Ms. Kachan, what are the main trends that shape content marketing nowadays?
The first trend is community marketing. Many brands start acting as community builders and creating a favorable environment where the like-minded can connect and interact. Social media, online events, voice channels – there are so many ways to create this environment.
The second trend is sustainability-oriented content. COVID-19 has become a serious global problem that triggered sustainability thinking. Many rethought their values and started filling their lives with a purpose. It also means that brands with a social or environmental mission behind their products are more likely to earn the consumer trust and dominate the market. Consequently, sustainability-oriented content is now gaining momentum.
Voice marketing is one of the most innovative digital marketing trends in 2021. I believe that voice technology will greatly affect the future of business. Brands should get ready for this and start incorporating voice marketing today. Companies can consider community marketing on voice platforms like Discord, Telegram, and Clubhouse. Voice SEO, audio podcasts, and voice-repurposed blog content are a few more ideas for implementing voice marketing.
In your opinion, how can a digital marketer keep brands safe and relevant?
Brands need to stay in touch with their consumers and provide them with the opportunity to reach out to them easily. If they do, people are more likely to share suggestions on improvements and report problems. Digital marketers can encourage consumers to share their feedback via surveys, polls, and questionnaires on a website and social media.
How to deliver hyper-relevant content that maximizes brand reach?
Just listen to your customers regularly. Brands must have an in-depth understanding of their audience. Social listening tools can be helpful here. Follow the trends, brands, and thought leaders that your customers are keen on or hire a representative of your audience to guide you on messaging and strategy. For example, some global brands accomplish this by hiring Gen Z strategists who help them understand their Gen Z consumers.
How to reuse content when developing a content strategy?
It’s essential to meet your audience on platforms where they are the most active. So, the first step is adjusting content for specific requirements of every social media platform. You can also consider repurposing how-to articles into explainer videos, LinkedIn carousel posts and infographics, which are now very popular.
In your opinion, how did 2020 change the different aspects of digital marketing (creative content, for example)?
In 2020, COVID-19 amplified social and economic problems that we had before. People became more conscious of the world’s future. It’s reflected in their social media activity, as well as in the content of brands they follow. Trends of sustainability, green consumerism, and social movements like “Black lives matter” or “Stop Asian Hate” are several manifestations of this. Many digital artists have supported these tendencies, so we also see them manifested in visual content online even more often.
