Sometimes it feels like all marketing is content marketing nowadays, doesnโt it? From blog posts to social media to video and live streams and email blasts and more, it seems like just about all you do to market your business nowadays falls under that broad umbrella. But all things considered, content marketing is still a fairly new concept and one that continues to grow and evolve every year, month, and even every day. As we approach the halfway point in 2022, what are some of the biggest content marketing trends and evolutions to keep on your radar and integrate into your business marketing plan?
Short-form video is still hot
To the surprise of few, video is still dominating content marketing in 2022, in all its forms. Video allows us a more visceral, human connection, especially when we see other faces on screen, creating a faster pathway to building trust and gaining interest. In fact, in 2021 video was the top media format among all content marketing strategies, and goes into 2022 with all the momentum that entails.
But amongst the various types of video, short-form video is becoming an increasingly important piece of content marketing and one that more and more businesses are beginning to pay attention to. Weโve discussed in-depth how important it is for your business to embrace TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and other types of short-form video, and also the relative accessibility of it.
Not only can it be hugely effective if targeted correctly, but short-form video requires far less professional equipment and production time/cost/energy than long-form video in the past. As long as what youโre crafting is engaging, informative, and honest, it continues to be a fantastic way to build your audience and your brand awareness.
Quality content yields big results
This should go without saying, but itโs always important to put out high-quality content that represents your brand. Thatโs just common sense, and as a business operator, youโre not accustomed to taking shortcuts on quality. However, in content marketing, quality means more than just proofreading your eblasts before hitting โsend.โย
In 2022, itโs more important than ever for the content you put out to be useful and relevant, even if it means cutting back slightly in terms of quantity. If youโre writing blog posts, for example,ย long-form (over 1,000-word) posts that provide usable and in-depth advice to your readers and potential customers builds trust and interest far more effectively than shorter or more generic posts, which are often dismissed by search users as โclickbaitโ or โnot worth the time.โย
Anything that just feels (even unintentionally) like keyword-stuffing will be a turn-off to those who you want to bring in as your customers, soo matter what type of content marketing you do, itโs vital to take the time and make that content the right way, even if you end up producing less of it in the long run.
Micro-influencers matterโif approached effectively
For many small and local businesses, influencer marketing can seem as unobtainable and unapproachable as running a Super Bowl ad. We hear stories of Kylie Jenner making $1,000,000 for a single Instagram post and imagine that this world of marketing is just shut off to all but the largest corporations out there. But influencer marketing is far more than just Hollywood celebrities; 2022 has seen the continued rise of micro-influencers; accounts with under 100,000 followers who may not have the reach of the major influencers, but whose voices have great power within their niches and whose rates are far more affordable.ย
The past decade has seen a rise in micro-targeted marketing, and you need to approach micro-influencers exactly the same way. Donโt just throw money at every smaller account desperate for a paycheck; do your research to find who are the trusted voices amongst your target audience, and team up to provide content that feels authentic to both your brand and their audience.ย
Treat customers as community
The 2020โs have been a genuinely chaotic decade so far; nobody would question that assertion. From the pandemic to new social movements to the continued proliferation of virtual connectivity, it feels like weโre almost redefining and rediscovering what it means to be humans in a community. And as culture goes, marketing follows.ย
New generations have high expectations that companies also serve as good stewards to their community, whether through explicitly supporting social justice to budgeting for charitable donations to making a concerted effort to treating their employees appropriately. And more than ever before, consumers are willing to speak up when they see what they perceive to be hypocrisy, shadowy behavior, or unethical decision-making from the companies they patronize.ย
More than just ethics though, perceived power structures are being flattened. Consumers demand far more accessibility and transparency from businessesโentire generations have lived a life where comment sections are open, CEOs are public figures, and mass communication has given them the power to affect change for good and for bad. If your company is continuing to keep your own customers at armโs length rather than bringing them in and engaging with them on their own terms, thatโs a missed opportunity to connect with your next generation of customers.
Content Marketing is still worthy of your investment
Believe it or not, there are still old-school marketers out there who genuinely believe that content marketing is still a flash-in-the-pan fad doomed to fade out at any moment. Donโt believe them! Research shows that 60% of marketing professionals are anticipating an increased content marketing budget for 2022 over 2021. And as a business operator and marketer, you know that when the clear majority of people are following a particular path, you need to pay attention.ย
Whether youโre looking to increase your investment in content marketing in 2022, adapt your current strategy to new content marketing trends, or even get started in content marketing altogether (itโs never too late!),, Skol Marketingโs team is here to help. For one-on-one guidance or to discuss how we can help your company make the most of its content marketing budget in 2022, please donโt hesitate to contact the local content marketing experts at Skol Marketing.
