In 2018, a few marketing trends have taken over the digital landscape — from the continued relevance of social media to the rise of video marketing. In 2019, many of these trends are expected to continue, with a few more trends projected to gain firmer ground.
Marketers predict, for example, that voice search is going to be the preference of more consumers in 2019, given the popularity of Amazon’s Alexa and other smart speakers.
This makes audio content just as important as written content.
And with more people logging in to the Internet than watching television, there’s no better time for businesses to start gearing up for social media advertising and influencer marketing, beyond just traditional TV.
So, if you’re a copywriter, what does this mean for you? It means you need to brush up on new skills, in anticipation of these 2019 digital marketing trends.
Polishing up on the following copywriting competencies can help any prepare for the marketing landscape of 2019.
Social media writing skills
In recent years, more and more businesses have created Facebook pages and Instagram accounts. It appears that for 2019, social media as a marketing platform is only going to gain more steam. This is despite the Cambridge Analytica data scandal that has brought unethical personal data harvesting to the fore. In a prediction forwarded by keynote speaker and digital marketer Brian Carter in his article, Facebook will stay relevant in 2019, while Instagram will continue to lure in younger consumers. For copywriters, thus, having the ability to write catchy but informative social media posts will be a plus.
Video script writing competencies
Video marketing is also expected to rise in popularity in 2019. However, the challenge is to hook in the viewers before they even skip the video presentation or ad altogether. On top of creating excellent visuals, the writing — the story at its heart — has to be just as compelling. It pays for any copywriter to possess video script writing abilities, more than just writing for SEO. Sharp copywriting is vital not just in making audiences sit up and watch the video, but for them to listen and relate to the presentation as well.
Voice Search language skills
Voice search offers many conveniences than typed search, including hands-free querying, instant results, and relevancy. Gone are the days of unintelligible voice search answers to even the simplest questions. The popularity of voice search means that copywriters have to abide by certain parameters on context and key phrase use. With voice-enabled apps and devices, Searches are no longer typed but uttered as part of the conversation.
AI script writing
Smart speakers and chatbots are among the trends expected to dominate much of 2019 or beyond. Smart speakers, which are voice-controlled assistants that respond to any query, often come integrated with AI or an artificial intelligence system. Chatbots, on the other hand, are increasingly used in business websites to replace human customer representatives.
Despite or (more so) because of the use of AI, these programs will need human-like responses and an engaging script. This is where effective copywriting and AI scriptwriting can come in. Some of the crucial skills that you can adopt are conversational writing, customer research, and even adding snappy humor to your AI language.
Content marketing panache
While content marketing tactics come in various scopes and sizes, do they really convert to actual sales or customers? In 2019, there is a bigger expectation for companies on content marketing ROI. Businesses will want to measure the effectiveness of their content marketing strategies, making it crucial for copywriters to produce texts that actually convert.
Storytelling, Plain and Simple
While these are skills that copywriters can start working on for 2019, the demand for relevant content and an authentic voice is still as strong as ever.
This explains why influencers are almost everywhere: people tend to listen more to those who have used the product or availed of the service themselves.
Ultimately, what you can do as a copywriter in 2019 is to tell relevant stories, relate your content to businesses and consumers, and adopt an authentic voice that people will want to listen to.
Source : https://thecontentfair.com/2018/10/09/being-a-copywriter-in-2019-what-new-skills-should-you-learn-for-next-year/
