Content Marketing Trends for 2022 to Avoid

So, you’ve decided to update your content marketing strategy for the new year. Great thinking!

But not all content marketing trends are created equal. 

The reality is that some of them aren’t as effective as they seem – and may end up pushing you down in the rankings. 

Whether hiring professional SEO services or taking a DIY approach, check out the three content marketing trends you should avoid.

We’re also offering advice on what you should do instead – and why.

1. Keeping Your Keywords Short And Sweet

In reviewing recent lists of content marketing trends set to be big in 2022, the idea that you need to keep adding as many short and popular keywords to your content to get hits makes us scratch our heads.

Why? 

Because not only is this dated trend likely to get you busted for keyword stuffing, but it also means you’re not doing a lot to get specific visitors (and therefore increase conversions.)

Instead of jamming your content with the top 1-2-word keywords, give long-tail keywords a try. These are keywords that are popular “phrases” people type into search engines. 

Let’s look at an example. Let’s say you use the keyword “flowers” to advertise your florist business. When someone types in “flowers” into a search engine, they will not find your site.

Instead, they’ll see the most popular florists that have permanently grabbed the top spots in Google results. 

That’s too bad because they could have been looking for exactly your shop. Long-tail keywords help connect you with people already interested in your products. They know what they want and need to know where in their area (and other specifics) to get it. 

For example, a more targeted long-tail keyword that would get people on your page is “local florist LA same-day delivery.” 

How can you find the most popular long-tail keywords for your industry? There are a variety of paid and unpaid tools. 

First, use Google’s auto-fill search bar feature to see popular results. Also, try apps like HitTail. 

2. Moving on From Email Marketing

When we look at popular content marketing trends, there are always a few “great ideas” that stick out as complete disasters. 

We can all agree that social media is probably at the top of the list in terms of content marketing trends that are here to stay. 

But that doesn’t mean that “old-school” tactics like e-newsletters should go the way of the dodo.

E-newsletters are the perfect way to connect with a market already interested in your products/services/brand. If they weren’t, they wouldn’t have subscribed to your e-newsletter. 

If social media posts are like your elevator pitch, consider e-newsletters as an actual pitch meeting. They allow you to get specific, including images and videos that explain your brand/products in greater detail.

They also allow you to hit your market with various information instead of just focusing on one product like you often do in a social media post.

You can feature an employee and customer of the month, let readers know your plans for the future, and even alert them to upcoming product launches or sales. 

Also, even if using a tool that automatically fills in a customer’s name, make sure you personalize your emails as much as possible. 

Why?

Because emails with a personal message, especially in their subject line, are 26% more likely to be read by recipients.

Email campaigns also allow you to cater to different segments of your brand individually. Instead of sending a one-size-fits-all email campaign, examine your customers’ behaviour. 

Do they usually buy during a sale? Then, send out that group of customers an email with an extra percentage off coupon, or let them know the next date of a sale. 

Are they always the first to buy a new product? Send that segment of your market “countdown” emails when you’re launching something new. 

Are they more interested in a specific type of product? (To continue with our florist analogy, do they always seem to buy roses or lilies?) If so, when you’ve restocked their favourite thing, or if you’ve got something similar, send out that email!

3. Using Multiple Analytical Tools

You may think that you’re analyzing your site from all angles when using several different tools to keep track of your web traffic, posts, sales, and successful social media campaigns. 

But the reality is that using many different tools can mean you’re not even getting a halfway accurate reading. 

You may have seen suggestions to the contrary on other lists of content marketing trends, so let us explain why the multi-tool approach is something to stay away from. 

Each tool likely has its own “metric” or way to measure. Therefore, it’s improbable that all the different tools you use to measure success similarly.

For example, one tool might be geared more towards analyzing the effectiveness of your landing pages. 

Another might use the time people spend on your site as the primary way to measure what’s working. 

These different factors don’t mean you’re “covering all the bases.” Instead, they’re giving you a messy, inaccurate reading that won’t do anything to help you. 

The solution? You have several. First, if you hire SEO/Content marketing professional services, they’ll likely apply their way to measure success. 

Or, if you need to take a DIY approach, narrow down the tool you use that’s tailored to your SEO and content priorities.  

Stay Away From These 3 Content Marketing Trends!

Thanks to this list, you now know which content marketing trends will do way more to hurt your brand than to help it. 

If you’ve already implemented some of these ideas, you’re likely freaking out. Calm down, and take a breath. This is where we come in. 

To learn more about our SEO services, how we can help you turn things around today, and to get other valuable industry advice, check out our website and contact us.