When it comes to content marketing, approaches are evolving very quickly. So it’s not surprising that in 2021, new trends will appear.
Yes, to get closer to their customers, brands will create more and more targeted content. They will also seek to generate more engagement. But how will they achieve these goals? Additionally, how can they achieve these goals at a time while keeping cybersecurity in mind, given the increasing rates of cyber crimes using real spy apps and hacking tools?
To answer this question, here’s a quick look at what content marketing should look like in 2021 through the presentation of 17 key trends.
The Augmented Reality Windfall
Content marketers all agree on one thing: augmented reality will become a powerful traffic generator.
No need to go anywhere; users can now try on their next pair of glasses or visualize their future interior design in real-time. This is transforming the world of marketing, too, with websites and in-person marketing events capitalizing on this technology to pave the way for the future.
Many brands have realized that augmented reality is a real marketing tool. Among the most famous examples, let’s mention L’Oréal and its application to test makeup, or IKEA proposing to insert furniture in its own living room to see if it would fit. Other brands have been able to catch the bug for an ever more futuristic user experience.
In the coming years, augmented reality will become a powerful tool to offer consumers a global experience both in online shopping and directly in-store. But don’t forget that it remains complementary to a much more complete marketing action, adding an interactive and playful dimension, with the consumer as an actor of the campaign.
Influencer Marketing
92% of buyers trust a recommendation from an influencer, and the trend is growing.
Many brands are now using influencers to boost their sales and are now prioritizing quality over quantity. It is important to choose the right person who will represent your brand’s image through the networks.
For an effective content marketing strategy, start by defining your target audience, then choose the social media platforms on which your audience spends the most time. Then, contact the most trusted influencers who are most in line with your brand identity.
Together, create a lot of content: contests, videos, quizzes, and follow the results of your campaigns to make sure the investment is profitable.
Users on social media platforms like Instagram are properly capitalizing on the trend of influencer marketing as it gives them and the influences better reach, making it a win-win.
AI-Based Content Marketing Strategy
Artificial intelligence is becoming a big part of how we design our next content. Search algorithms are becoming more and more insightful and ultimately will influence your editorial strategy.
Did you Know?
This is the case with Google’s RankBrain algorithm, which interprets user queries to optimize search results. Its objective is to provide an optimal user experience.
How can you meet the requirements of AI? By performing a relevant semantic analysis and ensuring to writer quality content.
Visual Content That’s Always More Breathtaking
If they were once reserved for entertainment, dynamic and interactive photos are increasingly used for communication purposes.
In 2021, visuals will be more beautiful than ever. It must be said that between Instagram, YouTube, or Snapchat, three of the most popular platforms on the web, there will be enough to target a wide audience.
The platforms are also responsible for this trend as they keep adding new features to create even more fun visuals Filters and augmented reality features should boost creativity in 2021.
For your information, note that many experts believe that in 2021, it is on the Tik Tok platform that brands will have to be present.
The Explosion of User-Generated Content
For some time now, brands have understood that user-generated content is a great tool to promote themselves to the public.
It must be said that potential customers are often a lot more confident in what other customers of the brand can tell them about it than the brand itself. A recent marketing survey conducted in the United States showed that 90% of buyers were more responsive to user-generated content than to traditional advertising.
You should then understand a little better why some brands “abandon” their communication to their customers by publishing the content they have created on their website or their YouTube platform, for example.
The reach of user-generated content has been widely recognized. In 2006, for example, Time magazine declared that the person of the year “is you” as an Internet user and recognized how UGC democratizes information and enriches websites like YouTube, Myspace, Facebook, Wikipedia, etc.
Nowadays, user-generated content is mainly associated with content published on platforms like Instagram, Youtube, TikTok, and many others. This type of content is also used by brands for marketing and data communication purposes.
In today’s society, anyone with access to the internet can be a content creator. We can use this power to share a shopping experience, recommend a product, shed light on a story, report an event, etc.
AI as a Marketing Content Creator
What could be more effective than another robot to respond to the Artificial Intelligence of a search algorithm? Many brands already use Artificial Intelligence software to generate their marketing content.
This is the case of the lingerie brand Cosabella, which has entrusted the management of its content, its emails, its presence on social networks to an AI engine named Albert.
Still, it lacks the creativity and feelings of content written by a human, but until when?
More and More Video Storytelling
Video content was already a central part of any content marketing strategy in 2019, and this should be reinforced in 2021.
However, it is out of the question to make a video for the sake of making a video. Thus, whether it is on the graphic level or on the narrative level, everything must be thought to delight the Internet user and to invite him to engage.
It is in this sense that setting up storytelling is essential. As a reminder, storytelling must contribute to the person watching your video feeling emotions and identifying with the character. If this is the case, the message will be better remembered, and the chances of conversion will be higher.
Voice Search, the New Challenge for Content Marketing
Internet and mobile users are becoming more and more enthusiastic about voice search and audio content.
If you want to capitalize on this trend, you will have to optimize your website and adapt your SEO strategy to meet the demands of voice searches.
In terms of content, you’ll need to integrate audio formats and pay attention to the words used, even in your articles and ads.
Voice Search For Featured Snippets
When you type a question into Google, the first result is often a code snippet – a short summary of the answer from a third-party site. For SEO experts, becoming the featured snippet is highly desirable for visibility and traffic; from voice search, and earning the featured snippet is essential, as Google-enabled voice search only provides one answer.
People Also Ask (PAA)
You’ll see more Google PAA boxes continually expanding with new questions (depending on which PAA you click on). Google makes money from advertisers, so it makes sense to keep us on Google with interactive options. STAT Search Analytics research shows that a single PAA can appear in 21 unique SERPs. PAA opportunities can support some serious SERP real estate.
The Podcast Changes Ambitions
To create quality content, many brands are expected to turn to podcasts in 2021.
This audio format will counteract social networks, which, according to some experts, have contributed to “generate a kind of intellectual pollution.”
Yes, overwhelmed by too much information, a growing number of Internet users have already turned to an audio-based format. And this should become even more widespread in 2021.
So don’t hesitate to offer podcasts to your target audience; they should appreciate the effort.
More and More Personalized Content
Nowadays, it’s no longer a surprise when you see your first and last name in an email.
This little touch of personalization is widely used, but even if it always pleases the consumer, it is not enough for a brand.
You need to provide precise and personalized answers to your audience.
To achieve this, you can take a leaf out of Netflix’s book, which offers and recommends movies and series based on what the user has watched. Amazon too is an expert in content personalization.
On your side, you will have to choose the right criteria to segment your audience and deliver your content to the right people at the right time.
Data Analysis Becomes More Complex.
More sophisticated content means more complex analysis.
For 2021 you will need to go beyond page views or conversions. In addition to the traffic generated, you will have to try to analyze:
- The click rate on a title to improve its performance
- The depth of scroll to know if your content has been read to the end
- The degree of engagement of your readers, consumers, etc.
- In the case of articles, if you have several authors, do not hesitate to make comparisons to determine which one is the most requested by the readership.
Snack Content Gives Way to Longer Content.
There was a time when snack content was trendy because it was adapted for social networks.
But times are changing, Internet users’ expectations and Google’s referencing criteria are evolving. Everyone wants high-quality content from trusted sources.
Note:
This does not mean that you should stop producing short content, but rather that you should integrate longer forms of content into your strategy.
A study conducted by BuzzSumo revealed that long articles were more shared on social networks. So don’t be afraid to reach 2000 words!
However, keep in mind that your information must remain useful and of quality. It will be thanks to these efforts that you will become an authority.
Authenticity Is the Key.
A study by PwC revealed the importance of consumer trust in a brand in their purchasing decisions.
Whatever interactions you have with your audience, online or offline, must contribute positively to your brand.
More than ever, you need to be honest and authentic in your communication. This will help you attract customers who truly want to be with you and will contribute to your brand’s success.
Webinars
There’s nothing like a webinar to boost your content marketing; it helps convert your audience and is extremely cost-effective.
Not only will they allow you to convey information and ideas to a target audience, but they are an opportunity to collect a large number of leads through registration forms.
Another advantage of a webinar is that it is much more expensive than a seminar!
List Building Webinars
List building is a powerful way to attract leads and convert them into qualified leads.
To build and expand your list, you can create a subscription form. This way, every potential visitor can sign up for your newsletter.
Compared to your forms, list building webinars will offer you the opportunity to give something valuable to each participant.
For you, a successful webinar of this type will be able to provide you not only with a registrant’s email address, but also with other valuable information that will later help you in your segmentation process.
Thought Leadership Webinars
Building a brand requires that it be known for something special. While anyone can claim exceptional service, thought leadership is easier for the public to spot. You just need to create great content!
Establishing your brand as a thought leader will help you build authority, increase brand awareness and attract quality leads.
Webinars that offer valuable information will help you position your brand as a thought leader in your industry or niche and build your digital PR strategy.
Microsoft, for example, knows that security and privacy are important. To help its audience understand and navigate the ever-changing landscape, the brand hosted a webinar titled “Talking Security: Privacy Compliance.
Marketing Webinar on Lead Nurturing
Lead nurturing is about guiding prospects through their journey to become qualified leads and then loyal customers. Most companies nurture leads through email marketing with a sequence of onboarding emails.
For webinars, using a case study, workshop, and report summary will help you educate prospects, giving them the right information and tools to take the next step.
For example, Amy Porterfield knows how to host a livestream, a simplified way of using webinars without dedicated webinar software.
Specifically, the host created a Facebook Live video for her subscribers with tons of nuggets that help her audience build confidence and achieve optimal business results.
Aim for Featured Snippets
This is a position coveted by all, and to reach it, your content marketing must meet several criteria.
In 2021, Google’s main criterion will be, even more than in previous years, focused on the user experience with the implementation of Core Web Vitals, which are summarized by an improvement of interactivity, loading speed, and visual stability of pages.
So not only should your content marketing clearly respond to the search intent of Internet users, but it should also provide an optimal browsing experience.
Customer Journey Mapping
Digital customer journey mapping is one of the trends that will continue to grow in 2021. Widely used in the B2B sector, it brings many benefits to your content marketing.
Tip: Customer journey mapping allows you to know where your customers are coming from, which way they are buying your products, how they are subscribing. Customer journey mapping will thus highlight which points of your marketing content need to be worked on and which ones are working.
For example, when a customer gets stuck on your site, he will consult the FAQ or the help center; this means that there are improvements to be made to your website.
Social Networks Are Still as Important as Ever.
2020 has seen the number of social network users jump; there are now more than 4 billion internet users surfing on these platforms.
Social Media: Social networks not only allow you to interact with your audience for free, but they also provide a space where your content can be shared by others and reach new people.
Here are some upcoming trends on social networks in 2021:
Digital misinformation: in 2021, brands are committed to fighting “fake news.”
Socially responsible publications: next year, your content online will be judged based on how ethical it is.
Social gaming: video games are on the rise, and their community is a target to focus on in 2021.
Memes: creative, quirky, and humorous memes are these diverted and personalized images that are invading social networks. They are also aa brilliant way to promote your brand.
In Conclusion
In 2021, your content marketing strategy should leave nothing to chance if you want to reach the goals you’ve set.
You’ll probably have to personalize some content so that it best meets your customers’ expectations. While there is a lot of information on the kind of marketing tactics that are in for 2021, this was a review of all those that are still in play and which are going to continue to make an impact.
