People engaged in internet marketing have to keep track of what content resonates with their audience. Knowledge of trends helps to build a successful strategy for the company for the next year. When a marketer or copywriter understands what information product to create, it is easier to achieve the goals set by the business.
Content Marketing in 2021: Development Trends
In a simplified form, the three pillars of content marketing development look like this:
- Visualization.
- Personalization.
- Interactive content.
People choose content that is visual, easy to read, and they can rate and comment.
Visualization
Content visualization is the undeniable trend of 2021. During the isolation period, the audience of video services made up 90% of all Internet users. “Instagram”, “TikTok”, YouTube – views have increased significantly. People watch entertainment videos as well as informational and educational videos. If a person needs to know the technical features of a gadget or household appliances, he would rather watch a review or unpack a product on YouTube than look for a long read with a detailed text description of the product. For the answer to the question “how to make or use something”, users also go to watch the video, and not read the step-by-step instructions. To build a successful business strategy, companies need to look at creating expert videos.
Personalization
Internet users actively respond to what they are really interested in, evokes emotions. To make personalized offers in advertising, internet marketers need to know the interests of potential customers, and content creators need to understand what words to use to describe a product or service and be able to choose the right tone and style of communication.
One of the main trends in the development of content marketing in 2021 is the replacement of the presentation style from business to conversational. The style of storytelling directly affects the perception of a person, so a simple and friendly manner of presenting a product inspires more consumer confidence. Here it is important not to overdo, so as not to go beyond the permissible limits and not get a reaction that is opposite to the desired one. Familiarity and flirting cause rejection.
Interactive Content
Nowadays, users choose content with which they can interact: like / dislike, leaves a review, write a comment, share material, take a quiz, take part in a game. People return to places where the opportunity to test the material and discuss is open more than once. For example, a regular calculator on a delivery site allows you to delay a visitor and collect useful data.
Interactive, user engagement in content creation is the trend of 2021. For example, the creators of GoPro are encouraging their customers to upload cool videos on YouTube to share with the world. This is an unusual form of feedback: involving users in creating content made the product famous and as popular as possible.
How 2020 Events Affected Content Marketing
Pandemic, crisis, isolation have reshaped the market all over the world and not just in Australia. Businesses felt the limitations in the real world acutely and realized that the virtual world has no boundaries, so they will have to go online. 2020 was a watershed year for internet marketing in general and content marketing in particular.
The digital world has undergone changes: competition has increased, the struggle for audience attention has intensified, and topics that interest people have changed. Internet marketers had to look for new tools to attract attention to a product. All this happened against the background of a decrease in incomes, savings on consumers – it became more difficult to sell, as well as to get into the list of those goods and services that the consumer is ready to spend money on even during the crisis.
At the same time, 2020 brought positive moments: for example, the time spent by potential customers on the network increased. Users spend more time in streaming services, social media, instant messengers. All trends in the marketing market are shifting to where the focus of the target audience is. According to analysts, the most growing platforms are Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, Reddit.
Knowing the interests of users helps marketers tailor content to their needs. The topics of combating COVID-19, health, remote work, social distancing, and the development of contactless services have become relevant. Video and audio content has become trendy, short but meaningful text materials on popular topics have become in demand.
Content Formats in 2021
Analysts have identified several content formats that will remain trending in 2021:
Storytelling
Many people perceive storytelling as an art genre associated with writing. In fact, this is an alternative to standard info-texts, drily listing the characteristics of goods or describing services. Instead of an informational text describing “high-tech products”, the reader is offered a life situation in which they demonstrate how the product works: this is how our tool is being repaired, but how flawless it looks after several years of use. Storytelling shows how cool it is to use a product sold or manufactured by a company.
Podcasts
In 2020, analysts noted an increase in music and podcast listening rates of nearly 40%. Voice content will be in demand in 2021.
Video
In post-view 2021, the trend of getting product and service information from YouTube will increase. People need to see a product with their own eyes to figure out whether they need it or not. In conditions of partial or complete isolation, videos on YouTube or TikTok help in this.
Photo
Photo content is organically integrated into the text. For example, a culinary recipe can be placed in photo format with capacious captions, with graphic highlighting of the sequence of work with arrows. The second option is attracting more readers today.
Also, don’t forget about the design. It is a crucial part of user experience and content marketing. Professional web designers from Perth can help you to bring your design to perfection.
Educational Materials
They are created in a variety of formats: video reviews, podcasts, text content. It is important that they are interesting, logically structured, and short.
Messengers. WhatsApp, Viber, Facebook Messenger are slowly but surely transforming from communication applications into communication channels between business and audience. Searching for customers, keeping in touch with them, informing them about new products and special offers, receiving feedback is just a small part of the tasks that can be solved through instant messengers. It is worth taking advantage of the growing popularity of this format in 2021.
Newsletters
Newsletters are an important personalization tool when you can contact the user in person. They will not lose their relevance in 2021.
Conclusion
Content marketing is an essential tool for running a successful business. The purpose of posting content on the web is to make the internet user part of the conversion scenario.
In order for the material posted on the network to have an effect, its creators need to work systematically and consciously, first develop a business strategy and content plan.
