There are important opportunities to be more effective in our business communications in what we write and share online. In an era of online noise, social media ‘echo chambers’ and media overload, a huge challenge for any professional services providers is building those deeper, more meaningful connections with its prospective clients and prospects. By treating them as individuals, professional services providers can move beyond striving to simply meet their needs and wants towards anticipating and surpassing expectations.

• Traditional content marketing appears to be at a crossroads. Many audiences have become overloaded with repetitive content, ‘must read’ lists and click-bait headlines.

• The focus should now be on developing an authentic narrative using stories that truly resonate. This will help you stay competitive, reach and engage with your target audience; especially as online attention spans are becoming ever shorter and form more ‘real’, sustainable relationships with customers as opposed to managing transactions.

• The appeal of AI-created content may well be thought of as a great help, but it is increasing the efficiency of content creation whilst, at the same time, decreasing the value of it as a means of communication.

• There is a growing feeling of a disconnect in terms of quantity versus quality. Could a consequence of this see a swing back towards genuine human interaction? A sales training expert recently explained that a handwritten letter sent to some prospective customers followed by a phone call had a remarkably high success rate.

• Whilst not everybody wants long-form content, many of us will likely be interested in thought leadership and content grounded in original research, data and insights from industry surveys. This type of content could be presented as a case study prepared from in-house data that may lead to new insights and perspectives.

• There is a need to keep providing a high-quality volume of what is called ‘Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness’ (EEAT) content. It has been reported that Google has updated its EEAT ‘Search Quality Rater’ guidelines and re-emphasised the value of human expertise and experience in content marketing – something AI cannot replace.

• Personalised content aims to make customers feel valued and listened to, and to reflect their preferences and previous interactions in order to build greater loyalty and a sense of connection. However, personalised marketing only works if the content resonates on a personal level.