Content Marketing Trends: Here’s What to Focus on in 2022

17th May 2022

Content marketing has come a long way in the last few years. Gone are the days when you could just launch a website, pay for ads, and expect people to come your way. The latest trends in content marketing are far more nuanced, involving more relevance and precision. Even SEO experts these days consider Content marketing to be as important as other tasks which help websites to grow in search engines.

People have had enough of half-hearted pieces of content. They look for visual events, video content, or any type of solid editorial plan in place, well-mixed with all different content types. In the hopes of better and value-rich content, marketers need to think of consistent blog content, video content, visual content, and a social media strategy well-made for substantial audience engagement. 

Content continues to be king in 2022, and when it’s done right, it can drive brand awareness, demand, and revenue. But how can you do it right? Take note of these trends. 

Value-driven & hard to find content 

People are blasted with different types of content until noon, meaning that they will grow more picky when choosing where their attention goes. 

Expert marketers believe this can have an impact on how brands distribute content. In other words, people will be less motivated to share their data in exchange for average or low-value content, so brands need to become more transparent. 

 Value-driven should sell the brand’s value proposition, build up the brand and cultivate a relationship with the audience along the way. Unique content is important to your brand for five reasons: 

  • To reflect your brand’s purpose 
  • To support SEO strategies 
  • To provide answers 
  • To boost engagement 
  • To build trust 

Brands looking to rise to the top should always think of the end consumer when producing content. They also need to think about how the content will benefit them in the long run, not just for a few weeks of fame. 

More interactive, fun & engaging content 

Interactive content is fun and can really convince people that your brand is worthy of their time. Not for nothing nearly 81% of marketers agree that interactive content turns heads more efficiently than static forms of content. And that’s due to its ability to be personalised to a great extent, even in real-time. Even so, the dynamic nature of interactive content has all the potential to increase user engagement. 

Unlike static content, interactive content does a great job at generating leads. If you ask any expert digital marketing agency what content people seek to be convinced of, they will all tell you that interactive experiences like quizzes, chatbots, calculators, and polls offer people real value in exchange for their time. 

Video content is here to stay 

In the last two years, video has been the rising start when it comes to effective and popular forms of content. In 2022, video content is here to stay.

In fact, the need for video will grow in importance, and finding ways to stand out with this form of content may be one of the biggest challenges. 

A report from HubSpot shows that 59% of marketers surveyed already use video in their marketing strategies, and up to 76% of them call video “their most efficient content format.” Why does video content turn so many heads? When done correctly, this form of content creates a deeper connection and captures the viewer’s attention more readily. 

Speaking of trends, one of the loudest when it comes to video content in 2022 is the use of short-form content. 

Viewers lack patience and are increasingly short on time, and getting to the point in the shortest time possible is becoming highly valuable. By keeping your video content informative, you not only show respect for your audience but also help them decide in a short amount of time.  

Increased adoption of AI 

We’ve seen a massive adoption of chatbots over the last few years, and it’s not news that this trend is set to continue as AI gets smarter. Semrush shows that 40% of sales and marketing departments prioritise AI technology and machine learning for their success more than other sectors. And here’s why. 

AI gives them the necessary means to automate content production and have it perfectly personalised at the same time. It’s a great combination that brings out a unique level of customization in marketing. The adoption of AI gives brands a significant edge in the war for new audiences, driving up sales and revenue. At the same time, advertisers are finding more and more that using AI-powered tools helps them gain better insights into consumer behaviour. 

The key to growth is reaching the right people at the right time with the right message. Often, this is done by hiring a professional SEO agency in London or elsewhere to conduct market research and determine what people are concerned about. Segmenting that information and creating something from it that you can serve to your audience is crucial if you want to give people a reason to stay on your page. This is where AI comes in – predicting and distributing content around those topics with pinpoint precision. 

Personalization and hyper-personalization 

Earlier this year, we saw massive customization of messages and information to generate leads and improve engagement. As people have already got familiar with this standard personalization, brands are seeking out the best way to showcase their understanding of customers’ buying journey. 

However, hyper-personalization in digital marketing goes much deeper than just calling subscribers by name. It taps into their individual preferences, needs, and wants. Hyper-personalization relies massively on data, AI, analytics, and automation to create unique interactions with customers. Marketers can build accurate personas for each customer and cater content towards certain products, languages, and marketing channels. We can see examples of hype-personalization in Netflix’s movie/show recommendations which are based on your recent viewing history.