The pace of change in the marketing industry did not slow down in 2018. Last year we posted a blog that curated experts’ prediction for 2018 and many of them held true. Influencer marketing exploded. AI continued to insert itself into the industry through chatbots and more. Video marketing hit a new high. So looking into the crystal ball…where will the industry go in 2019? Will influencer marketing continue to climb? Will marketers put more efforts into content? Digital strategies? Social? And will social as we know it change?

We’ve gone ahead and sifted through the million “what will be trending” articles out there to give you a curated look at where the experts think content, digital and social are going next year.

“As marketers strive to engage with consumers and generate leads, many see higher-quality content as a way to provide value. Investing in content marketing and email are tactics that can enhance personalization, which consumers are growing to expect.” Read more: Study: 64% of marketers plan to boost digital budgets ‘marginally’ in 2019 (Marketing Dive)

“A recent analysis by BuzzSumo of over 100 million articles revealed that long-form content tends to get more social shares than short-form content. Moreover, the longer the content, the greater the likelihood it will be shared.” Read more: Six Content Marketing Trends For 2019 (Forbes)

“Gen Z adults were one of the first generations to grow up with high-tech technology available to them all through their lives. They had smartphones young, connected on social media, and never stopped. There is a connection between brand loyalty and their social media presence. They are 59 percent more likely to connect with companies they like on social media.” Read more: 3 Content Marketing Trends to Ring in the New Year (Business 2 Community)

“Hootsuite believes “the news feed may be slowly becoming a thing of the past.” Read more: 5 Social Media Trends Hootsuite Sees Taking Hold in 2019 (AdWeek)

“The current primary goals of social listening are customer service and reputation management, even though there are, of course, many others. While using social listening for these two causes is expected to become even bigger, the real trend of 2019 is going to be using social media listening for lead generation and social selling.” Read more: 5 Social Media Marketing Trends That Will Dominate 2019 (Social Media Today)

“In 2012, brands could expect, on average, approximately 16 percent of their fans would see their updates according to Hubspot. Today, that reach has plummeted. With the diminishing organic reach of business content, most companies will need to invest in sponsored posts, boosted posts and social media ads if they want to stay visible.” Read more: 5 Social Media Trends to Watch in 2019 (PR Daily)

“Traditional advertisements and stock photos aren’t #winning anymore with audiences. Thus, the demand for authenticity and transparency will continue to rise in 2019. Social media influencers will continue to bring an authentic flavor for brands who are looking to captivate their audiences in new and unhindered ways.” Read more: 2019 Influencer Marketing Trends (Business 2 Community)

Many of the experts touched on trends related to the importance of long-form content, the need for personalization, changes to influencer marketing and the dominance of video content. For a number of years, marketers have felt a need to create more and more and more content, churning out videos, blog posts and white papers to have foder for their social media accounts, and sometimes putting quantity over quality.

My prediction for 2019 is that marketers will slow down, think strategically about who their customers are and what they really need and ultimately create less, but more thoughtful and valuable content. In my opinion this would be a welcome and necessary shift for industry to make. Rather than worrying about “cutting through the clutter”, let’s make less clutter and more content that actually provides a benefit.

I also think that finding ways to use user-generated-content will help benefit brands in authenticity and creativity. User generated content helps customers engage with your brand and turning your customers into advocates can make your marketing messages more meaningful. From highlighting your brand values to showcasing product benefits, here are five powerful ways you can incorporate user generated content into your marketing strategy from MarketingProfs.

What strategies and tactics do you think will ultimately win out in 2019? What do marketers need to do better? And what tools are out there they aren’t using but should? Tell us in the comments!