Top content marketing trends in 2021

Just like any other type of marketing, content marketing tends to develop in line with the technology developments and customer preferences. Not long ago, content marketing was all about creating interesting blog posts and ensuring that they are SEO friendly. But, nowadays, content marketing entails a bit more. To help prepare you for the future, we are going to take a more in-depth look into content marketing trends in 2021.

Content marketing trends in 2021

Once you get a bit more understanding of content marketing in general you'll soon see that none of the trends that emerge is accidental. They are often driven by technological advancements, customer preference or world events. Therefore, if you manage to get a deeper understanding of content marketing, you might be able to foresee what the future trends will be like. Of course, no one can actually see into the future, as surprising events do happen. But, overall, content marketing is far less unpredictable or random than people tend to believe.

Competition is only getting fiercer

While COVID-19 has had and continues to have, various impacts on content marketing, there is one we would like to emphasize. That is that competition in 2021 has grown exponentially.

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Today, if you do not have a decent online presence, you practically don't exist. Due to lockdowns and development in shipping technologies, online buying has become somewhat of a norm. Even if your business is catered to your local customers, you need to have a decent online presence so that they will look you up and do business with you. As companies have pretty much accepted this as a fact, competition has become quite fierce, even for local markets.

There is no difference between content and user experience

Not long ago, you could talk about content creation and user experience as separate entities. But now, they've become so intertwined that they've essentially become inseparable. If you wish to have engaging content, you need to always keep user experience in mind. Only by doing so can you actually draw in the viewer's attention and give your content a chance to engage them.

On the other hand, when you design the user experience on your website, you will likely rely on your content. Of course, website design and layout are both important parts of UX. But the main kick comes from having interesting content and presenting it in a digestible way.

Increased personalization

Catering to your target audience has been a necessity in content marketing for several years. If you wish to get any amount of quality online traffic you need to outline your target audience and optimize your content for them. And, while this remains true to this day, it is important to note that further steps have been made when it comes to customer engagement.

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Namely, in order to get a decent retention rate and actually build a relationship with your customers, you need to personalize your content. This means carefully studying your customers and seeing how you can set up your content so that it speaks to them. This is mostly done through promotional content and targeted email marketing. But it can also be done through short blogs and informative videos. Whatever tool you use, it is becoming more and more important to study your customers carefully. That way you can predict their needs and seemingly present them with just the right content at the right time.

Using different types of content

Written content is still a vital part of any website's online presence. In order to elaborate on what your website is about, and what service/product you provide, you need to utilize blog posts. And to help promote your CTAs, pages are still the go-to option. But, while written content is relevant, it is important to diversify your content type.

Story content. Video content. Animations. These are just some of the many viable options. And seeing how fierce the competition is, you really ought to use any type of content available. One of the important things to keep in mind is that most audiences prefer a specific type of content. And they prefer it in a specific format. For instance, if you plan on engaging a younger audience, you need to consider making short videos. For the more mature people, informative story content tends to be the best choice. And if you are creating content for experienced professionals, written content combined with animations gives the best results. Your job is to see what type of content works and utilize it to maximum effect.

Streaming video content

One, surprisingly effective type of content is streaming video content. Namely, if you really want to draw in an audience, it is not enough to simply present them with interesting content. A good idea is to layer a sense of urgency and opportunity over your content. That way your audience feels special for witnessing it. Here is where streaming video content comes in. While absorbing it, users feel different than they would when absorbing standard content no matter what type it is. There is just something about live, unfiltered content that gives a sense of presence and non-applicability. This is one of the reasons why Twitch streamers and Instagram Lives are so successful.

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Final thoughts

If you plan on tackling online marketing in the near future it is important that you understand the content marketing trends in 2021. Even if they become obsolete in the near future, it is important to know why they came about and what changes they brought. Only by doing so will you be able to stay ahead of the curve and find marketing success. When it comes to content creation, we would like to emphasize personalization and type variety. Story content, in particular, is becoming more and more utilized, as platforms like StorifyMe provide a way to make any kind of story you want.