New year, fresh content.

2021 had us experience many trials and tribulations in all aspects of life, and the world of marketing didn’t fall short of its fair share.

With the rise of TikTok and more Influencers changing the way we push branding and messaging, good content has become the holy grail for brands who want to outshine their competitors.

The pandemic created a surge in e-commerce; consumers are still shopping online more than ever before. While trends come and go, marketers recognise how quickly everything can change and just how much the industry can be affected.

the future changes with every second

No marketing plan has been set in stone over the last few years. We have all had to adapt and think harder about how we approach the market. Regardless of the pandemic, digital transformation is going to happen every year, whether it be something groundbreaking or slightly out of the ordinary.

Every business will have a different content strategy that works for them, but there will be content marketing trends in 2022 that everyone needs to get on board with.

a greater content experience

To put it bluntly, consumers love experiences. Whether it be your brand image, impeccable customer loyalty offerings or engaging enhanced content, it’s important to remember that consumers’ desires and expectations change – it’s simply a sign of the times.

Marketers need to take the time to understand and research every version of their consumer, which comes as we learn more about the latest trends. Brands are spending more time developing their content that truly connects with the audience. Authenticity is almost non-negotiable in 2022. You’re going to need a dedicated strategy, plenty of time to invest in the planning stage and a team of talented content strategists.

take care of your content

Following on from content experiences, Google often introduces relevant core updates, core web vitals and page experience recommendations to guide businesses on best practices and how to become top of their game.

Google’s E-A-T principle stands for Expertise, Authority and Trust. The purpose of E-A-T is to produce content that includes the mentioned elements within the searchable content. Consumers want to know you have the expertise and authority to provide them with the correct knowledge, which, in turn, gains their trust.

in brands, we trust

While we gradually move forward and get back to a relatively pre-pandemic way of life, many aspects of the last two years are coming with us for the ride. Empathetic marketing is just one of them, and we can expect to see it become more of a staple in 2022.

It’s time to talk to your consumers as humans and not just potential clients or buyers. Consider creating content that evokes relevant emotion and can solve problems or queries. Ask yourself who your consumers are, think about your target audience, their wants and needs and produce a content strategy that meets both.

videos say more than words

We’ve discussed just how exciting the world of video marketing has become – and it’s only going to get more interesting. In 2020, 96% of consumers increased their online video consumption, and 9 out of 10 watchers confirmed that they would like to see more videos from brands and businesses.

Video content can develop a more in-depth link between the viewer and the content you produce. In such a time-poor generation, you need to grasp attention almost immediately for the audience to consume any media on your website. When done correctly, video marketing can entice your audience to find out more.

2022 calls for a refined approach with new trends on the horizon:

short-form content – stories and reels

With TikTok becoming the most popular social platform and Instagram close behind, stories and reels are still the most consumed type of video content. Hopping on the bandwagon and producing informative short-form content will feed consumers shorter attention spans and get to the point without taking up too much of their time.

increase interactions

As videos continue to grow, the way you edit them can add a boost. Interactive videos that include clickable features such as a call to action allow viewers to interact with more of your content without any additional work.

Interactive content works in all aspects of marketing. The use of interactive content to enhance static content will provide a much more appealing experience for your audience and will keep them on your website for longer.

It’s the same for social media; introducing polls or interactive quizzes encourage users to get involved, give their opinions, invest time on your page and hopefully follow up on your website. You can even repurpose your old content into interactive assets to make the most of it.

make it personal

Hopefully, almost every business knows by now that personalisation in marketing is important – but it’s time to take it one step further. Referring to customers by their name is a nice touch, but hyper-personalisation requires knowledge of the individual’s wants, needs and overall preferences.

The process of hyper-personalisation includes analysing data and utilising it to create a more data-driven approach to your marketing – curating unique interactions with each customer and catering content to match their buyer personas.

audio content is rising

The rise of video doesn’t mean podcasts are a dying notion. Podcasts are a great way for people to consume content while multitasking. You can listen to episodes while at the gym, commuting to work or during chores without having to pay any real attention. We expect more businesses will follow in the footsteps of podcasts by offering branded audio content in 2022.

ever-changing reality – AI and augmented

Artificial intelligence and augmented reality have progressively impacted the marketing industry. AI can be used in collaboration with humans to create better marketing strategies while saving time and improving results. The use of AI will go hand in hand with hyper-personalisation activity and data analysis as we progress into 2022.

Augmented reality is advancing as we become more knowledgeable in technology. Due to the equipment and budget required, AR is still a slow-moving trend that businesses are adopting as and where necessary. As they become more accessible, such as augmented reality apps, it will become easier for businesses to incorporate AR into their marketing strategy.

In terms of content, you need to tell a compelling story to encourage users to engage with AR features – this might be creating copy that is exciting and self-explanatory along with clear and concise calls to action.

visual content is key

Readers need something engaging to cling to if you want their attention. No one will read a social media update without an exciting image to accompany it. Creating infographics will combine text and imagery in one visual piece, optimising user experience from retaining information to delving deeper.

Infographic content displays the important snippets of data to get your information across in a more straightforward way. One glimpse at an infographic can tell consumers everything they need to know without reading a novel.

Have you got your content marketing strategy ready for the unexpected in 2022? As we see trends come and go, it is time to get fully on board with what is to come in the upcoming year.

Watch this space, as well as offering a full-service marketing solution, at Rooster Marketing we also have our very own content strategy and management tool in the works to get you ahead of the game. Get in touch with us today to discuss your content strategy.