Each year brings its own set of challenges and wins. For content marketers, there always seems to be a ton of new trends and technologies you need to keep up with to keep improving. From AI and SEO to interactive content, the last year of dealing with a pandemic while also seeing lots of digital enhancements means there’s a whole new set of developments to master.
As we’re halfway into 2021, we have a pretty good sense of what this year has meant for inbound marketing thus far. Here are seven key content writing trends you need to know about.
Content marketing is a hot topic in the business world. It’s not surprising – content is king, after all. As companies focus their budgets on online marketing campaigns, it’s important to keep up with what’s trending in content writing.
Of course, we can’t talk about 2021 trends without mentioning the big one: COVID-19. The pandemic is still with us, even though several cities and states are fully reopening, and more people are being vaccinated. However, there are still a lot of people working remotely, perhaps for good.
This means there’s a greater reliance on the cloud across industries, and marketers are taking advantage of cloud-based platforms for data storage, collaboration, writing and editing, and lots more. The cloud opens up new ways to collaborate and communicate, which can support the writing process.
With or without the pandemic, AI continues to be one of the biggest trends out there right now. Offices are streamlining workflows and changing the way they gather and use data thanks to AI. In content writing, AI is helping teams create better, quicker content and deliver more effective customer experiences.
Grammar and spelling checks just scratch the surface. AI can work alongside writers to create error-free, SEO-friendly content, and marketers can implement tools like virtual assistants and chatbots to engage website visitors.
Online content still requires close attention to SEO best practices, which can change in an instant. Keyword research is more advanced than ever and Google continues to update its algorithms. There is also a greater focus on evergreen keywords. These keywords help you create content focused on what kind of value and problem-solving you can deliver to customers both now and well into the future.
Since personalization is extremely important to today’s audiences, using targeted keywords is also a big SEO priority so that you can reach the right people at the right time. Brands are building full-on buyer personas to help them get to know the people behind their data.
People are on their mobile devices more than ever before, and the amount of time they’re interacting with videos is up. One study revealed that 27.2% of online viewers watch over 10 hours of video each week. Instead of brands delivering only blog posts and social media images, video is becoming more popular by the second.
Content creators are now creating video scripts that can be used in alignment with their current campaigns and promotions.
There is a big emphasis on delivering real value with marketing content instead of just boosting the bottom line. Customers are more scrutinizing than ever before, so messages need to be clear, genuine, and well-written.
Marketers should focus more on what problems they can solve versus how they can score a sale. Customers can recognize when they’re just being sold to, and they want to work with brands that show their care and support.
Once you post a piece of content, it doesn’t have to be done forever. Brands are recognizing the value of using the same content again and again with updated information. If one of your older blog posts did really well and continues to rank highly, consider repurposing that content to be relevant to today. This can save you money while allowing you to use content that is already optimized.
Give your old content a refresh and have a better chance of engaging not only your readers but also Google. Marketers are using this strategy in 2021 to keep their users engaged and their content flowing.
Content marketing is focusing more on the user experience alongside SEO strategies. For example, posting more interactive content on social media, like polls or questions, will engage audiences with more than just a headline.
These tactics also help you understand behaviors and priorities better since you can ask for feedback and track KPIs to see what kinds of posts most engage your followers. You can then understand how the user is experiencing and reacting to your content.
Consider what these seven trends mean for your brand and your content writing strategy. Perhaps it’s time to integrate some automation tools or take the time to create engaging videos. And always make sure you’re focusing on the value that users will be getting from your content.
When you need help creating tasty, custom content, go to the experts. ContentBacon helps you create a better inbound marketing strategy by focusing on the right content outlets and giving you the best copy around. Our professionals stay up on all the latest trends to create content that performs in today’s climate.
Check out our content subscription services or contact the ContentBacon team today to learn more about how we help businesses like you.