Content marketing is not going anywhere. In fact, it’s only growing in importance as the number of content creators and publishers grows exponentially. 2021 was a year of many changes, and the content marketing industry was one of the few that flourished during this time.

The reason for this is simple: people were still stuck at home and had to find other ways to entertain themselves, find relevant information, and, most importantly, stay connected to others. As a result, they started spending more time on their phones and computers than ever before.

This means that if you want your business to succeed in 2022, you need a good content marketing strategy. Let’s take a look at the top 7 content trends you should embrace this year:

#1 Shoppable content is the most convenient way to buy products

How do you make the most of your digital advertising dollars? By getting the content in front of the right audience at the right time. That’s what shoppable content does.

Shoppable content is usually a social media post, image, video, or ad that people can click through to make a purchase. When shoppers click on something they like, they are taken to a store page where they can complete their transaction:

For e-commerce businesses, it’s an easy way to connect with customers who are already interested in their products and get them quickly to check out before they lose interest. With so many online stores vying for attention, it can be difficult to capture your audience’s attention and get them ready to buy. However, shoppable content solves this problem by giving you a direct link from your ads to your product page and a seamless shopping experience for consumers.

#2 Sharing user-generated content (UGC)

Leveraging user-generated content (UGC) is one of the most powerful marketing trends. In a time when consumers have more choices than ever, they turn to what their peers have to say about products and brands. It can be a review on Amazon, a video on TikTok, an article published on someone’s personal blog, or a positive comment under your video on YouTube. 

Here is an example of how Starbucks is using UGC on their Instagram:

#3 Producing EAT-friendly content for Google

As we all know, search engines like Google will always be changing their search algorithms for ranking websites. Nowadays, if you want your content to rank higher on Google, you need to produce what is called EAT content for Google. EAT, short for Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness, is a concept that has become a key element of search engine optimization (SEO). To put it simply, if you want to rank highly on Google—and who doesn’t?—you need to create high-quality content that doesn’t include redundant or plagiarized information and is not stuffed with SEO keywords.

#4 Using interactive content to engage audiences

Interactive content is a great way to educate, inform, and entertain an audience. This type of content usually takes the form of polls, quizzes, self-assessment tools, or games. It gives users the opportunity to engage with your brand in a fun way, which makes them much more likely to share it on social media.

But why does interaction matter? Because interaction creates value. The user will actually benefit from it because they are learning something about themselves or experiencing something in a new way, meaning they will likely learn something about your company and the products or services you provide.

Using interactive content will lead to a greater understanding of customer needs and wants, as well as a more loyal customer base.

#5 Crafting immersive experiences with augmented reality (AR)

To give you an idea of what AR can do, imagine seeing a photo of a model wearing a dress and being able to see that dress in real life as if it were in front of you. You can move around the model or even see how you would look in the clothes. It’s not just about creating 360-degree videos; you can invite your audience to participate in your story.

The most widely known example of an augmented reality experience is Pokémon Go—a game that took the world by storm in 2016 when it was released by Niantic Labs. The game let players capture Pokémon with their smartphones, which was made possible by GPS and camera technology:

Pokémon Go—generating around $1.92 billion in revenue in 2020—shows how much potential virtual reality gaming has from a commercial perspective, but it also highlights how much fun users can have through an immersive experience.

#6 Chatbots

You can use chatbots to interact with users on your website or social media platforms. A user might ask “What is a mutual fund investing?” in different ways depending on their background knowledge of finance. Chatbots can interpret these requests the same way humans would and present similar results.

With the help of artificial intelligence (AI), chatbots can analyze and respond to user queries and even hold multi-step conversations by retrieving responses to each individual question from their database. 

The chatbot technology allows companies to engage consumers in a very dynamic manner, improving the experience over time based on user interactions. By leveraging interesting ways for users to interact with your brand, you can create new opportunities for engagement and increase loyalty. In addition, chatbots are also used as customer support tools for companies that want to provide live support around the clock without having to hire additional staff.

#7 Organizing hybrid events to attract more attendees

Events can come in many different shapes and sizes, but there are three basic types:

• Live – All attendees are present in one location
• Virtual – Attendees join the event online 
• Hybrid – Some people attend in person while others online

Hybrid events are a content marketing trend that will gain more momentum in 2022. It’s a type of event that combines both in-person and virtual attendance, which expands the reach of your event and gives attendees more options for how to participate.

The live portion of a hybrid event is typically structured like any other in-person event. You need a venue, you need speakers, and you need to get people to show up.

The virtual portion of the event is where things get interesting. The easiest option is to simulcast the live event over the internet, so anyone (including those physically present) can watch it on a device or computer. But there are plenty of other possibilities:

• Breakout sessions where participants can interact with each other through video or text chat
• Live Q&A sessions from remote attendees who ask questions via text or audio/video chat
• Adding 3D elements (customizable avatars, online rooms that the avatars can visit, etc.) to your virtual experience

Ready to start producing engaging content?

Content marketing is going to be more important than ever in 2022 and beyond—the more you can get started now, the easier it will be for your business to thrive in the future.

Did you find this article on content marketing trends useful? Are you going to use any of them in your campaigns? Connect with us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, or Instagram to share your thoughts 🤗.