The Future Of Digital Content: 2016 Predictions

My regular readers know that I always have one eye firmly fixed on the technology horizon! I always love to know what’s coming next in the tech and digital world. Lately, I’ve been thinking about the future of content. What are the next big trends in blogging, publishing, and videos?
The thing is, there’s more content than ever. Many marketing geniuses have said that we have reached a saturation point.  There are two million blogs posted every single day!

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 There’s no way we can read it all. So, publishers are going to have to get creative to stand out. Here are some of things I think are going to happen in the not-too-distant-future.

Online magazines

Online content has quickly become about quantity over quality. Posting and publishing hard and fast has become the status quo. I think people will start to appreciate longer form content that it beautifully presented. We might even move back towards the magazine format. You can now create online magazines that flip through the pages. See for yourself at http://www.instantflipbook.com. It’s a great way for bloggers and online publishers to stand out.

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Interactive content

With over 2 million blogs published every day, publishers are starting to think outside the box. They need something that draws readers in, and captures their attention. Some of the biggest media sites are creating epic content that you interact with. Complete with moving images and buttons to click on, we’ll soon be swiping and playing with content. Huge sites like The Guardian are starting to try this out with interactive maps and stories.

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Social media integration

At the moment, we write our blogs, and then post links to them on Facebook and Twitter. But, what if you could publish your blogs within Facebook. Then, your readers wouldn’t have to click and wait for it to load. Facebook has just introduced ‘Instant Articles’ which lets you do exactly that. It creates a better user experience, and you can publish blogs much faster. Find out more about this at https://instantarticles.fb.com.

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Native advertising and sponsored content

Let’s face it, we’re all quite annoyed with adverts, especially pop-ups! But, blogs and media sites still need to make money somehow. One thing we’re seeing more and more is native advertising and sponsored content. This is when websites partner up with brands to produce content based on it. For example, you might write a travel article in partnership with an airline company. It’s a little less intrusive, and feels more natural. The New York Times and Buzzfeed are doing lots of this.

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Immersive video and virtual reality

YouTube is a phenomenal force in publishing content. 300 hours of video are posted every minute! But, we’re about to see new video forms take over. Some companies are experimenting with 360 degree videos. They’re using drones to stream live video. And tech-lovers will know that Facebook’s virtual reality headset, Oculus Rift, is launching next year. Expect video makers to start incorporating virtual reality into their content!

Exciting stuff, I’m sure you’ll agree! Do you have any predictions you’d like to share with me?

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Exciting stuff, I’m sure you’ll agree!

​ Do you have any predictions you’d like to share with me?

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YouTube.com/SashaHorne