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Content marketing is always changing, and if you’re not prepared for what’s coming next, you’re going to get left behind.
Over the last several years, content marketing has slipped into a steady status quo. There have been a handful of major changes—such as increased prioritization of mobile-friendly content and the rise of video content and streaming—but there haven’t been any major disruptions. Now, as we begin a new year and the emergence or solidification of multiple futuristic technologies, it seems that content marketing as we know it may be transformed.
Wearable technology, specifically, has the power to reshape how we think about content marketing; even though in many cases, wearables are just smaller, more compact versions of mobile devices, there are some critical differences that content marketers need to account for—and they aren’t present in many modern-day tactics.
Examples of Wearable Technology
First, let’s take a look at some of the types of wearable technology we could see emerge in the next few years:
- Smartwatches. Smartwatches are a trend that has been struggling to take off. There are fits and spurts of activity with brands like the Apple Watch, but sales are currently dwindling. Still, first-generation technologies take some getting used to, so it’s entirely possible that we’re on the verge of a smartwatch revolution in the next few years.
- VR and AR. Virtual and augmented reality (VR and AR) made major strides in 2016, and could be poised to take over some new form of eye-based technology. Google Glass, a pair of augmented reality goggles, was a miserable failure just a few years ago, but hype for the new Snapchat Spectacles is fairly high. VR and AR will inevitably continue to develop, but it remains to be seen how much everyday hardware, like glasses or goggles, could be integrated with them.
- Home tech. Smart home tech is going to be huge in 2017, with Google Home and Amazon Echo taking the lead in “home base” style devices that interconnect entire residential worlds. These aren’t “wearable,” per say, but they share many of the same qualities as wearable devices—hands-free controls, instant accessibility, and so on.
- Future. Of course, there’s no telling what may be developed next. Future generations of wearable technology may exist as nanobots, or as portable integrations throughout cities. Until we see exactly how the wearable trend grows, it’s better to focus on the general qualities that wearable tech will have.
Limited Interfaces
First, we need to address the fact that wearable technologies, at least for the foreseeable future, will have limited interfaces. Smartwatch screens, for example, are much smaller than even the smallest mobile devices, and eyewear would have a limited range of vision and activity as well.
What would that mean for content marketing?
- Diminished returns on written content. There are millions of articles that have yet to be written, and for years, content marketers like myself have asserted that “traditional” content like this will never expire in relevance or availability. I stand by that claim; I don’t think the prototypical online article is going to be killed with the onset of wearables. However, returns on written content may start to weaken as more users struggle to deal with the tiny interfaces offered by wearables.
- Higher relevance for audio. Podcasts saw a major resurgence in popularity in 2016, due to a number of factors, and once wearables take off, audio content will become even more popular. You don’t need an interface to listen to streaming content, so there’s no limitation here.
- New types of interactivity. We’ll also see new kinds of interactivity develop, especially when it comes to AR and VR content. Imagine creating content that springs to life when a consumer is in a specific location, or when they encounter something in their natural lives, such as a pop-up weather forecast when the sky begins to turn dark. This is the most speculative change on this list, so I don’t have concrete predictions or recommendations—other than to be ready for whatever might come next.
Mobile Specificity
Most forms of wearable technology are designed to be hyper-mobile, allowing users to do whatever, whenever they’d like. This, too, will have some big impacts on content marketing as we know it today:
- Interactivity. I mentioned this already, but everything is going to become more interactive. Users will need content that’s immediately available to be access on-demand; for example, they’ll need to learn how to change a tire on the fly, or they’ll want help finding a specific product in a physical store.
- Hyper-local content. Super-mobile technology will also demand hyper-local content, such as content that changes based on your current location, and local optimization down to the street or block level (rather than focusing on a city or region). You may even have interactive maps of your physical location for your consumers to use when they visit you.
- Physical-digital blurs. The lines between physical and digital realities is inevitably going to blur, especially with the onset of AR and VR technology. New interfaces may allow users to consume content in a way that marries with the real world, and users may start demanding more innovative ways to engage with their material.
Should You Prepare Now?
The good news is, content marketing isn’t going anywhere. Though the strategy will inevitably evolve, it’s not going to disappear entirely. The tactics you’ve been using will continue to be effective, but perhaps less so, with bigger, better tactics to rise up in their place. Because the future of wearable technology is so uncertain, it’s inadvisable to overhaul your strategy now; instead, start brainstorming about how your strategy might change, and get ready for the evolutions to come.
