Staying Agile: Outlook for B2B Content Marketing in 2021

B2B marketers know that great content evolves and adapts with its audiences.

While the world has had to adjust to new means of operating in 2020, so has the B2B market. From the production of content through to its distribution, the market has adapted its processes so that businesses can continue to function and thrive.

I am impressed by how marketers have innovated and created through 2020, finding new ways to connect with audiences and drive revenue. I see another exciting year in 2021, informed by a handful of key trends.

Creativity

As Einstein once said, “creativity is intelligence having fun.” Online engagement is at an all-time high, and all businesses, including your competitors, will be exploring concepts that correlate with the current climate in hopes to set them apart. 

Your business will need to follow that example with a differentiated approach. This doesn’t necessarily mean insight-heavy ebooks or articles, but even something as simple as a set of bespoke infographics to share on your business’s social channels. It’s all about sharing content that speaks to your audiences, and in some cases, short-form content is a quicker and more effective way to do so.

On-demand events

Live webinars exploded in the first half of 2020, to the extent that the market became saturated by mid-summer. At the end of the year, we saw significant growth in on-demand webinar content as live event fatigue began to set in.

Why?—Flexibility. On-demand events allow audiences to pick and choose when and where to engage with content, while not losing out on any of the insight and experience. As work schedules are likely to remain fluid heading into the new year, I would expect that audiences will continue to prefer the flexibility and ease of on-demand events.

Content atomization

Content atomization is the process of repurposing content or breaking down a broad theme into more focused, bite-sized pieces, with a goal of delivering an improved client experience. Whether that is repurposing an ebook into a how-to video or a whitepaper into a blog, you are turning this content into individualized components that generate value.

Not only is atomization cost-efficient, but it also amplifies the message you’re trying to convey. Your content can achieve a wider reach by answering several queries at one time across channels. For example, long-form event video is easily and effectively broken down into multiple social vignettes; whitepapers easily become “teaser” articles to encourage a download.

Marketers will have to make their resources go further in 2021, and content atomization is a great way to achieve that.

AI-driven personalization

Access to AI technology will be a game-changer in 2021. AI models draw upon massive datasets to deliver the type of content an individual is most likely to engage with, based on that visitor’s historical content consumption. This modification of the user experience drives deeper and more meaningful engagement that is much more effective at achieving conversions and closing sales.

Personalized content campaigns work smarter by being relevant to each customer’s needs and wants. Whether a portion of your audience prefers to consume content via video or strictly through long-form content, you need to ensure that you’re ticking all of these boxes for the best chances of gaining conversions. 

Conclusion

In 2021, it is important for B2B marketers to be responsive to the behaviors of their clients and prospects and to build a strategy that is impactful, accessible, and agile.

B2B marketers must ensure that their content meets the audience where they are and tells the brand story in engaging ways. More than ever, it is vital to communicate across channels to meet evolving audience needs and expectations.