Podcasts, short-form videos, and socially conscious decisions are among the most popular content marketing trends in 2022, according to HubSpot’s State of Content Marketing report.

The amount of online video consumed per person, per week has nearly doubled since 2018, according to Wistia. This number is now at 18 hours per week, as of 2021.

Due to this consumer behavior, video has become the primary form of media used within any content strategy for the third year in a row.

Wistia also found that while any video is valuable, shorter videos tend to have the highest engagement rates.

Along with short-form video, podcasts remain a force in 2022. According to Semrush, U.S. consumers listened to 15 billion hours of podcasts in 2021, with an average of 72,000 new episodes per day.

More businesses are investing in podcasts because they yield results — 60 percent of podcast listeners searched for a product after they heard about it in a podcast.

Experts say podcasts are popular because with so many available today, it’s likely that just about anyone could find a podcast about a topic they like.

It also allows businesses to easily connect with audiences, tell stories, and bring a genuine, human factor to their brand, experts say.

Along those lines, according to HubSpot, social responsibility is a “critical priority” for content marketers in 2022.

Customers are carefully watching their favorite brands to see if their values align with their own, including fair treatment of employees and social justice issues.

In return, 82 percent of marketers are responding to this by investing the same amount or increasing their investment in social responsibility.

Experts say businesses taking this approach must ensure they are being genuine about it, and practicing this social responsibility in every aspect of their company.

For example, if a company preaches about kindness and respect as part of a social media campaign, but mistreats employees behind the scenes, this misalignment can damage a company’s reputation and anger consumers.

As a result, experts say, businesses must be thoroughly committed to social responsibility.

The final top trends experts point to include easily shareable and visually appealing infographics, and virtual and hybrid events.

Virtual and hybrid events became essential during the Covid pandemic, but 40 percent of marketers are planning to increase their investment in these types of events this year because they have found lasting value in them.

While these trends can be helpful for businesses to see what other industry experts are doing, experts suggest content marketers make sure a trend makes sense for their company, and aligns with their goals and audience needs.