2022: What are the Top Content Marketing Trends?

It may seem like a hugely competitive and often stressful task to keep up to date with social media trends. It seems that there is always something new and exciting in marketing which makes it difficult to keep up. Once upon a time, it was a bonus to have a social media business account, and you felt slightly ahead of the game. Jump to today and it's an absolute prerequisite that you’re on at least 2-3 platforms as a bare minimum. 

However, when done correctly and efficiently, content marketing is the catalyst that draws attention to your brand. A grand 82% of marketing professionals utilise content marketing, with 60% of them measuring the success of their content marketing strategy through active sales. 

Nowadays, there are numerous platforms that require utilisation to ensure that coverage is optimal. While a business website was quite sufficient at one time, the rise of social media has dictated the necessity to have a strong following and a pretty good strategy to maintain an audience. As if that wasn’t enough, the rapid rise in technology now demands that we add blogs and podcasts to our offering, with the occasional webinar or vlog to boot! 

Naturally, there are content marketing strategies that suit certain businesses over others, with no one-size-fits-all. Strategies are generally driven by target audiences which means that marketing requires a solid understanding of your demographic as a starting point. 

In previous years, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter have monopolised the social media market, but in recent years Facebook has attracted a slightly older audience of 25-35 years on average. In turn, the ‘Generation Z’ population has taken to the likes of TikTok, which is impacting greatly on the overall content marketing strategy for businesses alike; a terrifying prospect for the over 40’s who feel ancient in comparison! 

Of course, the more coverage, the greater the chance of sales, so we’ve outlined 5 of the most popular content marketing trends that will keep you well ahead of the game. 

Repurpose content across numerous channels 

Retain continuity and brand consistency by using posts over a number of platforms. For example, you can repurpose a B2C post for a B2B audience using the same infographic but personalising the copy to make it more salient to their requirements. This not only saves time thinking up new posts, but it ensures that you have uniformity across various platforms; a trait that has seen to increase revenue by 33% according to software publishing site Lucidpress. Websites, social media accounts, blogs, podcasts and email newsletters that repurpose high-quality, authentic and engaging content offer customers a seamless and continuous journey across a brand. This will ensure that you reach out to a wider audience and further build your appeal. 

Repurposing Tips

With 86% of video marketers stating that video content is effective for generating leads, you should think about adding a video to your blog for a more immersive customer experience. Don’t worry, you don’t need to add dog ears or perform a dance routine (unless that’s how you roll), but by adding something, you’re doubling your offering to make hits more likely. It’s recommended that you choose your most popular posts (Analytics is a great tool for this!) for repurposing as you’re likely to attract the same audience. 

Think infographics! Of course, copy is vital but 65% of images are more memorable after a period of 3-days. Repurpose images by further adding statistics for a slightly different angle on content. Real data is excellent for demonstrating transparency in your branding, and it shows that you take your industry seriously and keep up to date with changing trends. 

Repurpose blogs into newsletters and emails. A few changes here and there, but ultimately the same information in a different format. Your customers will relish the continuity and trust your offering. Plus, it helps to ingrain the message in the busiest of minds. 

Build Content Communities 

Online content communities led the way in 2020 as a means of collaborating and sharing projects that were otherwise impossible. They’ve now become a necessity, particularly as you can coordinate your online content community around your personal business offering. This is a great way of expanding your market reach and connecting with industry experts who can be of benefit to you in the long term. 

Content Community Tips

Facebook Groups are beneficial as customers can fully engage and they tend to have a higher reach than Facebook Pages themselves. 

ProBlogger is well known for its job board and blog but also gains immense interest within its forum. Bloggers are able to collaborate freely in addition to sharing content, networking and opportunities for discounted events. 

It’s not what you know, it's…

Nail your SEO!

SEO (search engine optimisation) has been firmly established for more than 20 years and it's here with a vengeance in 2022. Keywords and crucial content are more important than ever as marketplace competition increases, so running the forensics on your website will ensure that you aren’t missing out on anything essential. Make sure that you aren’t overlooked by keeping SEO updated and refreshed frequently. 

SEO Tips! 

Do in-depth industry research to keep up to date with recent changes within your field. Keywords need to be kept up to date accordingly to ensure that nothing has been overlooked. You don’t want to be a step behind your competitors who will undoubtedly be on the ball. 

Know your keywords! Try not to overthink them too much as literal is the way forward. Step outside the box and think about what potential customers might type into Google to ultimately lead to you. 

Podcasts 

Podcasts allow you to engage more freely rather than being confined to a limited number of words. With their more human-centric approach, they allow you to openly tell your story which can resonate more with a wider market, particularly those that aren’t keen on reading content. Podcasts tend to run in episodes, so forward planning can help you cover a number of topics. For optimal coverage, keep up to date with emerging trends and incorporate them into future episodes. 

Podcast Tips! 

Invite a guest speaker that compliments your brand. Find common ground and encourage listeners to ask questions via available platforms. 

Polish your podcast with intro music and clear branding. Finding consistency within each episode feeds familiarity amongst your listeners/customers.

Webinar 

66% of B2B buyers prefer to watch a webinar prior to purchasing a product or service, and statistics like that mean that you need to provide this service to satisfy customer needs. This gives you an opportunity to not only share your product but demonstrate your vast experience within your field and build trust. Engaging in this manner enables you to build a relationship with customers that can continue long into the future. 

There are numerous sites for webinars including Livestorm, Zoom and ClickMeeting, all of which include registration pages, waiting rooms and breakout areas for audience-to-audience discussion. Live is ideal as communication is in real-time, but recorded sessions allow non-attendees to revisit at a later date. 

Webinar Tips! 

Research the best platforms within your chosen industry. 

Plan your episodes and give people plenty of notice. It is also sensible to market the event as much as possible. 

Make regular notes of changes in your industry and anything relevant to your business. A webinar is a great place to get it all out in one offering and ensures that you’ve got plenty to talk about. 

Overall, the more platforms that you utilise, the greater your chance of hits. We no longer have the luxury of picking and choosing (give or take!), 2022 is all about full coverage for greater visibility. 

If you’d like to know more about improving your online visibility, and upgrading your digital marketing footprint to the next level, we’d love to have a natter and see how we might be able to help you.