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After an unexpected – some may even say chaotic – year, many marketers are ready to say “see ya” to 2021. But turning the calendar doesn’t mean we can go back to how things were.
Content Marketing Institute General Manager Stephanie Stahl asked over 100 marketers what the next 12 months will hold for the industry. (You can see the full list of predictions here.) Some answers offer insight into work that needs to be done. There were other predictions that draw attention to current trends that will continue in 2021.
Stephanie spoke with the CMWorld community about their own predictions. We’ll share a few highlights here. How do you think 2021 will play out?
Hindsight is 20/20. (Get it?) A year ago, content marketers cast their predictions. Some answers would now seem overly optimistic. However others were spot on.
A1: It has been great to see so many innovative and creative ways brands are connecting in our digital-first world. These strategies will pay dividends for the future as customer expectations will be high. #CMWorld
— Stephanie Stahl (@EditorStahl) December 15, 2020
A1: Online conferences and webinars have definitely received a boost this year.
The more ways we find to make them “interactive” the more they will grow.#CMWorld https://t.co/MzEJ2pNLUg
— Kathryn Lang – hopesmith and dream ignitor (@Kathrynclang) December 15, 2020
A1: Personalization, relevance, and purposeful content. Stop checking boxes, start (continue) creating content your customers want. #CMWorld
— Cathy McPhillips (@cmcphillips) December 15, 2020
A1: Listening to customers and being empathetic to their needs in all of the content you produce.#CMWorld https://t.co/VTNZzi2PSq
— James Gerber (@JamesGerber) December 15, 2020
A1. Video content in general and live video in particular. It was growing even before the pandemic, but now it’s everywhere. #CMWorld
— Teodora Ema Pirciu (@emapirciu) December 15, 2020
A1. Listening and being in touch with your audience have never been more important than in 2020. I suspect this will continue to be true in 2021. #cmworld
— Dana Lemaster (@DanaLemaster) December 15, 2020
Most chat participants agreed the major events that shaped 2020 has pushed brands to take a stance on social issues. But our community said to move forward with caution. Your content should be genuine and not forced.
A2 LOVE the prediction from @rachybutler! Brand content definitely needs a conscience. It doesn’t need a cause as grand as ‘world peace’, but tell us what you stand for and show us what you care about. #CMWorld
— Stephanie Stahl (@EditorStahl) December 15, 2020
A2 I think no matter what, even without a specific cause, all content needs to be thoughtful and considerate of the temperature & discussion in the world. But yes, it is nice to pick a cause that’s important to your brand so you can build content around that. #CMWorld https://t.co/anlAOYRx7v
— Shane Shaps (@520eastbrands) December 15, 2020
A2 So many brands got involved in helping their communities. Purpose driven brands stood out among the endless sea of similar messages #CMWorld #ContentMarketing https://t.co/TDK0TlSTL3
— Tripp Braden (@TrippBraden) December 15, 2020
A2: I don’t know if every brand needs a specific cause but every brand needs to have empathy toward their audience who likely has a cause. #CMWorld
— Andrea Larick (@A_Larick) December 15, 2020
A2: If you have one that lines up w/values, talk about it (but don’t push a cause for the sake of a cause). @EngageForGood has great data on cause marketing. “72% of Americans feel it’s more important than ever that brands they buy from reflect their values” #CMWorld
— Melissa Harrison (@MHBossLady) December 15, 2020
Our community believes unpolished is where it’s at. Show your SME examples of authentic content to convince them of its benefits.
A3: Love it @ALeeJudge ! We’ve all been perfectly imperfect as we’ve tried to navigate changes to our business. People are forgiving of AV mishaps or barking dogs or loud children. Life is happening in the background as business continues. #CMWorld
— Stephanie Stahl (@EditorStahl) December 15, 2020
A3) finding examples to share with them is a great way to help with this #CMWorld
— Amanda Subler (@AmandaSubler) December 15, 2020
A3: that sounds like authentic content. You can still use data to support the creation of this type of content. People respond better to it than to ‘polished’ content and the numbers should reflect that. #cmworld https://t.co/BB5iXKnOQX
— Andi Robinson (@hijinxmarketing) December 15, 2020
#CMWorld A3: I’d just show them these two images: https://t.co/GLag3fZCNd pic.twitter.com/uPbhey5uJ9
— Kevin Facer (@LimbicLiminal) December 15, 2020
It’s true. I don’t believe it’s too late to foster a community. But brands must remember it takes time to build. Communities don’t grow exponentially overnight. During the chat, I had a conversation about building communities on social media. It served as a good reminder: Be where your members are. Don’t alienate those who are not active on social, particularly during this time of COVID.
A4: 100% agree with @MoninaW. Smaller, more intimate communities are going to grow. Whether it is a hobby, a cause, a vertical industry, an event, etc. connecting with like-minded people is powerful and empowering. #CMWorld
— Stephanie Stahl (@EditorStahl) December 15, 2020
A4) It is never too late, but it does take a lot more nurturing now with so many out there. These private communities are prime for niche intimate connections with those in your field. Just be sure you’re willing to put in the work. #cmworld
— OnePitch (@onepitchsaas) December 15, 2020
A4: Absolutely, they can still be built. To @MoninaW‘s point, it takes time, so patience is key. Setting clear expectations and feasible goals around that engagement helps. They may not take off right away, but those niche groups are a great way to connect. #CMWorld
— Melissa Harrison (@MHBossLady) December 15, 2020
Same. There’s a few Facebook and Slack groups I’m thankful to be a part of. As a home-based sole proprietor with a corporate cubicle background, I miss having someone to bounce ideas off of. Small niched groups are great for that. #CMWorld
— Carole Cudnik ☕ (@cacudnik) December 15, 2020
One of the biggest hurdles brands have is getting sales and marketing to work together. This relationship is important, but it can be tough to forge.
A5: Content is such a powerful tool. Educating vs. hard pitching is attention getting and effective in the proper context. There are three things that matter most with such content: high quality, high quality, and high quality. #CMWorld
— Stephanie Stahl (@EditorStahl) December 15, 2020
A5 Marketing can help sales by training them on the best ways to use content, and why they should share with context. Content on its own is meh. Content shared with context is more effective. #cmworld
— Martin Lieberman (@martinlieberman) December 15, 2020
A5: Get the sales team to share stories and questions from customers. Use those valuable nuggets in your content. Share it with them in an email and let them know when the content is scheduled to be posted. Get them as excited as you are to share the content. #CMWorld https://t.co/vHxtga5xUY
— Lisa Baer (@lbaer_lisa) December 15, 2020
A5. As content marketers, we can empower sales teams to use content by encouraging them to participate in content creation. If we ask them to contribute, they’re more likely to be comfortable with using the content. #CMWorld
— Teodora Ema Pirciu (@emapirciu) December 15, 2020
A5: First and foremost, walls/silos MUST be torn down. Teams must understand each others goals. By doing this, communication gaps can be easily filled as you know understand what everybody needs to achieve this goals. #CMWorld
— Joseph Kalinowski (@jkkalinowski) December 15, 2020
There will always be excitement around something new and shiny. But our community warns to take a step back, identify your needs, and fill the gaps you may have.
A6: We all tested our existing tech in new ways this year. Gaps became evident. Unknown benefits were discovered! New (or better) ways to create meaningful interactions will be critical for our digital-first world. #CMWorld
— Stephanie Stahl (@EditorStahl) December 15, 2020
A6 Start with the why, then the who and finally with the how. Just because you can, should you? This might be a better question to ask throughout the technology decision acquisition process. #CMWorld #ContentMarketing https://t.co/sbxKqR946A
— Tripp Braden (@TrippBraden) December 15, 2020
A6: we try to stay ahead of new trends, but it can be hard. We have a prioritization process where we assess what new functionality will have the most impact across the organization. #cmworld https://t.co/brAV86R0tl
— Andi Robinson (@hijinxmarketing) December 15, 2020
A6: I learned a long time ago to assess technology as a group…never in a silo. Everyone in your dept/company will have their use case. #CMWorld
— Cathy McPhillips (@cmcphillips) December 15, 2020
I love that we received a wide array of answers. Marketers are fearless! I may be biased, but Cathy McPhillips’ response is my favorite. We’re getting rid of the we’ve-always-done-it-that-way mentality to make sure 2021 is CMI’s best and most innovative yet.
A7: Lots of experimenting here at CMI with new video programs – livestreaming and educational shows. Audio over slides is so 2019😁. #CMWorld
— Stephanie Stahl (@EditorStahl) December 15, 2020
A7: new ideas for 2021:
Recipe a week – from grocery to table with video, cost per serving, and family response.
He said/She said video with hubby – just talking live from two different perspectives#cmworld https://t.co/Sol2ICkPON
— Kathryn Lang – hopesmith and dream ignitor (@Kathrynclang) December 15, 2020
A7: As @ALeeJudge in our predictions, I think I would really like to try more “on the spot/less produced video.” Video clips that are less edited down and more personal. Not only a great/quick content tool, but it is also authentic… Which is incredibly important. #CMWorld
— Joseph Kalinowski (@jkkalinowski) December 15, 2020
A7: A few things I’d like to do:
More regular research-driven content.
Collaborations with other brands and influencers.
More memes and humor inserted into content.
Doing more video, including a video series.
More brand journalism.#CMWorld https://t.co/wS6vJkLF2x— James Gerber (@JamesGerber) December 15, 2020
A7
More video. And creating courses.
But we’ll see if there’s time for the latter! #CMWorld
— James Tennant (@JamesConverge) December 15, 2020
A7. Wanting to create more stories for @LinkedIn and @Twitter Fleets for this account.
On a personal note, I am launching a travel blog and diving more into Instagram Guides and Pinterest Pin creation. @SincerelyStahl #CMWorld— Allee Creative, LLC (@alleecreative) December 15, 2020
A7: I want to do more experiments with creating live networking, engagement, or virtual conversations during different events. I think there are some opportunities for creativity here. #CMWorld https://t.co/i7BvVfsK1R
— Lisa Baer (@lbaer_lisa) December 15, 2020
A7 increasing specialization around leveraging employees advocacy in content creation. Let them being influencers and advocates for their brands #CMWorld #ContentMarketing https://t.co/UQKAZZdkVr
— Tripp Braden (@TrippBraden) December 15, 2020
A7 Increasing use of better stories to help engage clients in a new and better way. Increasing role n advocating new ideas to leadership teams to get buy-in from across the organization for our efforts. #CMWorld #ContentMarketing https://t.co/UQKAZZdkVr
— Tripp Braden (@TrippBraden) December 15, 2020
A7: We’ve talked a lot on our team that in order to try new things, we need to stop some things. We’ve had some interesting conversations! #CMWorld
— Cathy McPhillips (@cmcphillips) December 15, 2020
I see more brands hopping onto the TikTok and/or being quicker to jump on emerging trends. #cmworld https://t.co/piFPqh6bAY
— Andi Robinson (@hijinxmarketing) December 15, 2020
BONUS ANSWER: Experience will be key. Once vaccines are widely available, people will be itching to go have new experiences. Make sure your content fuels that desire. When they are having those adventures, meet them with content where they are. #CMWorld #experiential #content
— Allee Creative, LLC (@alleecreative) December 15, 2020
BONUS QUESTION Content marketing continues to merge and change how we communicate in every aspect of our lives and business. #CMWorld #ContentMarketing https://t.co/6NX74Vmcda
— Tripp Braden (@TrippBraden) December 15, 2020
My prediction for 2021 #contentmarketing is that the #NextNormal will not arrive.
We will have one #NowNormal after another before the corona dust settles.
#CMWorld— Tod Cordill (@todcordill) December 15, 2020
I believe more content marketing does for influence and impact the faster people start treating what marketing really is People communicating and connecting with people #CMWorld #ContentMarketing https://t.co/6NX74Vmcda
— Tripp Braden (@TrippBraden) December 15, 2020
Do you agree with our community members? What’s your prediction for 2021? I’d love to read them in the comments below.
We predict you’ll want to tweet with us in the new year. The #CMWorld Twitter Chat resumes January 5, 2021 with a spectacular lineup of guests. Tweet with Bernie Fussenegger, Kendall Aldridge, James Tennant, Megan Ingram, Cathy McPhillips, Jennifer Watson and more!
