And just like that, another year has come and gone. We’re just four weeks away from the end of 2023. But before we say goodbye with horns and flutes in hand, let’s look back on our year.
It’s been an exciting (and head-spinning) time in business. ChatGPT and other AI (artificial intelligence) tools caused quite a stir, splitting users into pro- vs anti-AI camps. Then, there was the rise of Threads and major changes to famous social platforms like Twitter and Instagram.
We’ll be revisiting all of that and more in this blog post. Ready to take a short trip down content and copy memory lane? Grab your cup, take a seat, and let’s get to it!
Robot copywriter ChatGPT shakes up marketing
First up is AI — specifically, ChatGPT. We couldn’t do a post on the highlights of 2023 without talking about the “rise of the robots”!
ChatGPT and other AI tools have changed the way we do business. We previously talked about how helpful AI can be for DIY-ing your copy and content. It’s a great tool for getting past writer’s block or doing general edits on your work.
Yes, ChatGPT can help make life easier for businesses churning out a lot of content every week, but there are also a few downsides. For one thing, AI writing can be very obvious, with 🚀 emojis and words like “launch” and “leverage” everywhere on social. AI also can’t help you understand why a content strategy will (or won’t) work for your business.
But our predictions about the impact of AI remain the same – AI can’t replace human experts. Sure, it can help with strategy and brainstorming some aspects of the process, but fresh, innovative, and on-brand writing needs the human touch.
More platforms, more content: Meta launches Twitter rival, Threads
Twitter has an official rival. When Threads launched in July, it attracted over 100 million users within a week (🤯). With the recent Twitter changes (more on that later), the social media fans of the short-form text platform were more than ready for a new place to connect.
On the plus side, many considered Threads a refreshing place to show up and just “be themselves.” The downside was that many users were presenting an image that didn’t align with their brands.
So, where are we now? Well, you tell us! When’s the last time you posted on or even opened Threads?
Since Threads has launched, the number of daily active users and time spent by users have significantly decreased. Threads went from 2.3 million daily active users within a week after launching to about half a million in August, and time spent on the app dropped 85% in the same time period.
So what does this mean? Basically, the Threads hype has died down, and now we’ll see whether it has real staying power. We won’t tell you to give up on Threads — it’s more of a “wait and see” situation.
And if you do have a profile (or plan to have one), for the love of all that is good, please remember to at least stay on-brand.
Changes to Twitter and Instagram drive content trends
Fun fact about the Threads launch: It happened earlier than planned so Meta could capitalize on the news of X (the app formerly known as Twitter). Long-time Twitter users have been getting increasingly frustrated with Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, since he took over the social media app in 2022.
Under Musk’s leadership, Twitter has been downsized, requiring a smaller team to maintain the app. The consequences were challenging — users experienced a rise in hate speech, reliability issues, rushed launches and releases… and the unexpected rebrand to X.
So when Musk announced his plan to limit the number of tweets users can read, Meta jumped on the opportunity to push up the launch date for Threads. Users with Instagram accounts could now access Threads, and many former Twitter users jumped ship to get on the Meta bandwagon.
Of course, Meta platforms aren’t without their issues. When it comes to IG, let’s say it has been a rollercoaster ride. For a while, Instagram made it so all video posts were only Reels (blame that one on TikTok). Soon, Reels and Stories were the main way to get traction on the platform. For now, however, IG has reverted to also including carousels and regular posts in the mix.
So, how can you adapt your content plan to deal with constantly changing social media trends? Our advice for Threads, IG, and social platforms in general is to diversify, diversify, diversify! Create a sustainable content plan that includes repurposing your hard-won content in various forms on multiple platforms.
Content marketing tools are on the rise
Video has become increasingly important in reaching new audiences, thanks to the continued rise of short-form videos on platforms like TikTok and the push for IG Reels and YouTube Shorts. And more business owners are taking notice.
But, while app users clearly enjoy short-form content (*raises hand*), long-form video isn’t going away. Businesses that don’t want to be chained to the whims of the algorithm will benefit from using both short- and long-form content in their strategies.
Audio isn’t going anywhere either. Podcast marketing continues to be a big hit with businesses. Why? Because podcasting is an effective way to reach more customers.
Over 64% of consumers listen to podcasts, and many of those listeners have reported that they pay more attention to ads on podcasts than on other platforms. If you’re considering adding a lucrative podcast marketing strategy to your plans, check out our latest post on effective content marketing through podcasting.
AI tools have been increasingly used since the ChatGPT launch. (Yes, “increasingly” — Grammarly and Hemingway were incorporating AI before it was cool.) Over 100 million people were using ChatGPT within the month of its launch, which included many business owners and marketing experts. The market has become flooded with not just AI content, but AI courses, webinars, templates, and more. Whether we like it or not, one thing’s for sure – AI is here to stay.
Copy and content marketing planning for 2024
This has been a mind-blowing year in marketing. Between AI launches, new social media platforms, ever-changing algorithms, and mercurial CEOs, staying on top of your content marketing A-game can take tons of work. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
At Uncanny Content, we believe in taking charge of your copy and content marketing. That’s why we keep a pulse on the market, paying attention to what’s working and using that information to create strategies that drive more conversions for our clients.
When you work with our team, you won’t have to worry about what the algorithm will do next. You won’t be stuck with the stiff, predictable writing and outdated strategies you get with AI. Instead, you’ll get killer strategy and kickass content to continue bringing customers to your digital doorstep.
On that note, consider this your heads up that we’ll be booking more strategy intensives in 2024. Find out more about how our Strategy Intensives work and how they can help you get your best quarter yet in the new year.
