Did you know that, according to the Content Marketing Institute, 91% of B2B marketers reach customers by using content marketing? Additionally, CMI has reported that 86% of B2C marketers considered content marketing to be a key strategy. As an owner of a small- or medium-sized business, you know the importance of staying aware of all the content marketing trends of 2021 and beyond.
When you don’t know about the most recent content marketing trends, you can easily fall behind with your marketing efforts. Your competitors could end up with your customers instead of you. Or, worse, your business could fail.
That’s why we’ve put together this article. Once you know all the content marketing trends of 2021, you’ll be able to implement them into your marketing strategy. As a result, you’ll stand out in your industry, close more sales, and make more money. Read on to learn more.
1. Use Reels
For some time now, many content marketing tips lists included using video features. Whether you’ve posted videos on YouTube, your website, or Instagram Live, these have upped engagement immensely. Now, given the popularity of the platform TikTok, Instagram has started offering the Reels feature.
If you want to stand out, then you should use the Reels feature. This is one of the best ways to up engagement with your followers on social media. Additionally, for any business that wants to get their content out to Gen Zers, using short videos like those you post on Reels is a great way to connect with them.
Reels, the new digital marketing trend, will both get your content out there and help you build a community online made up of your potential customers.
2. Be Aware of Politics and Ideology
This is one of the newest content marketing tips for business. Even if you think your business isn’t political at all, you need to be aware of politics and ideology when you post your content. Even if you’re selling something that seems innocuous, it may not be.
For example, if you sell purses or clothes, then your potential customers might be interested in knowing how these products are made. Are they made ethically? Do you deliver products in a way that leaves a smaller carbon footprint?
If so, let your customers know about this in the content you share. This will make them more likely to want to buy your products. If there’s an event or crisis related to politics and ideology in your industry, you may also be expected to comment on it by releasing a statement, Tweet, or Instagram post. Not doing so might make your customers think you don’t care.
If you’re in a sticky PR situation because of politics and ideology, you may want to speak to a content marketing professional about how you can fix your image.
3. Post User-Generated Content
If you want to connect with your customers, one of the best ways is by posting user-generated content. They’ll feel like they’re getting something back from their loyalty to your brand. If you have a big following on social media, this is a great way to make it even bigger.
User-generated content can come in many forms. It can be an Instagram post that includes one of your products or it can be a blog post about how your service has helped them significantly. Posting this type of content also shows potential customers that past customers have enjoyed your product or service so much that they’re raving about it. You’re basically getting a free advertisement when you post user-generated content.
To motivate your customers to post user-generated content, it can help to offer a prize or discount to the person who makes the most creative piece of content.
4. User Experience Becoming Part of SEO
This is one of the most important content marketing tips of 2021. This is because SEO—which stands for “search engine optimization”—is one of the most important strategies you can use to get customers to visit your website.
When you master SEO, you move up in Google rankings. When you get to the first or second page of Google results for a query, you’re going to get way more customers, which means that you’ll build a customer base and make more sales over time. Even though you may have had a strong SEO strategy in the past, you always need to be on the lookout for any new trends.
This is because Google often changes their algorithms so that it can provide better results for users. One of these trends is that user experience on your website now affects SEO. So if you have an area on your website where you post content—your blog, for example—you have to prioritize user experience.
If you aren’t sure where to get started, you may want to get in touch with a designer. Additionally, you will also want your content to be easy to read. Avoid long paragraphs or too many bulleted lists when creating blog content. Including images throughout, such as graphs, or videos, can also break up the content in a visually appealing way. To learn more about how to improve your website, check out our industrial web design tips.
5. Create a Video Strategy
5. Create a Video StrategyMany business leaders have a content strategy for their blog posts. They know what topics they’ll be covering and what order they’ll come out in. They know how long they’ll be and how to keep old posts evergreen.
For social media platforms, they probably have a content strategy, too.
And yet, many don’t have a video strategy. Perhaps because it’s such a new way of sharing content, business leaders are experimenting with video.
Maybe they’re not sure what content they should include, how long it should be, and what tricks they should use to engage followers.
But like with any type of content, you need a content marketing strategy for your video posts, too. You’ll want to decide what you want to post, when, and where early on this year so you have a plan you can follow throughout 2021.
Set goals for every month. Then, at the end of each month, check to see if you need to adjust your strategy at all.
6. Use Different Types of Influencers
Influencers have been “in” for a while now. For this reason, working with an ordinary lifestyle influencer might not be as effective as it used to be. However, if you work with different types of influencers, this could be incredibly effective.
Back in 2020, Travelers’ did this with musician and comic book artist influencers. There are three benefits you get from connecting with these different types of influencers.
One, you’re able to reach their niche audiences. This will grow your fanbase. Two, you’ll seem more authentic as a brand if you connect with influencers who seem more “real.” Three, you’ll be able to engage with more Gen Zers. So if you want to expand your content strategy to engage more with this generation, use different types of influencers.
7. Create a Variety of Video Content
As you can see, video content is really important in 2021. That’s why we have yet another content marketing trend about video content here. In addition to focusing on using Reels and creating a video strategy, you should have a variety of video content.
Because video content is so popular across many different Internet users, you need to create a variety of video content. This way, you’ll have all your bases covered. Different types of video content include personalized videos, video emails, brand films, live streaming, animation, testimonials, product reviews, tutorials, and presentations. They also include events, webinars, interview Q&As, behind-the-scenes videos, and blogs.
8. Be Mobile First
Many business leaders who were successful in 2020 when it came to their content marketing strategy were business leaders who understood how to reach their customers on their cell phones.
Now more than ever, customers are visiting websites on their phones instead of on their laptops. To be mobile-first, you should create simplified, mobile-first lead-generation forms and CTAs. Additionally, use third-party plugins that make it easier to view your website’s content on a phone screen.
Finally, audit your website for cell phone use. Ensure it displays correctly and loads quickly on popular phones such as the Android and the iPhone.
Need More Information on the Content Marketing Trends of 2021?
Now that you’ve learned about the different content marketing trends of 2021, you might need more information. Maybe you want to know more about how to create a video strategy. Or maybe you want to learn more about the best new types of influencers who are popular in your industry. Whatever information you need, we’re here to help.
At David Taylor Digital, we’re experts when it comes to content marketing trends. We can also help you improve your marketing strategy, SEO, and more. To learn more about how we can help you, contact us here.
