Top Three Predictions for Content & Social Media Marketing in 2021
2020 has changed the way we live, work, and play, which means our old strategies and tactics for content marketing are going to have to change too if they haven’t already.
Here are our top three predictions and suggestions for your 2021 content, to give you a little boost in the right direction.
Search Engine Optimization
SEO helps to get your content to the top of those Google search results, which means more opportunities to get in front of your clients and build organic relationships with the people with whom you’d like to connect.
Stand out from the crowd with a couple of strategic adjustments:
Focus on creating your second-mover advantageTake a look at what the biggest competitors in your industry are doing, and then don’t do that thing. Focus instead on getting the highest quality traffic to your site, not just any traffic you can get!
Focus on longtail terms and niche content ideas
Similarly to the second-mover advantage, spend time doing a deep-dive on your keywords and find the longtail keywords, or industry jargon, that other large companies are glancing over. These help you get high-quality traffic to your site without having to compete with major budgets.
Speaking of content optimization...
Content Creation & UX
This is the year to invest in upgrading your website and focusing on your user’s experience which is just as important as the content you create.
You need to create an experience that will make your audience want to stay on your website and explore everything you have to offer. It is far too easy these days to use platforms like Squarespace or even Wix to create a pretty, easy-to-navigate website, so you don’t really have an excuse anymore. (Just being honest!)
Guess what users are totally sick of? Obnoxious pop-ups, overwhelming ads, and confusing navigation that doesn’t make any sense on their desktop OR on their mobile device.
It truly doesn’t matter if you have the best content, product, or service; if your audience can’t stand your website, they won’t stick around to discover how incredible you are.
Start updating your UX experience now, as you create content. Think through all the ways people interact with your website and note how it can be improved. Then find a designer with the skills to make your site not just pretty, but functional and pleasant to use, too.
Get Authentic and Give Value
What will social media marketing look like next year? From TikTok to LinkedIn, people all want the same thing: authentic, valuable content and connections.
2020 has been the year of rediscovering each other’s humanity. It’s hard not to see someone as a fellow dad, mother, partner, pet parent, etc. when you get a peek at your colleague or client’s real-life moving around in the background of every meeting (thank you, Zoom).
We have all been deprived of physical connections in one way or another this past year, which has opened up more opportunities for marketers to create new kinds of connections.
While consistency is still vital to content marketing overall, in 2021 it is far better for you to consistently provide high-quality content that shows your authenticity and what value you bring to others. And yes, this is much easier said than done.
Why does your business exist? What are you bringing to the world? What motivates your staff to do their work, and what do you believe in? If you don’t have clearly defined organizational values and a mission statement, it is time to do that work.
That’s why it is essential to take some time over the next couple of weeks to plan intentionally for 2021. What type of content are you going to create, and what will it look like? How long will it take to create and what level of expertise will you need to create it? What will you say to your audience, and what do they need to hear from you to feel secure, supported, or to spark a little joy in a difficult time?