Having lived through 2020, a crystal ball for this year would certainly be helpful. The next best thing to having one, however, is having expertise and guidance from some of today’s most knowledgeable veterans of the content marketing field. This year, especially while businesses continue to recover from and move beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, we will see strong, well-developed content marketing strategies become more important than ever before.
Now that over 63% of American adults have received at least one shot, and lockdowns are quickly becoming a distant memory, the rest of 2021 is going to look a lot different than many predicted at the beginning of the year. So, how is this going to impact your 2021 content calendar? Read on to get a better idea of what's in store for content marketing this year based on what the experts have to say.
“2021 will be the year of conversation. This has always been important, but it’s even more imperative now. Schedule one-on-one calls with new-to-you people to share ideas. Post thoughtful questions and have genuine conversations on social media (LinkedIn is my favorite). Participate in at least one community for your audience.” – Michele Linn, Mantis Research
“New digital habits have formed because of the pandemic. There’s a renewed need for real-time connections. As a result, there’s been a rise in private social media communities. This trend will continue. Facebook Groups, Slack, and Discord provide an intimate space for consumers to share similar experiences. The content is unfiltered, giving way to authentic relationships. As brands elevate their communities, executives will finally invest more in them.” – Monina Wagner, Content Marketing Institute
“Content professionals need to expect that nothing is ‘normal’ anymore. The faster we adjust and embrace it, the stronger our work is going to be.” – Ben H. Rome, AIHA
“My guess is video marketing including the boom in live video will continue to grow in 2021… Video is a quick and effective medium to communicate your message and educate your audience. Consumers want to get information/to learn quickly and there’s no better way to do so than with the help of video marketing.”
— Masooma Memon, SaaS content marketer
After a year like 2020, the idea of trying to predict the future is almost quaint, which is why this year’s prediction is less about where things are going and more about what they were always about: 2021 will be the year content shifts from a marketing novelty item to a true business line with a positive profit-and-loss statement. 2021 will be the year content means business. – Andrew Hanelly, Revmade