Creating interesting, engaging, and shareable content for your website, blog, or social media pages is at the core of good content marketing. While that tenet has remained constant for the last two decades, the content types, creation techniques, and delivery methods tend to change over the years.
To be as successful as possible with your content marketing, it’s important to understand and make use of the current trends. You can stay on track this month with some of the latest developments we’ve outlined below.
1. Increased focus on customer/viewer retention.
In the past, it’s been tempting to see how many new viewers you can attract with your content. Not anymore. You’ll now find an increased value in building a relationship with repeat viewers. Content marketers are increasingly realizing the many benefits of making sure that their existing audience is happy and returning for more content.
According to “Forbes” magazine, some benefits of focusing on customer retention include:
- More repeat customers
- More customer recommendations Stronger brand loyalty
- Establishing yourself as an expert in your field
- Becoming the go-to brand for what you offer
How do you keep your customers and viewers coming back for more? You can try things like:
- Creating a VIP group on your social media platforms and offer them “exclusive” content, event entry, and product previews
- Developing interactive content, where they can share their ideas and suggestions in real time
- Solicit user-generated content (within certain parameters) to help them feel like they’re a part of the brand
2. Increased use of live events and webinars.
With so many people working from home in 2020 and still in 2021, there is a real demand for live-streamed events. Live-streaming helps viewers enjoy an event’s energy and vibe from the safety of their own homes.
Webinars have also become increasingly popular. They help viewers grasp information more easily and readily than they might if they simply read the same information. Webinars are especially effective for tips, suggestions, and how-tos.
The use of live events and webinars is adaptable to nearly any industry. Even the smallest company with the most limited marketing budget can make use of these formats. All you need is a good internet connection, some decent lighting, and someone in your organization who’s not afraid to stand up in front of the camera.
The easiest way to use live events and webinars is to take advantage of tools like Facebook Live and YouTube.
For best results, make sure:
- You have a script or at least an outline; viewers are quick to exit if you start to ramble and veer off topic
- You start your event or webinar on time; you’ll lose viewers if they have to wait around for the broadcast to start
- You’re authentic, showing a passion for your topic
The ability to connect authentically and exhibit passion are some of the best aspects of live content. Both help to build a bond with your subscribers.
3. Repurposing content across your marketing channels.
If you’re like most content marketing professionals, you manage several channels—websites, blogs, email newsletters, and social media pages. When you’ve invested time and money into quality content, you want as many people as possible to see that content.
You can get even more mileage from your content with the art of repurposing. Repurposing your content doesn’t mean copying and pasting it on your different pages. That tactic is bound to backfire. Not only could it have a negative impact on your search rankings, but your loyal readers would be bored to tears. No one wants to see the exact same content on each of your channels at the same time.
Repurposing content means finding creative ways to reuse existing content for something else. Examples can include:
- Creating a video out of the most popular blog post on your website
- Creating a blog post out of your most popular video
- Transforming content from an e-book into a webinar, or series of webinars
- Transforming content from a webinar into an e-book
- Using short sections of a long-form blog post as social media posts
- Joining together a series of social media posts to create a “best of” long-form blog post
Staying on top of the latest content marketing techniques and trends can be time consuming. But it’s also a must if you want to stay in the game. You’ll find some of the savviest content marketing tips at WriterAccess Academy, which offers dozens of sessions led by content marketing superstars. Access to WA Academy is included with your platform subscription, and you can check it out now with a 14-day free trial.
