As we approach 2018, it's interesting to think about where we're headed in the coming year when it comes to marketing our businesses.

All business owners want to stay on top of their game by being prepared for what's ahead but in today's fast-changing world, what does that look like?

Below are some content marketing trends you'll want to prepare for when marketing your business in the coming year:

1 . Incorporate Social Media Graphics

Incorporate More Social Media Graphics, Infographics, Visuals and Videos. Since your followers are 80% more likely to read your content if you use coloured visuals, this area needs to be built up more across your social media channels.

The popularity of visual content will only increase, so you must be prepared. Using Facebook and Instagram live is still a hot commodity so be sure to dive into that opportunity too!

The key here is engaging content! (Is this even a trend, or just good practice)

2. Build a Team

Build a Team. 60% of marketers in one survey said content creation was their biggest challenge last year.

To overcome this obstacle, get a team of people to help make content development and publishing easy. This includes having a good writer and social media specialist.

For startups this can be very difficult, you’re strapped for cash of course, but there are a variety of means out there from hiring interns, getting more efficient with the team you have in order to allow for more of them to be involved in content creation.

(If you’d like to chat here, you could also use sites such as Textbroker, Fiverr and Upwork to virtually grow your team with paid content on demand)

3. Tap Into Influencers.

90% of consumers trust peer recommendations where only 33% trust ads.

Consumers have begun to tune out of traditional ads and increasingly tune into social networks to make their buying decisions. This is why connecting with influencers is increasingly important.

What is an influencer? Influencers are people with significant networks (followers, readers, etc.) who can speak about a broad range of products and services with the ability to sway opinions in their favour.

Identify influencers to reach out to in your industry. Follow them on social media and see where you can strike up a genuine conversation.

The key here isn’t to spam, it’s to connect with relevant people with more reach and exposure than you, and the value of your content should do the rest.

4. Drive Content Marketing Leads into a Funnel

High-value content is one thing, but if you don't build in a strategy that continues building rapport with prospects in the right way, you are leaving money on the table. Now, why would you want to do that?

Content Marketing is a highly effective way to segment your audience and send them targeted follow-ups and offers, instead of adding them to your main email list, split them up by what they’re interested in, what topics they come to you for, this not only personalises your follow up, it also makes simple business sense; give the people more of what they want!

Happy Marketing!