With 2022 coming to an end and 2023 in full swing I thought it would be useful to evaluate major content marketing themes for the coming year. This article is my attempt to put into words my thoughts on where content marketing is going in 2023, and what my plans are regarding it. I’ve tried to make this apply to all the properties I own, so regardless of your niche I think all the below items are applicable. I’m not one for long-winded intros, so let’s jump right in.
Value Is Still The Name Of The Game
Nothing changed here, I’m still convinced the #1 thing every marketer needs to remember is that bringing value is of the utmost importance. You should create every piece of content to provide value to your audience. If you’re just plodding through to get that post a day done you’re going to have trouble growing.
I think this is only going to be more important this coming year and beyond. As the market gets more and more saturated, bringing more value is going to be a key way to stand out. I’ve doubled down on this, and am looking for more types of content I can create to give away for free to outvalue my competition.
I’m also looking back at my content from the year and making sure it delivers on its promises. If it doesn’t, I either re-write or delete it. I want to make sure that when someone lands on my site or views my post they never feel like it was a waste of their time. This is key to growing your brand and building a community of followers.
Intent Is Key To Ranking
Google has only gotten smarter at determining what a page is trying to say, and I don’t expect that trend to change. Google has also stated that intent is what they’re looking for when they match a searcher with results, and I’m sure they’ll only get better at doing that.
Into 2023, I’m going to be re-evaluating my content making sure I’m answering the question for my search queries. For a given search query, an article should always succinctly and accurately answer the question. If it doesn’t, then there’s a good chance that competition is going to overtake it.
I’m also going to be on the lookout for competitors that aren’t properly matching their content with search intent. This is potentially a huge opportunity to answer a question better than someone else, and hopefully, steal their spot on the rankings.
AI or Not To AI?
AI has been a hot topic for a while now. Some claim it’s the end of copywriters and designers, while others will point to laughable mistakes it still makes. While I don’t think AI is going to be taking anyone’s job soon, I do think it’s a valuable tool when used correctly.
The problem with AI is that it’s great at regurgitating information but it lacks the ability to create truly novel ideas. This makes it great for some tasks, but less suited to others. The more creativity a task requires, the worse AI is going to be at it.
I believe the best use of AI is for simple, repeatable, but time-consuming tasks that don’t require much creativity. Doing basic keyword research, drafting outlines, and checking grammar are excellent use cases where AI is going to excel. On the flip side, I wouldn’t want AI to write a full article just yet.
It also has some interesting uses on the design side. I’ve had it spit out some pretty reasonable mockups, and it’s been a great way to generate inspiration quickly.
Make no mistake, AI is here to stay. Those that understand it are going to be significantly more productive, so I think it’s definitely worth learning. I’d still be cautious of putting too much stock into though; that human touch isn’t going away anytime soon.
Short Form Video
It’s no surprise, but I think short-form video is going to continue to be one of the top channels. That includes things like stories, shorts, and TikTok videos. I’m doubling down on short-form videos, and this is likely to be where I spend a lot of my time in the coming year. This is no different from last year where short-form video was ranked as one of the most consumed content types.
I’ve admittedly been slow to adopt TikTok, but have decided to take the plunge this year. Expect lots of shorter-form videos from me that match up with the themes in my articles. I’m very excited to see how much growth I can gain from this new content channel.
Long Form Video Still Has Its Place
That all said, I still think longer-form video isn’t going anywhere. There are a lot of topics and ideas where shorter videos won’t cut it. This is where longer videos are going to help dive in and get more in-depth.
I think this is also a great opportunity for those that have the means to really stand out. It’s much harder to put together a 20-minute video than a 20-second short, and that naturally means fewer people will do it. That leads to less competition and more room for growth.
Now, I don’t think everyone should be going that route, not all niches lend themselves to longer-form videos. For those that do though, I think it’s a great channel to consider that’s going to be easier to break into than other, more saturated types of content.
Expanding Revenue Streams
Lastly, a big part of my strategy for the coming year is expanding revenue streams. The majority of my income right now comes from display ads and affiliate links, and that leaves me in a brittle situation. If either of these streams begins to dry up I’ll take a large hit to my total revenue, and we can’t have that.
To help reduce some of that risk, a part of my strategy is to expand into additional streams of revenue. That’s currently looking like a mix of physical items, purchasable downloadables, and revenue from mobile apps. Adding these to my existing streams should hopefully both increase my gross for the year, while also reducing the risk of any one of them falling apart.
My goal is ultimately to insulate myself from the risk of a revenue stream drying up or shutting me off. It also gives me more opportunity to capture revenue from my visitors should they be interested in specific offerings but not others. In any case, I always think having a diversified income is always positive and is a huge component of reducing your long-term risk.
Wrapping Up
While there’s certainly more I’m doing at the micro-level, those are the big ideas I’m keeping in mind across my brands in 2023. Let me know if you’re keeping an eye on any of the above, and also if I missed any big trends that you’re keeping an eye on.