Spotting and reporting on an industry trend isn’t necessarily difficult.
When I was a CEA journalist, it was easy to write about the uptick of growers using AI, the most common crops grown in greenhouses, and the latest challenges vertical farmers are facing.
But explaining why these patterns exist and how growers can respond is the kicker. It’s also what puts B2B marketers in a unique position to make a real impact while providing actionable insights for their readers.
Why Covering Trends Isn’t Enough
On LinkedIn, trend posts are everywhere. They give the illusion of authority and being informed, but rarely go deeper than the headline.
Staying informed is important, absolutely. But as a content marketer, it’s not your job to keep your readers updated on what’s going on in your industry. It’s to help your brand produce educational content that readers can benefit from and act upon.
If your piece doesn’t tell readers why they should care about a trend or how it impacts them directly, you’ll lose them quickly. Quality content answers both of these questions while also making the business stakes perfectly clear.
As a marketer, you’re not telling stories or reporting on trends from the field. You’re guiding decisions.
What Your Readers Really Want
They may not know it, but your readers expect you to stay updated on industry news and frame it in a way that’s relevant to them. Here’s a checklist of what your readers are looking for in your content:
- Context. What’s driving the trend?
- Relevance. How does this trend impact your audience directly?
- Credibility. Why should they trust your content?
- Direction. What should they be thinking about or preparing for?
- Control. How can you help your audience be proactive, not reactive?
For instance, if you’re writing for growers, you should explain how increasing AI use affects labor needs, margins, and workflow in their operations. But they won’t just take your word for it as a writer.
If you’re able to speak with an industry professional, it’s important that you do so. Expert insights and real-world examples establish credibility and help build audience trust.
Reporting on trends without giving your audience any direction isn’t in line with your responsibilities as a content marketer. Your job is to help your audience move from reaction to readiness.
Turning Trends Into Actionable Content
If there’s a specific industry trend you’d like to cover, make sure to lead with why it’s relevant to your audience. Reframe the trend around your readers’ interests and explain how it impacts them directly.
Is your audience composed of industry professionals with different job titles? Dedicate at least one line or a section specifically to them. This gives all of your audience members a key takeaway that they can turn into action.
Don’t stop at the benefits — show the risk of inaction, too. Explain what would happen if your audience chooses to ignore an industry trend, emphasizing what’s at stake if they don’t act on it.
When all is said and done, it’s important to remember that trends are just trends. Instead of encouraging your readers to blindly follow what other industry professionals are doing, highlight any limitations to this trend and any adoption barriers worth noting.
Being honest helps build brand credibility and trust among your readers.
Where Content Marketers Miss the Mark
Even trend content crafted with the best intentions can fall short sometimes. Trends move fast, and there’s pressure to cover them ASAP. But if you rush to publish something on your website, you’ll fall into the same trap many LinkedIn users do.
Remember who your audience is and why they choose to read your publication. You’re not writing for other content marketers or even your colleagues – you’re writing for industry professionals who are leading a business.
It’s your responsibility to dive a little deeper into the trend, get an industry expert’s perspective, and share the thoughtful takeaway that everyone else is leaving out.
If you take this careful, detail-oriented approach to trend content, your articles will sound less like vague reporting and more like informed B2B content that industry professionals can actually learn from.
Your Role as a Content Marketer
You’re not a reporter. Your job isn’t to inform, it’s to equip.
As a marketer, it’s your responsibility to give your audience advice they can act on to drive results for their business.
Trends will come and go. But when you start treating them as a starting point, not the story itself, you’ll create content that offers guidance over commentary.
That’s how your content leads, not follows.