Content marketing is pivotal in controlling the funnel of your customer lifecycle. Quality content will attract traffic, increase brand loyalty and even increase your odds at making more return customers. Great content is a way for your brand to generate value for your audience (for free), even before they do business with you. Now, because content marketing is so important, there are constant efforts to improve it always at play. So, the industry evolves every year. Here are several trends that are expected to be big in the following year.
Growing competition and audience needs
Never before have people consumed so much content and there are numerous reasons for this. First of all, you cannot downplay the impact of a global pandemic on marketing. People are indoors, which is why they have increased their digital activity at the expense of their traditional pastime means. Still, there are other reasons for this increase in the audience’s thirst for content. More people have access to the internet than ever before and people are used to consuming content through all sorts of devices. This increase has also brought to an increase in content marketing investment by… well, virtually everyone. So, the competition is tougher, as well.
Part of a buyer’s journey
A buyer’s journey or customer lifecycle is a concept that serves as the backbone of every modern marketing strategy. Your content is often the first step on this path/journey. This is the way in which they get to sample your expertise and get some value from your business without making a financial investment. So, this is your opportunity to display your knowledge, niche experience and authority on the subject matter. Also, keep in mind that your own blog (since it belongs to the same industry), might provide some great opportunities for linking to your e-store, thus funnelling more sales.
Distinguish yourself from competitors
Because there is more content created than ever before people are used to content of all sorts. This means that their quality standards have grown, as well. This ranges from the purpose of the content, its value for entertainment, its originality and even the quality of its visuals. This is one of the reasons why investing in a quality web design might be such an important issue. Producing higher quality content may be possible in DIY conditions, as well, but keep in mind that this takes time and resources. If you are to post on a regular basis and maintain the quality level at the same time, you might need some outsider’s help.
Interest in short video formats is growing
One of the fastest-growing trends in content marketing is the increase in the need for short video format. This is due to the insane popularity of TikTok and Instagram Stories, which only last for 15 seconds. So, if you plan to improve the opinion that TikTok users have of your brand, you might want to invest some additional time and effort into learning all the rules and subtle tricks of this concept. Making a short video format is not just about cutting a video into smaller portions. It is about mastering the art of time efficiency and eliminating all redundancies from your videos.
Your audience expects credibility
Because of… well, the nature of the internet, people have grown accustomed to being sceptical towards anything they hear online. So, try to provide them with more credibility and more original content. First of all, try to use proper studies and credible sources when talking about numbers. Sure, statistics change but this doesn’t necessarily mean that they are easily outdated or made obsolete. In a year or two, numbers from this year will still be relevant for comparison. This being said, try to go for numbers that are as much up-to-date as possible.
Recycling your content
The best way to generate more content is to learn how to reuse (recycle it). This helps you save time and maximize the effect of all your research and originality. A single piece of content can be reused several times in different formats. For instance, a whitepaper can be turned into an infographic. This way, you will make your content available even to those who are interested in the subject matter but terrified of the size of your work. In other words, you maximize your audience and gain more traffic by having two exposure cycles for each of your ideas.
Live-streaming
Live-streaming is, beyond doubt, one of the most efficient content marketing formats in 2021. Reasons for this are numerous, one of them being the fact that, due to the inability to organize in-person events, one is not left with a lot of options. Keep in mind that live streams maximize engagement and ensure greater future attendance. A person who visits one live-streamed event is likely to visit your event in person next time. In this particular scenario, even watching your next live stream is quite valuable.
The greater effort on retargeting
Retargeting is really your best chance to actually make an impact on content marketing. The key thing to having a successful content campaign lies in delivering quality content to the right audience. Your current readership is already interested in your content which, in a way, makes them into low-hanging fruits. Moreover, there are a lot of instances where two subsequent posts are in continuity. This is why by successfully retargeting, you will drastically increase the engagement rate of your pieces. A notification system and email marketing are quite effective in this field.
In conclusion
At the end of the day, what works for some might not work for others and vice-versa. Still, the reason for the popularity of some of the above-listed trends is research-based or even a fruit of many years of careful strategizing and contemplation. So, not expanding your marketing arsenal by considering new methods or even rethinking old methods might be a wasted opportunity. Instead, keep up with new trends but always look for a way to customize them so that they fit your own needs.
