Is Content Still King Of Marketing In 2021?
I know.
I wouldn’t read any article which has “content is king” in the title either.
But I feel this is a point to be made with all the doom and gloom talk related to content marketing cropping up every day. Everyone talks about changes, but not what they are. This raises several questions.
Is marketing just going to be various inscrutable SEO techniques? Is there any place for skilfully crafted content in the future? Is AI going to take our writing jobs?
Another aspect that casts a long shadow over content’s status quo is the COVID-19 outbreak. With the pandemic looming large, what is the impact it will have on content writing?
If you’re a writer like me, these questions are scary.
I feel some retrospection is welcome here, taking into account the above queries. Businesses are looking to bounce back in a big way. So it begs the question, “Does content still wield its power over people?”
The Current State Of Content Marketing
Regardless of the number of years that have rolled by, content marketing is still able to hold sway when it comes to ranking websites. Brands have allocated up to 46% of their marketing budget on their content marketing strategy.
Why are brands so keen on investing nearly half their spends on content? The answer is simple really.
Exceptional content is able to draw in leads like no other marketing technique. Here are a few points that put the power of content marketing into perspective.
72% of marketers say content marketing boosts engagement and leads (OptinMonster)
92% of marketers report that companies consider content as a business asset (Content Marketing Institute)
Content marketing generates 3 times the number of leads compared to paid search (Kapost)
Brands had a 600% increase in revenue from using content marketing methods (Kapost)
These are mind-boggling figures, right? Imagine brands being able to skyrocket their revenue 6 times over just by implementing content marketing.
“But,” like they say on those TV ads, “wait! There's more!”
According to Review42 content marketing is estimated to become a $300 billion industry, and this was last year. A content marketing spend graph by Statista shows the top companies spent millions to get better content. Also, Siege Media says that 56% of all businesses are planning to increase content creation spending this year.
The proof that content marketing works is in the pudding, or in this case, the spending.
The Pandemic, Content Marketing, And You
With a pandemic looming large over businesses, you’d think there would be a giant shift in the digital marketing paradigm, right? Well, not really. Everything that worked before the crisis holds true now as well.
Google’s updates are more focused than ever on high-quality, engaging content.
Clear and accurate communication of your ideas is still critical.
Educating your audience is important, but detailing how the pandemic affects them is paramount.
Brands need to be more empathetic towards their customers, especially when dealing with people affected by the pandemic.
That said, you’d be surprised to learn that content marketing in general has accelerated considerably during the past year. Brands are coming up with helpful and creative new ways to reach their customers - through searches and services as well.
There are several notable examples of big brands working to help people during the pandemic.
Ford dedicated a part of their manufacturing towards medical equipment. Their content strategy changed as well. Their original tagline for their ads was “Built to Last.” Their new ads are “Built to Lend a Hand” and “Built for Right Now.”
McDonald’s assured people through video that precautions would be taken by the brand during the pandemic. These precautions would even include temporary shutdown of any of their restaurants in the event of an outbreak. They also changed their logo to reflect their stance on COVID and social distancing.
One of my favorite brands (for obvious reasons), Guinness shared their message of being resilient through these tough times on all their social feeds. And it feels relatable because they are a 260-year old brand that has been through world wars, pandemics, and even the Great Famine. They also dedicated $1 million to the Guinness Gives Back fund for health workers.
Reaching Your Customers Through Content In 2021
Content is an essential part of brand building today. The truth is that consumers expect brands to produce exceptional content on a regular basis. Any top brand worth its salt runs powerful content creation campaigns throughout the year. This helps them maintain their status quo in the market and reach out to newer demographics.
Let’s take a look at a few examples of brands that hit it out of the park with their content strategies.
Dove’s Real Courage Campaign
For me, this was top-shelf content marketing done right. The Real Courage video showcases the struggles of health workers to cope with COVID-19. And the reason why it went viral is that they leveraged the ongoing pandemic and produced something that is on-brand, relevant, and hard-hitting.
Buffer’s Open Blog Platform
Buffer is an add-on to your social media platform. It helps you track your growth and schedule posts on your SM. As a source of news, Buffer has a lot of cred on the internet. But the difference here is that Buffer shares all their knowledge about their B2B secrets. The Buffer Open Blog aims to demystify their workings through regular blog posts, both on their website and others. Information has always been powerful, and Buffer aims to educate and inspire countless people to join them on their path to best practices.
Product Hunt’s Marketplace
A diverse collection of products for everyone, Product Hunt has become a force to reckon with over the years. Any company launching a new product uses this platform to test the waters. The community is made up of founders, experts, and generally tech mavens who can give you valuable feedback on your product. While this is great, the actual “content marketing” part of the website is a daily newsletter. It condenses features from all the products into a document that makes for easy and informative reading. It generates a huge amount of buzz and has seven-figure subscription numbers.
Side note: Also, I'm proud of the fact that an eBook on Growth Hacking I wrote was ranked #4 on the product of the day on the site!
Summing It Up
Content marketing isn’t going anywhere other than forward. In fact, the ensuing crisis has made quality content even more important for brands to reach their customers. It has been able to supplement marketing efforts considerably and improve ROI for brands across all niches.
The good news is that not everything we’ve been doing has changed, which is what I wanted to address. I hope I was also able to give you some insights into how successful companies market content to their audiences. And the best part - it was all created by people for people.
And so, it makes sense to conclude with the answer to the article’s question - yes, content still rules in 2021.
Finally, as writers, our jobs are reasonably safe. At least until Skynet goes fully sentient and destroys all life on Earth. Or it learns to write engaging, well-researched, error-free blog posts. To be honest, I’d prefer the former, because the fact that I can be replaced by what is essentially an intelligent toaster is even more painful.
The COVID crisis has brought the world as we know it to a grinding halt. There has been considerable loss of lives and livelihood. My thoughts go out to the families who have been suffering. It is up to us to pick up the pieces. Keep your loved ones and yourselves safe.
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