Professional Blog

Content and Covid

Date Published: 2021-06-29 Tuesday

Our world has changed so much in the last year and a half. And while we are all still adjusting to the "new" normal, now is the time to take a good look at how we embrace our digital footprint.

It's easy to slip into the habit of using Covid in our blogs and other written content because we know that it will guarantee us traffic to our site. However, the question we should be asking ourselves is: "does that truly represent our brand story?" or are we just looking for hits? And while I agree that we should take advantage of a changing environment, we should always be very careful as to how to do this when it comes to our business.

As we move towards the middle of 2021 here are some interesting content trends to keep your eyes on:

The AI or Chatbot:

• This is not written content in the traditional sense, but with people spending more time at home than in stores, being about to interact on your website in real-time is something to seriously consider.

The Newsletter:

• This is not something new but now more than ever it is something to embrace. It is a way to keep your customers engaged and allows you to keep them updated.

Facebook/Instagram Live:

• Again, this is not written content in the traditional sense, this is a great way to engage with your customers. As the questions are live, you can answer them straight away. This is also a great way to do emotional branding as the customers can meet you face-to-face.

Content Communities:

• Tools such as Slack, Zoom and Microsoft Teams have grown massively during the pandemic and therefore tailoring content to specific communities is a must so that you can take advantage of the sharing power of those communities.

The Content Experience:

• How does the user feel when they interact with your content? Are there hundreds of pop-ups? Do you ask them to join your mailing list before they have even explored your website? People now value their time more, and don't want to feel rushed. So, make sure their content experience is enjoyable and make them want to come back for more.

Re-purposing Content Across Channels:

• Shocking I know however, with all the outside stress that we have to deal with, sometimes having one solid piece of content that you can use across multiple platforms could be better for your business. Rather than you burning out and creating subpar content or no content at all. And in a lot of cases, people have their favourite platforms that they use, so it will be very rare that they will see the same piece of content twice.

SEO (Your New, Old Best Friend):

• If you haven't updated your SEO in a while, now is the time to do it. Trends are changing. Google is constantly changing its search criteria. Tighten up on how many keywords you use and make sure you use them sensibly.

Online offerings:

• It seems like a simple one but many companies are still avoiding this option. Do you have an online store or can people at least order via your website? Do you have the option for a Zoom/Skype consultation? Can they attend a webinar or download an online guide? These are just some of the options you have.

So, as you can see there are a lot of ways you can take advantage of the "new" normal without mentioning the dreaded "C" word in your blogs and still drive traffic to your webpage. These options also increase your digital footprint. Let's all embrace the new trends and I can't wait to see you on Facebook Live soon.