Content marketing is a tremendously powerful way to generate leads and drive conversions. To generate leads, you need to come up with the right content. The content you choose should depend on your target audience. In this article, you’ll see six content marketing trends to watch out for this year and beyond.
Keep in mind, though, that audience preferences are no longer the same as they were years ago. The communication landscape is changing, too. You need to make adjustments for your content marketing strategy to remain effective. Here are six trends you should consider when creating your content marketing strategy in 2021 and beyond.
1. Video Content Will Be On the Rise
Video is one of the most-used content forms. In 2021 and beyond, you can expect businesses to use it even more to generate leads.
According to Hubspot, more than 99% of content video marketers will use video in 2021. A whopping 96% said they plan to increase or maintain their video marketing budget!
Marketers will continue to use videos on Facebook, Instagram, and other social media platforms to engage customers. That’s not surprising given the statistics.
A Search Engine Journal study found that the average engagement for Facebook Live videos was 178% higher than the regular posts. Video content on Instagram also has double the engagement than other posts. That increased engagement reflects a push by Facebook to promote live streaming. so a big content marketing trends to watch.
If you’re going to use video in your marketing efforts, pick suitable video formats. For instance, if you’re selling a new cloud-based tool, create tutorials on how to use it. So, If you’re launching a new product, why not Facebook live the launch?
Furthermore, focus on branding. Your video content should reflect your brand values. Moreover, you want to use video to gain recognition in the crowded marketplace.
2. Chatbots and AI Will Play a Part in Content Creation
Chatbots and AI are changing the way we create and deliver content. In addition, AI is already helping content creators write better content. We see tools that utilize Natural Language Generation (NLG) technology to create content.
Moreover, we already see tools like Clearscope, Frase, and Surfer being used by content creators to produce SEO-optimized content. The use of such tools that review ranking content to help you identify what keywords to include in an article is an example of Natural Language Processing (NLP) in action.
With AI-based chatbots, you can communicate with your customers anytime. Besides facilitating UGC, you can use chatbots to share content with your customers as content marketing trends to watch.
AI-based chatbots allow companies to provide 24/7 on-site support. Admittedly, AI chatbots do have their limitations. They are not yet a replacement for customer service or sales account executives. However, they can help you deal with basic inquiries.
3. Optimize Content Strategy for Voice Search
According to Microsoft, over a quarter of the worldwide population use voice search on their smartphones. That isn’t likely to change in the next few years. Create content optimized for voice search to drive that additional organic traffic to your site.
As voice search is far more conversational than normal searches, analyze and restructure your content to rank higher on search results. Add FAQs to your blogs and product pages as they are short and contain question keywords that improve voice search ranking. When you use FAQ format, Google easily derives content from your website and displays the same as a rich snippet.
Use pointers to segregate your content into mini fragments to rank high in voice search results. As Google likes content in long-form, include long-tail keywords in your content that display in vocal queries.
4. Topical Authority Over Keyword Content Marketing Trends to Watch
A topical authority is at the forefront of SEO thanks to Google’s Hummingbird algorithm implemented in 2013. In addition, the algorithm allowed Google to rank sites based on relevancy to a query, too.
So far, Google’s patent filings suggest a desire to improve their understanding of user intent. That means for content to rank on search engine results pages, it should be relevant to a search query, too. In short, to rank on SERPs, you will need to focus on topical authority.
Topical authority equates to depth.
Create long-form content that offers value to your target audience. Add images and graphs to make processes easily understandable. so, the more you expand on a topic, the better. This is true for both growing your personal blog and guest blogging.
As mentioned previously, you can use tools like Frase, Clearscope, or Surfer to create content that’s optimized for topical authority.
Don’t forget to do a grammar check of each post. Moreover, remember, your brand reputation is at stake.
5. Interactive Content Will Be Key Content Marketing Trends to Watch
When it comes to visual marketing, interactive content is gaining ground. Interactive content helps you engage with viewers.
Quizzes are one of the popular forms of interactive content. Run quizzes to attract target customers, drive leads and increase conversions. You can use quizzes to segment your audience and gain insights into their interests.
Interactive videos are another form of content you can explore. According to data released by Optinmonster, an increasing number of marketers are using interactive videos to keep the target audience hooked.
Many websites add attractive videos to improve visual scores. Netflix, a sought-after American streaming platform, took the trend of interactive videos to the next level by creating a movie where viewers decided the lead character’s fate. It became so popular that they named it Netflix’s secret marketing weapon.
6. Hyper-personalized Content Content Marketing Trends
According to HGSDigital, 86% of customers want a more customized experience. So, that isn’t likely to change in the years to come.
As artificial intelligence evolves, you will gather more customer data to create more personalized content. The modern-day customer uses not less than two to three digital devices. That means getting that data through AI won’t be a problem.
So continue to create content suited to the specific needs of your customer. Hyper-personalized content will help you generate meaningful interactions with your customers, building customer loyalty.
Bottomline
Content marketing works. But you need to create the right content for that to happen. The right content depends on your target audience’s preferences. Audience preferences are continually evolving. That means you need to make adjustments to your content to reflect those changes.
In this article, I mentioned six of those content marketing trends you should look out for. Take those into account when coming up with your content marketing strategy. I hope you can apply these insights to reach your target audience.
Bio
Sam is part of the marketing team at Mailshake. Sam’s goal is to inspire people to not just “hang in there” but to thrive. When Sam’s not publishing or promoting new content, you can find him playing sports and cooking up a storm in the kitchen.
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