Content marketing isn’t a new idea. In fact, it has been around a few centuries longer than the internet itself.
Over 120 years ago, in 1900, the Michelin tire company created the famous Michelin Guide. It was a 400-page booklet offering drivers information on automobile maintenance, hotels around the country, and travel advice.
In 1900, there were only about 2,200 cars on the roads in France. However, the Michelin company distributed 35,000 copies of the first edition of the Michelin Guide for free.
Why did Michelin produce something so extravagant for such a small market?
Simple, they were creating demand for their tire products.
The idea behind the Michelin Guide was that people would be more likely to travel in their cars using the guidebook, which would wear out their tires sooner.
This 200-year-old example of content marketing is still relevant today. It shows that by sharing valuable information that helps customers in your target market, you can attract more business.
It also displays the long-term thinking that is required to succeed with content marketing.
What Works in Content Marketing in 2022?
The same things that have worked for years still work today. The content format might be different, but the principle is the same. The biggest difference today that affects your marketing efforts is that it is much more competitive than it has ever been. Thanks to the spread of the user generated content online, every marketer must work harder than ever.
Many businesses today try to find hacks and tricks to rank better in Google or to get people to visit their website. Here are eight content marketing trends to be aware of in 2022.
Long-Form Content Is The Most Valuable Content
Twenty years ago, it didn’t matter how long your blog posts and content pieces were.
That was because most websites didn’t have valuable information. Wikipedia, which launched in 2001, changed all that. Educational content has taken over most of the internet today, and is part of most content marketing efforts.
Today, the optimal blog post length is between 1000 to 3000 words.
Long-form content is much more information-packed and contains a lot more keyword density for the search engines to better index the content.
Google SERP results tend to favor long-form blog posts, and the average word count of blog posts on the first page of search results has an average of 1890 words per post.
You can even find some sites that aim to create pillar content around a specific topic. Pillar posts can be between 3000 and 20,000 words, which are as long as an ebook. Every content marketer working today has to compete with this level of dedication and make it part of their strategy.
Another characteristic of long-form blog posts is that they are evergreen, meaning the information is going to be valuable over the long term. People may not read the entire post in one sitting, but they know it’s a great resource to return to.
Long-form written content will keep readers on your website for longer and will help them build trust with your brand. They will see your site as a valuable source of information. And the next time your readers are looking for similar advice or information, they’ll immediately turn to your brand for more knowledge.
Keep in mind, however, that you should not just write to write a 3000-word blog article if the content isn’t going to be easy to read, relevant, or useful for your target market.
While you should strive to write content that’s longer than 1,000 words, you must do so with purpose. Answer people’s questions and aim to give them something they can use right away to improve their life or business.
Blog Content is Mobile-Optimized
It’s incredible to realize that mobile devices today account for 48% of web page views worldwide.
For this reason, writing blog posts for mobile viewers on phones and tablets is crucial.
In 2022, blog posts viewed on a mobile device must be structured in a simple, easy-to-read format. Ideally, they should feature bite-sized chapters so people can read the posts easily.
Many people don’t sit down to read a post on a computer screen anymore. They skim through articles on their phone during lunch break, waiting around for an appointment.
To make your content mobile-friendly, you must include plenty of white space. This readability strategy is a key to mobile-responsive blog post design and makes sure that the writing can be absorbed on a small screen.
Content Creation is at an All-Time High
Most savvy brands are no longer posting poorly researched, low-quality content. Instead, the best companies are willing to invest in quality research and freelance writing that will provide longer, more informative blog pieces that provide real value.
A recent survey shows that 56% of bloggers obtained better results when they spent over six hours creating a blog post.
Six hours may sound like a long time; however, remember that the goal is to create an evergreen, data-rich piece of blog writing. Think of the long-form content pieces as an investment in your online real estate.
Before researching and writing a specific blog article, you must spend time analyzing the target audience to determine which questions to answer, and which search intent to match.
Some brands spend time developing a buyer persona to better personalize the content they create. This is a wise move, because if the content you create doesn’t interest your audience, then it’s not worth writing.
Skimmable Content Helps Create Customers
While long-form content is valuable to build trust and to rank well in the SERPs, you shouldn’t ignore creating short-form content.
Because so many people skim through content on their mobile devices, short-form skimmable content that can be quickly absorbed is also a content marketing trend in 2022.
Fast Company recently discovered that a simple Facebook update can make for the most memorable writing in our content-overloaded world.
Mini-blog posts or visual posts such as infographics can be quickly consumed by readers like a snack. While they aren’t as satisfying as the long-form blog posts, they can give your readers the essential information that they crave in the moment.
You can use small quotes or ideas from your longer-form content as pieces of short-form content. This kind of content repurposing is a brilliant way to get full value from your content library.
To create skimmable content, aim to write snippets between 100 – 300 words. Add visuals or short video clips to make them more interesting. You can upload these bite-size content pieces as status updates on sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. They can help give quick reminders of your value as to your followers and keep you top of mind.
While a lot of your online audience will appreciate skimmable content posts, don’t expect them to rank well in Google like your long-form blog posts.
Add value to such posts with the incorporation of quick videos and attention-grabbing graphics, which can be consumed easily. And we’ll get to the importance of including visuals in a bit!
Video Content Is Becoming Crucial
You’ve probably noticed that your consumption of video content has increased in the past few years. Online video content consumption increases by 100% every year.
In 2022, some of the most popular Google search results are video-based. With Google owning YouTube, this is no surprise.
According to Forbes, over 80 percent of online marketers are already using video in their content marketing strategies.
Of course, your written content is still crucial to communicate with your audience. But in the online world, video can help communicate on more levels. The visual and audio elements help build greater trust with an audience, especially if you can learn to do video marketing well.
Including a video in a blog post helps to deliver ideas more succinctly in a quicker amount of time. When paired with well-organized, useful written content, your video content enables you to stand out from the competition.
New customers who are considering your products and services will gain a great deal of trust by watching you and your team on video.
You can also use video content to share product demonstrations and customer testimonials that can help future clients and customers make the right decision.
Best of all, getting video content set up for your business is a lot easier and costs a lot less than even five years ago. The technology available in 2022 allows most business owners to record, edit, and deliver professional-level videos.
Interactive Content is The Most Interesting
Every social media platform is focused on content personalization. Every user on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter has a completely unique content experience.
Traditional marketing focuses on lead generation or brand awareness. But content marketing is more focused on user engagement and interactions. Every content marketing strategy should include ways to interact with the people you are trying to reach.
Interactive content is a commonly used content strategy for influencer marketing. Visual content and interactive content such as small instagram surveys in stories can be an excellent way to attract attention and grow engagement. Asking your followers to leave a comment or specific reaction is also another way to grow interactivity on your static content.
High Content Frequency is Essential
Once you’re creating both long-term content and short-form skimmable content for your blog, it’s essential to keep up the frequency of posts.
Yes, content marketing can feel like it takes a lot of time, money, and effort. But the benefit is that if you post consistently, you’ll become a recognizable source of valuable information within your field.
With time, your current customers and prospects will trust your brand to provide them with the information they’re seeking.
Becoming a reliable source of quality information for customers puts you ahead of your competitors. And best of all, most of your competitors won’t make an effort to do it, so you will get ahead faster.
Creating a content calendar can help you stay on track. If you plan to post weekly, you are looking at about 2-6 hours of work per week to deliver. If you can work up to posting content three times a week, you can expect to spend 5-10 hours creating content.
Outsourcing Content Writing Is on the Rise
Many companies who want to start doing content marketing don’t have the need or resources for a full-time in-house content writer.
A lot of businesses are looking at ways to hire freelance content writers instead of creating all the content themselves.
Businesses can save time and money when it comes to keyword research, content topic generation, content writing and production, social media marketing, and SEO optimization by hiring experts to do the work.
The nice part about outsourcing your content writing is that you still get the credit. Your brand still gets to be the experts and to grow your online reach.
There are many different ways to hire a content writer if you are considering outsourcing your blog writing. To make it easier, there are also many different content writing services to choose from. Each has pros and cons, and are worth researching before you decide who to work with.
Paid Content Promotion Brings Results
Researching, planning, and writing blog content pieces is only half the work. To gain real traffic for your website, you need to engage with potential readers.
In an overcrowded marketplace, you need to think of ways to get your content pieces in front of more eyeballs.
It’s likely your company already has its own social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, so these are great places to start.
You can even create sponsored posts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and even LinkedIn if you can afford a small advertising budget.
The nice part about doing some paid promotion for your content is that you can customize it to your target audience. This targeted approach means you’re only paying for the right people to click on your website.
Keep up with Content Marketing Trends
When it comes to content marketing, it’s essential to understand that the approaches are continually evolving. Content marketing statistics are growing by the day, and in 2022, any marketing funnel needs content as part of the strategy.
To keep up to date and consistently produce high-quality written and video content that will build engagement and rank highly in search engines, it’s vital to stay connected with the trends in content marketing.
Sites like Techmeme, Search Engine Journal, and Marketing Land can be a great place to start.
Become a student of content marketing, and learn how the best businesses and content creators are growing their online reach and revenue.
Most of all, keep experimenting with new ways to add more value to your audience, and you will find that your business starts to grow more trust and customers over time.