Top 5 Content Trends to Consider in 2021

Quality content continues to gain in importance. Let's take a look at what's to come in the year ahead.

When planning your content marketing strategy for the new year, it's important to keep in mind some of the trends that you're likely to see continue in 2021 and beyond. Knowing what audiences like and how to incorporate these things into your content marketing efforts can help you succeed with your campaigns in the long term. You'll be able to connect with your audiences and increase brand awareness along with customer acquisitions.

To help you develop a comprehensive content marketing strategy in the year ahead, consider the following trends during the planning process.

Video Content Still Reigns

While high-quality text and image content can still be great for attracting new and existing customers, people love video content more than ever. It's easy to consume and there are plenty of opportunities to be engaging with videos that you won't find with other types of content.

What's particularly great about video content is that it's suitable for use at every step of the buyer's journey, from the research stage to the time they decide to make a purchase. You could begin your video campaigns with video ads that increase brand awareness, whether on social media, TV, or streaming services. From there, you can use brand videos on your website to talk more about your company, or you can create videos highlighting specific products or services. Other types of video content could include live event coverage, vlogs, interviews with industry leaders, customer testimonials, and behind-the-scenes tours of your offices.

Video also offers a great chance to tell an engaging story that flows from the start of the customer journey to the end. You may quickly find that video content is even more valuable than other content in your campaigns when used properly.

Personalized Email Campaigns

Email marketing is still going strong today. If you're not taking advantage of email campaigns, you're missing out on a huge opportunity to convert leads to customers and even encourage existing customers to come back.

Personalization is the key to success when it comes to email campaigns. Make sure your recipients are receiving messages and offers that appeal specifically to them based on their interests. Few things will turn people away like a generic email that looks like everything else sitting in their inbox.

Entice leads with relevant promotions or sales, remind them to return to shopping carts if they abandon them, or send out emails to existing customers with additional product or service information based on their purchase history. You can also make your emails interactive with content that changes based on readers' input, and you can use tools like Mailchimp to help automate your campaigns for more efficiency.

There's practically no limit to the possibilities you'll find with email marketing today.

Unique Customer Experiences

Experiential marketing will continue to be huge in 2021 and you can use it in so many ways, virtually or physically. For example, you can use templates for campaigns that personalize details to formulate a unique custom-tailored experience that brings people along through the customer journey.

You can make various types of content interactive, including infographics, podcasts, and emails. Another development you can use in your campaigns is augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality (VR), which can fully immerse your prospects. One way companies are using AR, for instance, is to project virtual samples of their products in a physical space that the user occupies. The projected model, for instance a piece of furniture, is to-scale and can be explored using the person's smartphone or tablet.

If you can create an unforgettable and one-of-a-kind experience that connects with each individual on a personal level, you'll go a long way in persuading them to turn to you over competitors.
Podcast Content

Podcasts are just as popular as they've ever been, long after surpassing the ancient iPods that gave them their namesake. If you want to engage audiences with audio content, podcasts are an invaluable tool to add to your roster. Spotify, SoundCloud, and Apple Music are simply a few of the many platforms that give you access to millions of podcast listeners.

Best of all, you can create a podcast for just about any topic imaginable, regardless of how niche--there's an audience for everything. Using podcasts, you can conduct interviews with industry authorities that audiences respect and trust, which can transfer some of that trust over to you. You can also use podcasts to discuss industry news, share relatable anecdotes, and generally give your business a human voice as you connect with listeners. Combined with video, podcasts are often integral to gaining audiences' trust and holding their attention.

Addressing Customer Concerns

Throughout 2021, people are likely to have concerns regarding the safety precautions you're taking and what they can expect from you in these uncertain times. Through your content, you can discuss steps you're taking to protect customers in-stores, or you may provide information about how your e-commerce experience will be affected due to increased demand or other circumstances.

Whether using a blog post, video, podcast, or email campaign, you can alert your customers to any updates and answer any questions they may have. Prospects, leads, and customers alike will appreciate the transparency and the fact that you're showing you care about their experience.

2021 and Beyond Impact:

Each of these content marketing trends will likely impact your plans in 2021 and the years ahead. Implementing each in your campaigns can help you connect with your audiences to bring them into the sales funnel, keep them engaged, and not only convert them into customers but keep them returning.

Want to chat more about the hottest trends for 2021 and beyond? Drop us a line at hello@seismicdigital.com and let’s start the conversation.