Every year, trends in content marketing continue to change and evolve. While this can present great opportunities for marketers, navigating an ever-changing digital landscape is not without its challenges. Ella Neale of Relevance suggests five content marketing trends for 2022 that offer proven brand success.
Whatever your goals, there are exciting trends that can be harnessed to shape your approach and redefine your strategy. We discuss the five content marketing trends that will make a big impact this year, as well as ways you can use their power to reach audiences.
Relevance describes five of the biggest content trends for 2022
Personalization
Today’s consumers are bombarded with multi-channel marketing messages to the point where they reject them. Personalized marketing is one of the key content marketing trends for 2022, as it is a way to forge a solid connection with your target market. According to Epsilon, 80% of consumers are more likely to buy from a brand that offers a personalized experience.
The latest marketing news and insights delivered straight to your inbox.
Get the most out of The Drum by choosing from a range of great email briefings, whether that’s daily news, weekly summaries or deep dives into media or creativity.
Hyperpersonalization goes deeper than just calling a customer by name; it delves into one’s individual preferences, needs, and desires. This approach is data-driven and uses consumer data, analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), and automation to create tailored customer interactions. Digital marketers can consider their buyer’s characteristics and provide everything from content and design to product recommendations.
the metaverse
The use of the metaverse – a shared virtual space where avatars represent users – has steadily increased and is a trend in content marketing that has more than doubled since 2017. An estimated 85 million people were using augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality (VR) by 2021, according to Forbes. Digital marketers need to understand and take full advantage of the nuances of the metaverse.
Millennials and Gen Z are avid users of metaverses, including games like Roblox and technologies like VR. With that in mind, try to create digital experiences that parallel real-world experiences or what your brand is already doing in real life.
You can serve virtual ads by placing ads on virtual billboards in video games or by creating branded installations and virtual events for users to interact with. It is also a place to offer limited edition assets or virtual products that consumers can only obtain in the metaverse.
Sustainability
For millennials, Gen Z, and alphas, the environment isn’t just a cause; it’s their future. According to Accenture, 63% of consumers prefer to shop with targeted brands and will reject brands that are not genuinely committed to the environment.
Consider incorporating re-commerce into your business model to implement this content marketing trend. According to Max Bittner of Vestiaire Collective, buying second-hand clothes can help reduce fashion’s CO2 emissions by up to 90%.
Paving the way for a future of re-commerce is Apple with its buy-back scheme, the clothing rental brand of My Wardrobe HQ and StockX, an auction house for beloved items.
Your content marketing strategy should also explore how to use resources more wisely. With the ESG+ model, luxury brands must consciously focus on sustainability and innovation. Without it, consumers will reject brands that waste carelessly.
Brands should also re-examine what growth means when constant expansion can no longer be sustained. The metaverse enables luxury brands to achieve double digital growth without double consumption growth. Gucci created a virtual garden in Roblox, a gaming platform where players can purchase virtual Gucci products, and Balenciaga digitized its collections in Fortnite.
Localization
An emerging trend in content marketing after the global pandemic is to consider how your luxury brand can deliver localized and unique experiences. An effective localization strategy will improve the customer experience and enable you to get your message across to a global audience while preserving your brand identity.
There are several ways you can improve your content strategy. First, you need to create a highly memorable brand identity by adapting the visuals, design and color of your marketing materials to the preferences or local customs of the target audience. This may involve adapting the style and layout of various marketing assets to the preferences of the audience.
Marketing via communication channels popular in that market is also essential, as is optimizing your website and communication channels for local users and search engines.
A prime example is Anya Hindmarch, who created a village near her flagship store on Pont Street, tapping into the roots of the brand and building a community bond worth visiting.
Inclusivity
When marketers develop their content strategies, they tend to make their content accessible to all readers, overlooking diversity, fairness and inclusion. Prioritizing inclusivity is paramount in 2022, with millennials more likely to choose brands that show diversity in their ads. Inclusive content should aim to serve and resonate with people of different characteristics.
To do this, brands must choose their words carefully and become aware of the influence of pronouns, pop culture references and idioms on readers. Your content should also include carefully selected images in marketing campaigns. Customers identify with brands when they see people like themselves reflected in your marketing.
Contact Relevance’s team of specialists for advice on navigating the content marketing trends identified in the report.