We’ve enthusiastically waved goodbye to 2020 and have spent a month settling into the new year. So, we’re looking forward to the 5 best content trends that are set to sweep the world of marketing in 2021.
You may even be shocked to hear that despite the world turning on its head and forcing people to adapt many parts of their life including how they work, there are several positives to be taken forward from this year, to be honed and refined into shiny, new marketing practices. So, let’s get stuck in, shall we?
1. Virtual events are here to stay!
This year saw almost everyone from school students to musicians turning to video calls and livestreams as a way to carry on learning, working and communicating with others. Whilst for many it was relatively easy to pick up from where they left off via video calls, many businesses and their marketing departments had to take an extra step into the world of online events.
Everyone knows the phrase “think outside the box” but when a global pandemic forces you into one, it is imperative that you truly do think outside of the box. Constraints can be a positive when it comes to innovation and being forced to creatively find a solution led to 93% of event marketers planning to invest more into virtual events (Source: Bizzabo).
Granted, at times they may not have run as smoothly as first hoped, they may be a little awkward and the technology (or your WIFI) might not be up to scratch but overall, they were a success. In the same survey by Bizzabo, it was discovered that 97% of event marketers expect to see online or hybrid events in 2021.
How to capitalise on this trend
Attend virtual events – whether it’s a virtual conference, workshop, webinar or even happy hour- it will allow you first-hand experience of how different businesses run them. Take notes, audit them, brainstorm how you would conduct one. Consider things like the level of interactivity, will there be somewhere for your attendees to chat or send questions? What technology will you use, will it be a simple Zoom call, or will you seek out specialistic software? Who in your business will represent you?
2. The student becomes the master – Learn to embrace educational content.
Research suggests that after engaging with educational content, consumers are 131% more likely to buy something relating to that content. So, if you’re not already publishing educational content, then what are you doing other than missing out? It’s time for you, the student, to become the master and invest in educational resources for your audience.
How to capitalise on this trend
There are lots of different ways of doing this, perhaps you could begin with creating blog posts, newsletters and user guides, before venturing into the world of videos, and online courses.
If you choose to consider educational videos, it’s important to discover who is best suited in your company to represent you. Your candidate will need to be confident, approachable and animated in order to engage your audience. Once you’ve made your decision, stick with it, let them flourish and become a leader in online education, this will allow your customers to build trust, create a community and develop a positive relationship with your brand.
3. Become experts in telling your story.
We all know how important it is to communicate our brand message, values and story to our consumer base, however are you aware of just how crucial it is? Especially if your customers share the same values as your business.
How to capitalise on this trend
It’s time to evaluate your brand values!
This year’s 5WPR Consumer Culture report states that 83% of millennials find it important that their beliefs and values align with those of the companies that they buy from. Make sure you listen to what your audience want, or possibly even expect from you and readjust to suit. These values could relate to company practices or policies, it could be as simple as being transparent with your customers, or it could be something a little bigger, such as a pledge to reduce your carbon footprint.
Whatever it may be, once you have established or re-established your message, tell the story of it. Keep your audience updated on what you’re achieving with regards to the values you hold. Once again, it will allow your customers to build a connection and a level of trust with your business.
4. How do you like your content? – Content Personalisation
With so much content being created in so many different formats, the need to stand out from the crowd is becoming more crucial and many businesses have found that an element of personalisation aids in engaging their customers, as it speaks to them on an individual level.
A huge 98% of marketers claim that personalisation advances customer relationships (Forbes), this links back to the idea of building trust with your consumer. Whether it’s through educational content or telling your brands story, it’s important that your audiences’ needs are always kept in mind. Allowing them to form a trusting bond with your business will only lead to positive outcomes.
How to capitalise on this trend
To begin with, it can be difficult to gain enough data to truly personalise your content. If you can aim to gain a leads email address and name, you’ll be able to get started. Creating an email campaign is an easy way to see how your new lead will interact with your brand. Through their open rates and click throughs, you will be able to further discover what their preferences are, this data can then be used to up the element of personalisation.
Set yourself on a CRM platform such as Intilery, this will allow you to create email campaigns with ease. Making the process of building personalised email campaigns that little bit easier.
5. SEO is back in fashion?
Trends tend to come and go, with very few coming back into style, however that’s not the case for SEO. It is expected that many smaller businesses will discover innovative ways to set themselves apart from the larger competitors. Gone are the days of the SEO giants dominating the content market, smaller business will look to seize unique, long-tail keywords to coincide with their engaging content.
How to capitalise on this trend
Start by familiarising yourself with the idea of ‘second-movers’ and how they can transform the world of SEO. From there, put aside ample time to develop a strong SEO strategy, research key words and look for the long-tail opportunities that may be the missing piece of the puzzle when it comes to your content strategy.
Whilst there’s a lot to digest there, staying up to date with the current trends is crucial, especially in the world of content marketing. According to research conducted by ANA, 78% of CMOs anticipate a ‘strong commitment’ to content marketing in the next 2 years, this is up from the current commitment of 52%, highlighting that it’s an ever-growing form of marketing. An overall aim for the next year would be to create high quality, engaging content that benefits your business, and learning about these trends will enable you to do just that!
Now you’re up to date on the Content Marketing Trends in 2021, why not check out our blog on the 5 Social Media Marketing Trends You’ll See in 2021.
