What trends are shaping content marketing in 2023?

We live in an ever-expanding universe of content. Brands are creating more content than ever before, yet many are seeking clarity around its effectiveness.

It creates a gap for many PR professionals and marketers, who use content as the central vehicle for reaching their audiences. But how can we grasp what’s needed to make content work – today and beyond?

For tech brands specifically, the conflicting forces between innovation and the need for consistency in content, complicates the issue. There’s a need to stand out, capture attention, and do things differently. Yet, content must also be able to demonstrate value and connect with audiences at a regular cadence.

To make sense of it all, we’ve compiled and curated the first-ever Harvard Content Trends Playbook – to set-out a way forward for communicators to maximise their content efforts.

Let’s explore this further with our summary below…

Seven lessons on Content Marketing from our Content Trends Playbook

Inside the playbook, we take a deep dive into the different ‘content mediums’ used to reach audiences – the written word, audio, visual, and interactive content.

For each, we assess the trends shaping the latest formats, as well as audience consumption habits, with a view on best practice and traps to avoid. Harvard clients also share their first-hand experiences, stories, and insights. Click to find out more…

Tackling the tension between innovation and consistency through content strategy

No matter how you’re using content, a robust content strategy underpins long-term success.

Only with an aligned content strategy can content deliver on wider business objectives, while also giving a brand the space to balance innovation and consistency. Without it, content is rudderless and will fail to deliver the required return on investment.

The need for a content strategy has been further crystallised by Google’s ‘helpful content’ update – the rules governing how stories are surfaced by the search algorithm have been rewritten.

To even stand a chance of ranking, content must be original (not rewrites), written for humans by humans (and not by bots), with a focus on solving a problem or challenge for their audience.

To achieve this, we believe tech brands must ensure they address the right balance of science and art in their content – download your copy of the playbook to explore this idea further.

With 2023 on the horizon, it’s the perfect time to assess if content is delivering for you. Grappling with these nuances, striking the right balance in your approach, and creating a robust content strategy will give you a strong platform for growth.

Has our 2023 Content Trends Playbook has sparked any ideas? Let’s chat!