’s mix.ROBERT ROSE@Robert RoseChief Strategy AdvisorContent Marketing Institute
85 PREDICTIONS ON CONTENT MARKETING IN 2019While social platforms ‘clean up the online swamp,’ brand marketerswill shift back to ‘owning’ their digital channels and platforms. Thismeans interactive content experiences will take the main stage, as it allowsmarketers to own the brand experience and capture declared customer(precious!) data, while delivering personalized and customized customerexperiences. Who wouldn’t want more of that?CORINNE SCHMID@itzCorinneHead of Product MarketingScribbleLive
85 PREDICTIONS ON CONTENT MARKETING IN 2019The key to increased ROI will be how well companies can leverage contentacross departments. Finding ways to utilize content marketing assets inrecruiting, sales, investor communications, and other areas of the companywill be a surefire way to maximize that value of the content you create.JOHN HALL@johnhallCo-FounderCalendar.com
85 PREDICTIONS ON CONTENT MARKETING IN 2019There is power in representation. Diversity will be key in 2019. Focusingon inclusivity in our storytelling will open up new conversations that canmake a lasting impact on our brands, as well as on our audiences. Now is thetime for marketers to advocate for diverse voices to be heard – not just seenin stock photos. We must start thinking about ways to better represent race,gender, LGBTQ, disabilities, and more.MONINA WAGNER@MoninaWSocial Media Community ManagerContent Marketing Institute
85 PREDICTIONS ON CONTENT MARKETING IN 2019Email and owned platforms will see a resurgence, as social mediaplatforms continue to deliver declining and even questionable results.Time-saving activities such as curation will also be seen as valuable.SCOTT MONTY@scottmontyPrincipalScott Monty Strategies
85 PREDICTIONS ON CONTENT MARKETING IN 2019Creation will decrease, distribution will increase. We’ve answered our customers’questions on our blog, we’ve churned out post after post because we’re adhering to thecadence we agreed to when we documented our content marketing strategy, so now what?In 2019, I predict these strategies will have a little shakeup and that publishing will decreaseto a manageable consistency where there’s actually something relevant and valuable tosay. On the flip side, new, exciting and experiential distribution methods will emerge. Justbecause we’ve seen the content over and over, doesn’t mean we’ve gotten it in the hands ofour current and potential customers when and where they need it. We need to think abouthow we can refocus on the needs of our customers and think about how we can improvetheir experiences and their engagement with us through our content, and also through thetechnology necessary to help us share our message.CATHY MCPHILLIPS@cmcphillipsVP of MarketingContent Marketing Institute
85 PREDICTIONS ON CONTENT MARKETING IN 2019Next year will be when culture becomes the catalyst for contentmarketing success. Leaders will grasp that the world’s best tools,tips, and talent will never fully flourish without a culture of trust,empathy, and empowerment. It’s time for leaders to invest in theirpeople over technology and tactics.LUKE KINTIGH@lukekintighHead of Publishing, Intel iQIntel
85 PREDICTIONS ON CONTENT MARKETING IN 2019Content will continue to play a critical role in driving conversions. Foroutbound communications, it’s about delivering a seamless customerexperience through personalization and customization. Segmentation of yourcustomers will also be key. For internal collaboration, we will need to expandcontent marketing to the sales side, understand sales’ requirements, andremember that a piece of content can be repurposed or repackaged to meetmultiple teams’ needs. Content editorial planning will be aligned to serveboth sales and marketing.PAM DIDNER@pamdidnerSpeaker, Author of Effective Sales EnablementRelentless Pursuit
85 PREDICTIONS ON CONTENT MARKETING IN 2019Brands will continue to find value in podcasting – look at the examples in2018 from Trader Joe’s (Inside Trader Joe’s), eBay (Selling on eBay), andJohn Deere (On Life and Land) – to connect with their core customers. Weare not talking about infomercials or content that’s way off-brand. But rathertargeted content that offers valuable information on a market or insight intothat brand that is of benefit for the customer. And, more importantly, thecontent will actually be created by the brand in-house, using internal expertsthat know both the market and the brand intimately.ROB WALCH@podcast411VP Podcaster RelationsLibsyn
85 PREDICTIONS ON CONTENT MARKETING IN 2019Who would have thought that a conference with the playful theme GameOn! would yield so many discussions about the bigger purpose behindthe content we create and even the work our organizations do? Yet thatemerged as a clear through-line at Content Marketing World. I think contentmarketers are ready to spend 2019 connecting with their audiences not asconsumers or users or prospects or even customers, but as real live peoplewho share certain jobs to be done, sure, but also hopes, dreams,and aspirations.KIM MOUTSOS@KMoutsosVP of EditorialContent Marketing Institute
85 PREDICTIONS ON CONTENT MARKETING IN 2019Ithink the solutions offered by the adoption of artificial intelligence will startmaking headway in 2019, but in addition, I think that brand marketers willalso see some of the shortcomings that AI will still need to work out. AI willoffer some exciting solutions across the board, but the need for the humanelement (experiences and emotions) will still be in demand for successfulstrategies that implement AI.JK KALINOWSKI@jkkalinowskiCreative DirectorContent Marketing Institute
85 PREDICTIONS ON CONTENT MARKETING IN 2019The future of content marketing holds: More visuals – VR/AR, videos, images, infographics. Seeing is believing.More audio – podcasts, voice search. Thinking out loud.More brains – personalization, big data, AI, analytics. Smarter use of tools.More heart – marketers with empathy who teach, answer questions, andanticipate needs. Showing human compassion.GEORGE STENITZER@GeorgeStenitzerFounder and Chief Content OfficerCrystal Clear Communications
85 PREDICTIONS ON CONTENT MARKETING IN 2019While it’s already heading that way, it’s going to be all about brandedvideo content. I think we will see a lot of brands starting to developtheir own episodic series like how-tos, educational, behind-the-scenes, andmuch more. Digital channels like Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and ofcourse YouTube have placed the power of content creation in the hands ofusers, which includes brands. Brands are going to really find new ways to pushtheir message in a more thoughtful, editorial way.DEVIKA RAO@devika vraoPresidentO’Neill Communications
85 PREDICTIONS ON CONTENT MARKETING IN 2019There are two major trends in the content marketing industry I think everyone willbe talking about. The first is AI. We will begin to realize the opportunity of an AIdriven content marketing strategy. If 60-70% of the content we create goes unused, AIwill begin to force us to reconsider what we create and why.Second is employee activation. AI will tell us what to create, but our best storytellersare our existing employees from across the business. Every company needs a strategyto activate these employees – as both creators and as the most effective distributionchannel we have to share that content.This is the paradox of AI. The more the robots tell us what to do, the more we will needour internal experts to create and share that content.MICHAEL BRENNER@BrennerMichaelCEO - Marketing Insider Group;Speaker, Author, CMO - Concured
85 PREDICTIONS ON CONTENT MARKETING IN 2019Smart marketers will double down on paid and influencer programsto effectively distribute content. PLEASE STOP CREATING CONTENTJUST FOR CONTENT’S SAKE. If you don’t have a powerful plan fordistribution, you shouldn’t be creating it.MARK BOOTHE@markbootheHead of Social, Adobe Experience CloudAdobe
85 PREDICTIONS ON CONTENT MARKETING IN 2019Brand marketers will be completely replaced by an AI algorithm thatwill generate four blog posts, two infographics, a white paper, anda weekly podcast that starts with, “Hey guys.I’m soooo excited for thisweek’s episode.”RON TITE@rontiteCEOChurch State
85 PREDICTIONS ON CONTENT MARKETING IN 20192019 will, unfortunately, mark the return of intrusive marketing. Adecade ago we witnessed the demise of “interruptive marketing” (i.e.,advertising). If we created great content, they invited us in to their lives. Cue2019: With a spike in competition for attention (everyone’s creating content)marketers are finding novel ways to intrude. Uninvited IMs on Facebook. Inapp notifications. Chatbots that yell out self-interested messages. All thisis painfully short-sighted, of course. they will tune us out again using adblocking and other attention-protecting mechanisms.CLARE MCDERMOTT@clare mcdHead of ResearchMantis Research
85 PREDICTIONS ON CONTENT MARKETING IN 2019Ithink 2019 will be a year of contrasts. We’ll see some brands break out fromthe pack with new, original content that stands out. We’ll also see other (andnew) brands continue to struggle with mediocre, me-too content. I think we’llsee the chasm between the two widen. In addition, taking a page from ThisOld Marketing, we’ll continue to see mergers like TrackMaven and Skywordto consolidate a crowded market. Finally, AI and VR will continue to be heavybuzzwords without much actual implementation for most marketers. Stillnovel enough to be attention-getting, but still not quite there yet for most ofus to implement.JEREMY BEDNARSKI@jeremybednarskiMarketing DirectorGoldstein Group Communications
85 PREDICTIONS ON CONTENT MARKETING IN 2019We’re starting to see more and more content marketers leverage originalresearch in their content, and I expect that trend to continue in2019. Seventy-four percent of U.S. adults think content that contains data ismore trustworthy than content without data. Including data in content willbecome a requirement for brands looking to build trust with their readers,convey authority and expertise in their categories, and convert prospects intocustomers.MORGAN MOLNAR@MorganMLehmannSr. Product Marketing ManagerSurveyMonkey
85 PREDICTIONS ON CONTENT MARKETING IN 20192019 will be the year of the specific stories. Content marketers cannotdifferentiate by using the same generic stories anymore. The way to standout is by being clear, specific, and relevant. It sounds like common sense, Iknow; but I still see a lot of content marketers who don’t follow this adviceyet. The stories are too similar and generic. Fingers crossed that it will changein 2019.CHRISTOPH TRAPPE@CtrappeChief Content Engagement DirectorStamats Business Media
85 PREDICTIONS ON CONTENT MARKETING IN 2019Is your people-media strategy as strong as your paid media strategy? Allindicators are pointing to a watershed year in 2019 for marketers, companies,and brands that have consistently prioritized and invested in community andaudience building the past 3-5 years. It’s never too late to begin!KELLY HUNGERFORD@kdhungerfordDigital Strategy & Marketing OperationsCommunityWorks
85 PREDICTIONS ON CONTENT MARKETING IN 2019Many content marketing thought leaders have been talking about thenecessity of quality content. Who can argue with that? But in 2019,content marketers will again realize the power of frequency (which has been anecessary approach since the dawn of advertising), especially when coupledwith useful, well-executed content. The most effective content marketers inthe future will adhere to the motto, “Quality content, often.”SEAN CALLAHAN@sean f callahanSenior Manager-Content MarketingLinkedIn
85 PREDICTIONS ON CONTENT MARKETING IN 2019There are nearly 2 billion websites online today; more than 440 million blogsexist on Tumblr alone; over 400 hours of video is uploaded to YouTube everyminute; and practically every human on the planet (plus their dogs) is churningout a steady stream of social media content. Simply showing up and shoutingyour brand’s stories from all its digital rooftops just won’t cut it anymore. In 2019,businesses will start to wise up to the growing challenge of building an engagedaudience and will compensate by experimenting with more immersive, participative,and personalized content experiences – ones that bridge the gaps that still existbetween consumers’ physical and virtual worlds and give them uniquely compellingreasons to spend their time (and their dollars) with your business.JODI HARRIS@JoderamaConsulting Director of Editorial Content & CurationContent Marketing Institute
85 PREDICTIONS ON CONTENT MARKETING IN 2019In 2019 brands must approach content marketing with a documentedstrategic approach. That requires defining your vision of what successlooks like, then working towards it by aligning the effort with your brandobjectives.JUNTAE DELANE@JuntaeDeLaneFounder/CEODigital DeLane / Digital Branding Institute
85 PREDICTIONS ON CONTENT MARKETING IN 2019Now that we have a few years of good content marketing under our belts (companiesinvesting in content that adds value and connects with their customer base, not justmaking noise and waving arms), 2019 will be the year of reckoning for the ad industry. Whilecontent used to be a “nice to have” luxury, more and more brands are seeing this investmentpay off in measurable ways, making them question the effectiveness of their advertisingspend. While social media platforms are being taken to task for their fraudulent reporting,marketing departments are turning an eye towards content to be a TRUE, top-of-the-funnelROI channel and seeing that their investments are driving more qualified leads, deeperloyalty, and more organic traffic. Sure, the cost-per-impression may be higher; but the costper-engagement and cost-per-qualified lead are looking like the winners. Advertising willhave to share that marketing pie if it wants to remain effective.TARA HUNT@missrogueCEO PartnerTruly Social Inc.
85 PREDICTIONS ON CONTENT MARKETING IN 2019The KPI of relationship quality across customer journeys will rise abovesimple traffic. By centralizing a list of personas and journeys andcorrelating data across touchpoints, brands can be more client-centric andmeasure how engaged audiences behave vs. others. This will drive increasedrevenue, but, more vitally, it will allow for ROI measurement of content.NOZ URBINA@nozurbinaFounder & Content StrategistUrbina Consulting // OmnichannelX
85 PREDICTIONS ON CONTENT MARKETING IN 2019Content will be developed strategically, rather than willy-nilly (at least,that’s my hope). Also, automated content, largely fueled by AI, willbegin to be used by marketers and media companies for everything frompersonalization to real-time events and even news.REBECCA LIEB@lieblinkAnalyst & Co-FounderKaleido Insights
85 PREDICTIONS ON CONTENT MARKETING IN 2019Ipredict you’ll get a raise in 2019, dearest content marketer. But only if you’re doingstrategic work (planning, measurement) and only if you’re driving results. The jobmarket is strong, the Fed says we’re at “full employment” and content strategistsare in demand. If you can prove your worth by connecting content to ROI, you’ll seesome of that ROI in your 2019 paychecks.On the flip side, if you’re an employer, you can expect the HR component ofyour marketing costs to rise. But you’re probably used to this. Compensationfor marketers has been climbing the last few years, especially for your contentstrategist.ANDY CRESTODINA@CrestodinaCo-Founder/Chief Marketing OfficerOrbit Media Studios
85 PREDICTIONS ON CONTENT MARKETING IN 2019Ithink there will be conflicting forces at work. There is the desire of marketers to be able to target narrowly and personalize,which requires users to give up their personal data. On the other hand, while consumers want relevant and engagingcontent, they have a desire to protect their identity and privacy and limit their exposure to spam. Consumers will need greatertransparency about the usage and protection of their data from marketers. And while we want to gather data to continue ourrelationship with consumers, if we want higher engagement metrics, we may have to provide it ungated more often.While AI and AR and VR are exciting new technologies that allow marketers to be more relevant and more engaging creatively,there has to be trust on the part of consumers if the price of admission is personal data. That’s why we may see a sharp uptickin marketers using tactics such as micro-influencer marketing. These influencers enjoy something that many brands todaydon’t: trust.Because authenticity is key to building trust, I think we’ll see more marketers using real people’s experiences to tell thebrand’s story instead of actors. This means tapping brand subject matter experts and brand buyers will need to be willing toshare their experiences. We’ll need to be in the entertainment and production business more than ever if these stories aregoing to be told convincingly and compellingly. The talent to pull it off creatively thrives in agencies, which means there’sreally never been a more exciting time to be in this business.LINDA BREMKAMP@planningmaniacVP Strategic PlanningWyse
85 PREDICTIONS ON CONTENT MARKETING IN 2019Brands will increasingly look to influencers, not only as a means of contentdistribution but also as a source of product and service invention.Influencers almost never get the chance to create beyond their photo andvideo streams. Brands will bring influencers into the product developmentfold, giving them unique experiences that bake content into the process fromthe beginning.ADAM RITCHIE@aritchbrandPrincipalAdam Ritchie Brand Direction
85 PREDICTIONS ON CONTENT MARKETING IN 2019Chatbots and voice interfaces will continue to be a key way that weinteract with our customers. Content marketing professionals will findinnovative ways to use these technologies and other AI-based services thatare finding their way to the market.VAL SWISHER@valswisherCEOContent Rules, Inc.
85 PREDICTIONS ON CONTENT MARKETING IN 2019Better content. There. My prediction in two words.We publish so much content every minute that today’s good enough istomorrow’s noise. I’m eager to see which brands will have the courage to seekout the novel instead of the standard, the experimental instead of the safe,the surprising instead of the predictable.JONATHAN CROSSFIELD@KimotaChief Consulting EditorChief Content Officer magazine
85 PREDICTIONS ON CONTENT MARKETING IN 2019Ithink we’ll see more approachable and transparent uses of artificialintelligence in content creation and content technology. Helping to givemarketers context for how it’s used now will frame the use for new ideas.MAUREEN JANN@SuperDeluxeMoFounder Managing DirectorSuperDeluxe Marketing
85 PREDICTIONS ON CONTENT MARKETING IN 2019Our prediction last year has paid off – brands will be split between thosethat use content as a spam SEO filler and those that see the true merit inbuilding their brand by engaging consumers in all touchpoints. So, this year’sprediction follows that same vein: Brands will start to merge their contentbudget with their advertising budget to get more bang for their buck andfocus more on brand building and high-quality engagement activities that areconnected to their mainstream advertising campaigns, rather than fritter theirsmall budgets away on thousands of meaningless pixels and posts.MATT BATTEN@mattbattenExecutive Creative DirectorEdge
85 PREDICTIONS ON CONTENT MARKETING IN 2019Co-creation: I’d love to see it become the norm! Brands would no longerdream up products or solutions in a vacuum but would, instead, invitesocial communities to weigh in on how a product will best solve the needsin their own lives. Co-creation leads to buy-in and better, more authenticsolutions.JESSICA BEST@bestofjessDirector of Data-Driven MarketingBarkley
85 PREDICTIONS ON CONTENT MARKETING IN 2019Unfortunately, I predict the trend of short-form, disposable social contentwill continue to grow, and marketers will continue to label this approachcontent marketing. My hope is that 2019 will be the start of an ROI-focusedseason of content marketing, where teams will analyze their content withbusiness-generating metrics and select content types that are best for theaudience they are trying to build.JEFF JULIAN@jjulianCEO/Co-FounderEnterprise Marketer
85 PREDICTIONS ON CONTENT MARKETING IN 2019If content is king, distribution is queen. In 2019, content will become moreauthentic, personal, and interactive, with more widespread distributionvia video, social channels, web, email, etc., in addition to increased personaldistribution via employees and thought leaders. More is less, and the less willbe targeted and personal.BRITTA SCHELLENBERG@mizzbrittaVP Brand OperationsBrightcove
85 PREDICTIONS ON CONTENT MARKETING IN 2019GDPR’s (welcome) pressure to win permission to engage customers andleverage data will push content to two ends of the ‘subscribe-abilityspectrum’ comprised of content depth and utility, and audience intent levelsfor content consumption and product purchase. On one end, businesses willdouble down on interruptive advertising and branded click-bait (the ‘porn ofrelevance’). On the other, there will be increased subscribe-able informationservices generating first-party data and de facto opted-in engagementchannels having high topical affinity to the service. The middle of thisspectrum will erode.CARLOS ABLER@carlos ablerLeader of Content Marketing Strategy3M
85 PREDICTIONS ON CONTENT MARKETING IN 2019Ithink we’ll see a strong emphasis on story and storytelling in content. Thebrands that understand how to make *any* content feel like a story (even ifit isn’t one) will be the ones that gain an edge.TAMSEN WEBSTER@tamadearFounder and Chief Idea WhispererFind the Red Thread
85 PREDICTIONS ON CONTENT MARKETING IN 2019In an era defined by endless choice and commoditization, customer experience (CX) will quickly emerge in 2019as a key differentiator for retailers and brands. Audience and data are the foundation of a proper customerexperience; both will become critical and inseparable pieces of a common marketing chain.Audience: The lack of attention to the individual audience is still a common pain point; however, somecompanies are already starting to use data effectively in their marketing activities and are finally discovering – ina few cases consolidating – the relationship between data and customer needs.Data: This is a concept content marketers understand well because there is no way to properly understand ouraudience without data analysis. Which brings me to the second point: Enterprises will have to learn how to tiedata to insights to drive their audience-centric marketing strategy and, ultimately, their decision-making.To summarize: While I do not think that CX will overtake price and product as a key differentiator for brands, asstated on the often-cited statistic from business consultancy Walker, I strongly believe that organizations willredirect their investments into innovative CX ideas, with a focus on audience and data.GIUSEPPE CALTABIANO@giusecHead of Content Strategy for EMEA & APACContently
85 PREDICTIONS ON CONTENT MARKETING IN 2019In years past,
85 PREDCITIONS ON CONTENT MARKETING IN 2019 The flurry of acquisitions on the content marketing and cloud side (to this point) will be joined in 2019 by brands actively buying small to mid-sized media companies. Bezos buying the Post and Benioff buying Time means that non-media
