The start of a new year is always exciting. Each year, there are new technologies and trends that influence marketing and content strategies. Businesses often start the year with a fresh look at goals and start long-term planning (with a new budget). As your team discusses your 2024 content, dedicate time to review your 2023 analytics and areas for improvement.
It’s difficult to predict how consumers will respond to your strategy. Throughout the year, you may have found that certain campaigns did not go as well as you hoped. Factors like the economy, world events, and time of year play a role in engagement levels, but it could also be a weakness in your approach. Analyzing the efforts that did well and goals you didn’t reach will help you recenter your team and make a better plan for the new year.
Content strategy is constantly evolving, so there’s always an opportunity for change if your current methods aren’t working. It’s important to stay on top of new techniques and solutions to give your brand the best chance of succeeding. The following tactics will open the door for growth as you determine your content plans for 2024:
1. Partner With an Agency
If your team feels stuck and needs some inspiration, outside assistance could be your answer. Partnering with a marketing agency will help you expand outside of your bandwidth. With full-scale creative teams at your disposal, you will have access to top-tier creatives in the development of your campaigns. From research to deployment, industry experts will see that your brand excels in every step, making agencies a great resource for any business.
In addition, marketing agencies like Hawke assist with brainstorming and enhance overall marketing performance. Even if your company has its own creative team, your approach may still need fine-tuning. Agencies will analyze your strategy and provide feedback so you can pick up the speed and better grow your business. These experts will provide a fresh set of eyes on your process and marketing efforts, providing new perspectives to learn from.
2. Keep Content Relatable
Creating content that is relevant to your audience is key to engagement and growth. Consumers love a relatable brand, especially if it’s fun and has a sense of humor. Participate in trends that fit well with your brand and are relevant to your target audience. For example, it may make sense for a sports business to comment on Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s relationship, but it may not fit your brand. Keeping a pulse on current social media trends will allow you to discover fun and appropriate topics to tap into.
Not only should you keep it relevant, but you should also be mindful of authenticity. Audiences can tell when companies are pushing sales in contrast to creating content that fits naturally with their mission. Sustainability, for example, is a topic that many people are supporting and passionate about. Sharing how your business keeps efforts sustainable can contribute to a positive brand image, especially if it aligns with your business’s values. However, if your practices aren’t actually sustainable, creating content about it could hurt your reputation.
3. Encourage User Generated Content
Social media is continuing to grow, particularly with short-form video content. With Tiktok’s new marketplace, brands have additional ways to leverage content creators and create revenue online. Encourage your followers to share videos about their favorite products. Creating a campaign or contest will give an incentive for participating. Once you’ve gathered submissions, re-share the best content on social or through a feed on your website.
After running a campaign, you want to continue enthusiasm for the user-generated content. Stay active in the online conversations about your brand by commenting and reposting. Send promotional packages to your biggest fans to inspire them to make additional content. Consumers passionate about the brand will be excited to get the attention. If you have the budget, investing in an influencer partnership can boost your presence on social media as well.
4. Use Artificial Intelligence
AI has continued to grow in popularity and will likely continue to do so in 2024. From automation to image creation, artificial intelligence has made a mark on recent strategies. While there is still value in creating your content, it may be worth considering how AI may improve efficiency for your team. Some platforms, for example, will help you cultivate social posts from a blog or website. AI can also track brand mentions on social media and the web, making it useful for managing brand image.
While AI still has its quirks, it’s useful as a first step in your creative process. This tool can give a solid starting point for your content by providing initial research, wireframes, ideas, and inspiration. Systems like ChatGPT will respond to your prompts or questions and create content related to your brand-specific goals. For example, it can create a list of potential blog topics for certain target keywords. With the ability to adhere to your specific requests, AI is a powerful tool for any project.
Start the New Year Right
With a multitude of options for improving your content strategy, you are sure to find an approach that amplifies your results. Experimenting with new ideas can spark creativity and develop your brand in areas where it’s lacking. Embracing new challenges and changes to your approach will help you start 2024 on the right foot.
