After the last two years it’s hard to make any predictions with absolute conviction. But there are a few things we feel pretty sure about.

Looking ahead at our content strategy predictions for 2022, there are some trends that we feel will definitely be important next year.

1. Trustworthiness and stability

This coming year is going to be make or break for a lot of businesses, so the focus is on offering clients and customers a trustworthy brand. We expect to see content concentration on client retention, rather than risky or expensive campaigns for new clientele. Ways of demonstrating transparency and honesty will be popular, like Live sessions on Instagram, behind the scenes content, and ‘Ask Me Anything’ (AMA) sessions. Clients are likely to be risk-averse in 2022 so the emphasis will be on stability and integrity.

2. Longform content

This is great for those of you who have struggled to get a decent message across in a short TikTok or Tweet, or brief article. Well-created longform is on the way back, across all content.

This means readable blogs with decent storytelling and added value; it means longer Reels and TikToks (already extended to 60 seconds and 3 minutes respectively). Threads are increasingly popular on Twitter, offering the reader more information than the measly character limit you get with one message.

This also goes for YouTube content. Whilst YT Shorts have been lauded as a quick way to hack the algos and achieve visibility on the channel, the truth is that longer videos are doing better. So don’t short-change your viewers (see what I did there?). Make the effort with a decent video and the right content, and your target audience will engage.

3. Podcasts

Podcasts are going to continue to grow and there’s no reason why businesses can’t run their own. How interesting it is is down to you – think about your positioning when creating.

You can easily host podcasts on a number of easy platforms, such as Buzzsprout or Podbean. Shop around for the right platform for your needs.

When creating your podcast think about what you want to achieve with it. Do you want to be a voice of authority in your industry? Or reach out to your clients. The way you present the content will vary. Make sure you think about your audience properly before you just kick off!

4. Live content

Facebook has pushed forward with more ways to engage with your audience and we see this as a trend across all content. Groups are now more versatile, offering sub-groups whether paid or unpaid, shops, and a host of other admin options. There’s also Lives, of course, but also Live Audio, meaning you can connect with a group and not have to get out of your pyjamas. Win.

Reels is going to continue to grow – specifically because TikTok is such a competitor. It’s entirely possible we’ll see Reels extended in length, and promoted heavily across the Metaverse (Facebook and Instagram, in this instance). Def get on the case with Reels, packing them with fun but including your core messaging.

Lives really lean back into the trustworthy angle, offering clients an insight into your working days and methods. Go all in on this visible marketing strategy.

5. NFTs, cryptocurrency, and blockchain technology

We are definitely expecting to see more non-fungible token (NFT) action in the business world in 2022. Messing around with blockchain is still a very niche position, but we see this changing next year. The boom in cryptocurrencies in Q1 and Q2 2021 has prompted huge adoption of coins and tokens, and businesses are getting in on the act.

How? If you understand how it works, sharing the knowledge offers a number of opportunities. Online learning courses, for example, or informed blogs and newsletters to sign up for. An NFT sold for $11million this year, so we’re expecting to see more NFT art coming onto the market! Could you sell NFTs?

As for blockchain technology and cryptocurrency, wider-spread adoption of different currencies is very likely, with Bitcoin leading the field, but many others worth considering. If you can set up to charge for your goods and services in cryptocurrency, that’s a huge opportunity for a whole lotta content marketing right there!

6. Metaverse

OK so we couldn’t really look ahead without looking at Zuck’s new toy. It’s really hard to say how useful this is to many industries, or how fluently it will be adopted. But tech is huge, and so it seems likely that businesses, like those in the gaming industry, for example, will adopt this kind of ‘second life’ thing.

What the Metaverse will actually mean to most businesses in the short term is impossible to predict. But in the meantime, enjoy this video from ‘Icelandverse’ gently taking the mickey out of the whole thing.

How do you feel about next year? Do you have any other predictions? Let us know in the comments below…