The year 2020, as challenging as it has been, is finally coming to an end. Individuals, as well as businesses, have experienced huge shifts in the way they work. Remote work, which has been steadily growing over the past few years, has now become the norm. Businesses that had little to zero online presence, have switched to online stores, and also increased their digital marketing efforts.
With so much content being produced, it has become essential to find new ways to get noticed, and stand out by producing content that will eventually give results. Here are some content marketing trends for 2021 to keep in mind.
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is gaining a lot of popularity, and plays a very impactful role in content creation and delivery. As per an SEO timeline by FourDots, artificial intelligence is set to change the way content is created and delivered, especially in communicating with the global audience. It has become an inextricable part of user experience.
Artificial Intelligence keeps evolving and helps content creators develop better quality content. AI driven software is capable of fuelling the content creation process by sourcing info and references, supplying relevant data, and providing authority to everything that marketers write. For instance, chatbots are becoming smarter, and are being used extensively to support marketing campaigns and deliver information.
Documented Strategies
It has become essential for businesses switching to eCommerce as their primary source of doing work, to create documented and organized marketing strategies . Research on content marketing has shown that a documented and organized marketing strategy is a significant differentiating factor between a successful and not-so-successful business.
Many business owners have an ‘on the fly’ basis approach to content creation. They do not have definitive ideas about the type of content they wish to create, nor do they use social media and marketing tools or content marketing calendars to aid in their marketing efforts.
A strategic content marketing strategy helps in making messages cohesive, and tracking the impact of the marketing team’s efforts. An organized and documented marketing strategy gives you a clear direction and a better sense of control of marketing campaigns.
Live Video
A research by Google shows that 70% of B2B buyers watch videos throughout their buying journeys. A lot of buyers find videos to be very useful in researching a purchase. Video streaming has become more popular due to the ongoing pandemic, as conferences and in-person meetings are not permitted. The majority of businesses have had online conferences or hosted virtual events this year. Streaming videos has become a very effective way to generate leads, engage niche influences, and also generate additional income.
Videos help brands in reaching a wider audience, which could be present in any corner of the globe, in real-time. If the content is well thought and executed, it can go viral very fast, and can find a large audience. Teachers have become experts at Zoom meetings and Google Meet calls. Video streaming has become the new norm for content creators as well as consumers.
Multi-Channel Marketing
By sharing content on social media, you reach people who have confirmed their interest in hearing from you. Social media platforms aid in not just communicating with your relevant audience at a very low cost, but also provide space that allows your content to be shared by others, thereby successfully extending reach.
The extension of reach through social media in this manner is called organic growth, which is sought after by every marketer and brand. In addition to the reach and other interesting possibilities, social media enables direct interaction with customers, and shows behind the scenes content, which helps build strong brand-customer relationships.
Podcasts
Podcasts are very exciting content marketing strategies, as can be seen from their popularity, which has increased manifold in the last decade. Podcasts can be heard at any time and place; whether one is performing a task, at the gym, cooking, cleaning, or commuting.
Podcasts are informative, entertaining, and enable access to relevant information while on the go. They help businesses attract the right people, and also in establishing brands as experts in their relevant fields. Discussing news and current trends in a certain niche is crucial for people to remember you as a source for relevant content.
Listed below are some statistics that show how podcasts are gaining popularity.
- According to Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2019, 36% of the sampled global population has listened to at least one podcast in the last month.
- The Podcast Consumer 2019 report states that more than 50% of the US population above the age of 12 has listened to a podcast.
- The Podcast Consumer 2019 also states that over 22% of the population above the age of 12 listened to podcasts weekly.
- Podcast Trends Report 2018 shows that over 60% of the respondents said they listen to more podcasts now than they did earlier.
- According to Nielsen Marketers Guide to Podcasting, podcast listeners are more active on social media channels, and most likely to follow brands and companies.
Conclusion
In today’s fast-paced world, consumers are driven by a thirst for content. The global lockdowns due to COVID-19 dramatically changed the way content was delivered. Until a while back, creating good videos and visual content would suffice to keep the consumer interested, but these days businesses have been compelled to evolve to newer content formats and channels to deliver content.
Content marketing is the fastest growing marketing method in almost every industry, and will remain so for the foreseeable future ahead. With the continued rise in influencer marketing and LinkedIn lead generation, the trends around storytelling through technologies such as VR and AR will emerge as the basis for content distribution in the coming year and beyond.