Every marketing professional wants an edge, a leg up over their competitors, and a way to garner even more traffic, clicks, and ultimately, some sort of action or conversion in business, ministry, or on a personal, intellectual or emotional level! Of course, the best way to get that competitive edge is to stay abreast of the latest trends in an ever changing market. Forbes recently published seven new trends that are going to be occurring in 2016 in the digital content and marketing arena. Here’s our roundup of the most helpful ones, and why they matter:

-Get visual: Statistics from the Pew Research Center show that consumers and readers are seeking more and more visual content, particularly video mediums. One example of this is social media platform Periscope, which users and brands are utilizing by posting live feeds and snippets showing products and tips. Faith-based brands can utilize this important platform by showcasing new products, featuring guest speakers, and amassing a targeted audience who regularly tune into their broadcasts. Additionally, Periscope links can be posted to other platforms to generate more followers.  Our social media team is very excited to see Periscope finding traction.

-Competition is getting stronger. With the rise of new research and algorithms, your competition will have the same access you have. To keep a competitive edge, your content will have to be stronger and more organic than everyone else’s to even approach a dent in the social media realm. For faith-based marketers, this means items like exclusive podcasts and guest bloggers and articles will perform best, and should be where attention is centered.

-Aggregated content can work for, or against, you: Sites like Buzzfeed and Twitter Lightning are relatively new forays into the flash-news arena. They aggregate content about events or people into one post or forum where readers can find all the info as it happens. Although this can be threatening to news outlets, it can be a great way to generate new places for your items to appear. If your readers and audience have access to your strong, unique content, they will have the opportunity to post that content to aggregated articles or sites, thus increasing your reach.

As always, FrontGate is leading the faith-based market with strategic content and effective advertising opportunities, social marketing, and public relations. We would love to help your brand, ministry or company with your next project. You can reach us at 949-429-1000, or through our web site.