So, once again, it’s been a while. Time just seems to fly by in a whirl of words, slogans and body copy. As 2019 is well and truly with us, I thought I’d take a belated look at some of the copywriting trends that will be shaping the year ahead.
Most people agree that copywriting adds value, drives engagement and increases authenticity. But what changes are taking place? How can copywriting adapt itself?
Let’s find out!
1. Social media
Given that social media continue to attract record audiences, it’s more important than ever to make sure your copywriting is spot on and fully adapted to each platform.
Facebook: be concise, remember that less text places greater focus on visual content – posts with images generate 2.3X more engagement (Hubspot).
Twitter: hashtags are still a great way to indicate what your message is all about. But, stick to just 1 or 2 – you’ll get as much as 21% higher engagement(Hubspot) than with 3 or more.
LinkedIn: 29% of all online adults use this platform making it a great place to re-post and link back to your blog content. Where else can you find such a wide audience?
Instagram: although the primary focus is your visual content, it can be helpful to provide a little context letting users know what they’re viewing.
2. Videos
Video marketing – including Vlogs, video interviews, tutorials, demos and ads – is going from strength to strength with almost 50% of web users looking for a video before visiting a store, according to Google.
How can you create a compelling script? Think concise (short videos generate more engagement than longer ones),conversational and adapted to your target audience. Remember to script every single word and not just the main points.
Video by Market Inspector
3. Artificial Intelligence
What impact is the growing importance of AI having on copywriting? It’s early days yet and machines can’t (yet) create high-quality copy on their own. But the possibilities are endless, especially for companies that need personalised copy on a large scale.
James Gill, head of content marketing at Further, suggests that “AI could start to help copywriters with things like analyzing market data and audience insights to suggest everything from photography guidelines to the tone of voice, to aspects of design.”
On the other hand, Preeti Adhikary, VP marketing at Fusemachines, predicts that AI-enabled content marketing will be “more hyper-tailored, real-time and data-driven.”
More info:
https://www.cmswire.com/digital-marketing/how-ai-is-transforming-copywriting/
4. Voice Search
It is estimated that by 2020 voice will account for 50% of all search queries online, up from 20% in 2016!
What does this mean for copywriting?
Above all, that your copywriting should read like natural speech. This is especially important as consumers articulate their queries in full sentences rather than as a group of keywords.
More info:
5. Storytelling
Never fear, there’s still plenty space for good old storytelling. Customers continue to engage with great stories and value authenticity.
This means focusing on being:
- Real
- Relatable
- Relevant
Why not open with an intriguing question or thought-provoking statement?
Moving forwards in 2019 and beyond
In 2019, copywriting will continue to evolve to adapt to new media, platforms and requirements with video, social media and search leading the way.
Over the next few months, I’ll be looking at some of these copywriting trends in more detail, so watch this space!
Reactions? Suggestions? Comments? I’d love to hear from you.
