11 Content Marketing Trends to Keep An Eye On in 2022
Content marketing is a wildly competitive arena, that’s why brands need to implement strategies that will allow them to stand out from the crowd. Brands need to do whatever it takes to remain relevant and get in front of the right audience. However, when you consider that the content marketing industry is forever evolving, this can sometimes feel like an uphill battle. You don’t want to invest time and money in the wrong places. Luckily, content marketing doesn’t have to be a guessing game. You can better map out your strategy for the year ahead when you consider top content marketing trends and begin incorporating them. Why It’s Important to Monitor Content Marketing Trends Before we dive into the top content marketing trends of 2022, you might be wondering if following what’s trending is worth it. While it’s smart to focus on implementing the strategies you know are effective for your brand, it’s also important to experiment. Being open to trying new things could help you discover other clever tactics for getting your brand out into the world. Here are a few reasons why you want to be aware of the trends: It Tells You What’s Happening in the Industry: Don’t ignore what’s happening in your industry, or you’ll quickly fall behind your competitors. It’s better to be aware of the directions of trends so you can adapt your strategy accordingly. Your Content Marketing Strategy Won’t Get Stale: Doing the same old thing all the time will get boring fast, for both you and your audience. If you’re looking to freshen things up, try experimenting with a new idea. It’ll be exciting to create something different and will give your audience fresh content to enjoy. Then, you can see what resonates most with them. It Could Help You Reach a Whole New Audience: Introducing a new medium to your content marketing strategy (like podcasting when you’ve strictly published blogs) can help you reach a much wider audience. You’ll generate more brand awareness that could lead to massive success. 11 Content Marketing Trends to Keep an Eye On in 2022 For 2022, 66% of marketers expected to increase their content marketing budget compared to 2021. Especially since content marketing is a powerful way to reach your target audience, drive conversions, and grow your business. But to use it effectively, you need to know where to direct your attention. Here are 11 content marketing trends to watch this year: 1. Greater Focus on Value-Driven Content When it comes to your inbound strategy, value-driven content is where it’s at. People are more receptive to content when there’s something in it for them versus when you’re focused on pitching an offering. That’s a turn-off that will send people running from your website. Now more than ever, being of service to your audience is essential. Instead of thinking about what’s in it for you, think about how you can provide readers, viewers, and listeners with content they’ll genuinely enjoy. To do this, create content on topics that will resonate with your target audience. Focus on providing a solution to their biggest pain points. Then, provide tremendous value that will position you as an expert immediately. Show them that you’re knowledgeable on the topic at hand and establish trust. This is a long-term game, but you can reap major rewards. It’ll help you develop a strong connection with your audience, while you step into the role of a thought leader in your industry. 2. Short-Form Video is Getting Top Priority Mirroring the success of TikTok, Meta launched Instagram Reels in 2020 and then brought the feature to Facebook in 2021. All three of these options are focused on short-form video. TikTok allows users to create videos up to three minutes long, although it is also rolling out 10-minute videos. Meanwhile, Instagram and Facebook have kept videos limited to the one-minute mark. Considering both TikTok and Instagram Reels have seen great success, it’s no wonder many brands are jumping on board. TikTok hit one billion active users in September 2021, with creators using it to share entertaining videos, dances, pranks, and more. And since influencers see an engagement rate of nearly 18% (consistently higher than Instagram and YouTube), it seems to be paying off. Over on Instagram, Reels are showing a 22% higher engagement rate than regular videos. If you haven’t yet jumped on board with short-form video on one of these platforms, start thinking about it. Brands can share actionable tips and tricks, helpful advice, or even behind-the-scenes content to build relationships. All are great options to use these one-to-three-minute video platforms. 3. Podcasting is Still a Worthwhile Avenue In 2021, U.S. consumers reportedly listened to 15 billion hours of podcasts. This statistic shows that podcasting isn’t going away anytime soon. And with the introduction of platforms like Clubhouse and Twitter Spaces, brands have been sparked to incorporate audio into their content strategies. While Clubhouse and Twitter Spaces offer an easy way to get started with audio content, podcasting is for those ready to get serious about this medium. Podcasting allows you to build a house to store all your audio conversations, which is often preferable when you consider they’ll ultimately expire on Clubhouse and Twitter Spaces. With a podcast, your content can live on for a long time. Podcasting is a fantastic way to generate more awareness for your brand and position yourself as an authority in your field by sharing valuable content. Not only that, but 60% of podcast listeners said they searched for a product after hearing it mentioned in a podcast. So, you can use this to drive sales effectively for your brand’s products and services. 4. Content Audits Will Become a Necessity If you’re not already conducting regular audits of your content, you’re missing out. This is one of the content marketing trends you simply cannot avoid if you want to get the most bang for your buck from the work you’re publishing. Content audits allow you to do a … Read more
