Like 2020, 2021 was full of unpredictability that left digital marketers scrambling to reassess and redirect their marketing strategies. What consumers wanted, and how they wished to be spoken to by brands, fluctuated depending on the state of the world.
As more of the world opened up in the second half of the year, and society as a whole returned to some form of ‘normality,’ online content addressed audiences who were scarred by the experience of the Covid-19 pandemic but were still hopeful for the future. As we enter 2022, however, the entire world seems to be entering yet another phase of the pandemic – and this will undoubtedly have an effect on the digital landscape and how it targets consumers.
Since content marketing speaks directly to consumers, it must anticipate the global mood and meet people where they are at. To do this, content marketers must have an agile, dynamic strategy. To help develop your digital marketing strategy for 2022, let’s take a close look at what will most likely be the biggest content marketing trends of the new year, and why you need to start implementing them now.
1. Data-Driven, Personalized Content
In 2022, audiences will be looking for content that speaks directly to them, and seemingly anticipates what they want before they even know they want it. Make the most of the data you have on hand to learn exactly who your ideal customer is. This means not solely focusing on basic demographics, but also taking into consideration consumers’ fears, morals, and ambitions.
Digging deeper into your buyer profiles, and taking the time to understand exactly who your customers are, will undoubtedly lead to an increase in conversions for you and your brand. It makes sense, right? People want to work with brands that they feel connected to and comfortable with. Increasingly personalized content will also lead to more repeat customers, as those who have worked with you previously are unlikely to easily forget the positive experience they had with you the first time around.
2. Your Audience’s Time Is Important
It’s been proven over and over again that we live in a society of short attention spans, and there’s no easier way to lose a potential customer’s business than by not cutting to the chase fast enough. This doesn’t mean that long-form content should be abandoned entirely – rather, the lede simply shouldn’t be buried too far into the content to risk losing your reader or viewer’s attention.
The exact shape this takes depends on the type of content you are creating, but if we’re looking to generalize, it means grabbing your audience’s attention and then making sure not to lose it throughout their experience of your content. Don’t tease your audience upfront with the juiciest information, and then make them read paragraphs upon paragraphs before they get to what they actually want to learn about.
All in all, put yourself in your audience’s shoes: if you’re finding yourself getting bored while reading or watching a piece of content, they probably are too – so it’s time to rework things a little bit!
3. Content Repurposing and Refreshing
There are now more ways than ever to repurpose, and therefore make the most of, your content. For example, long-form blogs can be turned into Instagram Reels or TikToks – and vice versa! There are also more possibilities with infographics and how-to guides. Repurposing content saves precious time (both with brainstorming and content creation) and allows you to focus more on creating an efficient strategy for new content.
Refreshing older content should also be a big part of any content marketer’s strategy. This can mean updating older webpage content that might be outdated or sparse, beefing up old blog content, or both! Make sure to also review SEO keywords in old content, and bring them in line with your current keyword strategy.
4. Audience-Focused Storytelling
One of the biggest webpage content mistakes businesses make is focusing on why they are the best at what they do, and not highlighting how they can help a client with the problem they need solved. Making a simple shift between these two perspectives allows businesses to truly connect with their customers, and even creates long-term relationships between brands and consumers.
Audience-focussed content is persuasive and relatable and produces purposeful content that customers actually want to read and pay attention to. This leads to higher conversion rates and more customer satisfaction, as those who end up buying a product or service actually end up getting what they were told to expect.
5. Continued Success of Visual Content
Last but not least, visual content will continue to dominate audiences’ attention as it is accessible and easy to consume. In fact, human brains process visual information much easier than they do written words, so opting for visual content is a surefire way to get customers’ attention.
In particular, video content is highly relatable for customers and allows them to feel even more connected to brands and their products or services. Keeping these videos short and to the point (see #2 above!) is an even more effective way of leveraging this medium. Including infographics in longer form blog content also allows those with short attention spans to enjoy your content and feel more engaged.
See You Next Year!
In anyone’s guess what 2022 will hold, but it’ll most likely be another year for the history books. In this day and age, content marketers need to have their eye on the horizon, and stay ahead of the curve, to ensure they don’t get lost in the (digital) frey. Creating a nimble, effective content marketing strategy isn’t always easy, but it doesn’t have to be difficult either – especially if you follow our tips above!
To stay on top of content marketing news, and for some useful digital marketing tricks and tips, why not check out the TechWyse blog?
If you’re looking to develop your business’ content marketing strategy, reach out to our team to learn more!
