5 Content Marketing Trends in 2021
Business deals are made in slippers, face masks are the latest accessory, and travel to distant places is accomplished via Netflix rather than a plane. Undoubtedly, 2020 will forever be remembered as a year of unprecedented change.
The shift in how companies market to their target audiences is no exception. For 2021, keep up with the latest practices for strategic content development by following these five content marketing trends.
5 Content Marketing Trends to kick off in 2021
1. Thought Leaders Are Earning Trust
In August 2020 Business Insider reported that at least 7,500 brick-and-mortar stores would close in 2020. With the inability to test products first-hand and receive face-to-face contact with brands in a physical store, companies must adapt to fulfill the customers’ need for brand trust. This is where thought leadership can make a real difference.
Your audience has real needs and problems that keep them up at night. Provide solutions in the form of free, relevant content through corporate blogging as an expert in your field. Not only does thought leadership content establish credibility and trust, but it can drive site traffic as companies frequently release pertinent information that users actually want.
Optimize your content with relevant keywords that a user might search for to increase your ranking on search engines. As a benchmark, aim to be featured in a Google snippet.
Does your corporate blog need some revamping? Check out these ideas for repurposing your corporate blog gathered by our content marketing agency. There are also creative strategies for promoting what you’ve already published.
2. Consumers Prefer Influencers
More than ever, consumers place greater trust in the information released by influencers. Over 1,000 consumers completed a survey regarding the impact of COVID-19 on their social media consumption, influencer perceptions, and purchasing habits. The results found that 61 percent are likely to trust recommendations from a friend, family member, or influencer on social platforms, while only 38 percent are likely to trust recommendations from a brand. Evidently, the middle man is a safe ally for consumers.
What type of influencers pack the most punch for delivering your desired content? Edelman’s Trust Barometer Special Report discovered consumers view influencers who are company technical experts and academic experts as even more credible than people like themselves. Tapping into the brilliant minds within your organization and experts in your field can elicit content geared to influence and build credibility.
3. Use Podcasts to Let Your Brand Speak
We are a society of multitaskers. Content needs to come hot and fresh in a format that is easy to digest. With this in mind, it’s no surprise that the number of available podcasts has increased from 550,000 in 2018 to over 1.5 million podcasts as of October 2020.
Provide an opportunity for your audience to soak in your desired content through authentic and informative podcasts that can be listened to anytime, anywhere. This is a prime forum for thought leadership to reside, and has a long shelf life.
Give advice, interview industry experts, tell your brand’s story, or share customer case studies. Boost traffic to your podcasts and website by writing short blog posts that introduce and link readers to the podcasts. Brands that utilize podcasts and the one-two punch with searchable blog posts set themselves apart over time as true thought leaders in their field.
4. Don’t Just Tell Them — Show Them with Live and Pre-Recorded Video
Video has quickly taken over as the primary form of content we consume. Cisco forecasts video will make up 82 percent of all IP traffic. For companies that have yet to dabble in this popular medium for content marketing, they’ll be pleased to know videos don’t have to be expensive or labor-intensive.
No need to over-produce or pay Hollywood fees for video. You can capture an audience with content that viewers are genuinely interested in. A stellar example of simply produced, yet beneficial videos are the Whiteboard Friday videos created by Moz. They work well. Pro tip: Be sure to add captions to videos for accessibility or to give viewers the option to enter stealth mode and watch without sound.
Joining the video craze is an influx of live video streams. These raw and transparent videos are a fabulous way to give viewers a feel for your company’s culture. Featuring content such as demos, Q&A sessions, tours, and employee spotlights, the potential for these videos to educate and engage with your audience is endless.
Remember that behind every great video is carefully crafted copy. The words used to attract your audience to a video are just as important as the video itself. Check that the copy on every platform featuring your video aligns with your brand’s content strategy and voice.
5. Use Case Studies as Social Proof
Prospective customers need assurance that buying into your brand will benefit them. Presenting a detailed account of a customer’s experience with your brand, case studies provide some of the best proof that what you offer actually works.
Carefully choose a customer to highlight who is relatable to your ideal audience. You want to pick one who loves you and is wiling to give their written consent to be featured. You want readers to be able to put themselves in the shoes of the customer and feel confident in your ability to meet the unique needs of their industry. Feature a customer who has a profound story to tell of how you positively impacted their business and if possible, include numbers to illustrate the results.
Raise the credibility with direct quotes from your customer. Interview them about their experience working with you and include the transcript on your blog. This can also be repurposed into social media posts. A huge bonus to writing case studies is that they’re mutually beneficial as co-marketing. Your customer gets a free platform to promote their own brand (and shareable content) while you highlight your ability to deliver the best results in your industry.
Want your brand to be a thought leader but don’t have the time to write yourself? Our award-winning content marketing agency is prepared to help you attain your rightful place as a credible thought leader. Schedule a free consultation with Comma today.