2020 was a challenging and highly changeable year for all of us – and this applies to digital marketers and business owners as well. Our personal and professional lives certainly shifted. And there’s plenty of change still happening, but room for optimism as well. So, what should we be looking for as the pillars of our digital marketing success in 2021?
Flexibility and adaptability will be the watchwords of 2021 for sure. Today we’ll talk about the changes we think you need to be implementing for your business to succeed this year.
How Digital Marketing in 2021 Will Make a Difference
Consumer Behavior Has Shifted
One of the biggest shifts that the coronavirus pandemic has caused is how most people in the US and across the world purchase the things they need every day. Almost overnight, nearly everyone got much more comfortable purchasing pretty much everything they use in their daily lives online.
From groceries to services to consumer goods, people switched immediately to making purchases on their laptops or phones instead of in stores. And while people will certainly return to shopping in stores for some items, the shift to online shopping will still be pretty strong.
What this means for marketing:
Shifting to online stores and ecommerce sites will be vital for businesses even in legacy industries that want to survive. Thus, making that online shopping experience as painless as possible through a great user experience is important too.
And marketers should promote the ease and authority of their shopping sites, helping consumers trust that their store is legitimate.
Embracing Digital Transformation
The way we socialize and do business also shifted significantly in 2020, and those effects will continue into much or most of this year. Events and meetings moved online, and while some might go back to being in person, many will remain on Zoom or other channels. After all, virtual meetings and events save money on business travel and other costs, and people are highly accustomed to them now.
Digital transformation will continue in other ways for businesses as well. In general, less marketing will take place in person as people spend plenty of time at home. Hence, search engine marketing and SEO will be very important. The idea is to make sure your content can be found and that it ranks highly in search results on Google and other search engines. This is truly what you want for digital marketing in 2021.
Plus, search ads and social media ads will continue to be effective as people spend a lot of time on their computers and devices. Knowing what search queries people are using to find your website and products is essential to forming solid marketing campaigns based on search activity.
What this means for marketing:
Leaning into online and virtual meetings and events will certainly get more attendees in 2021 as the global pandemic continues in some form. Don’t skimp on planning these kinds of gatherings, and think seriously about increasing your ad spend, especially for small businesses. Otherwise, your potential customers and loyal ones as well might forget about your business.
We talk more about a digital marketing budget in this helpful video.
Social Media Marketing Will Rule
With all the time spent at home in 2020, time spent on social media skyrocketed. While we will hopefully be getting out of our houses more in 2021, social media will still be a significant marketing and brand awareness channel this year as well. That means social media marketing is still a significant growth area.
In fact, more social sites like Facebook and Instagram have made it easier for consumers to purchase items directly on the platform for a seamless experience. Your new customer journey might take place at some points entirely on social media platforms. Therefore, be sure to factor this into your growth plans.
What this means for marketing:
If you’re not using social media platforms to grow your business, 2021 is definitely the year to start! Keep your content fresh and updated (always valuable), and don’t be afraid to try out a new platform if it fits with your target audience.
Authenticity is Everything
Since we all spent a lot more time on social media in 2020, authenticity became that much more important in most advertising mediums. Brands all repeating the same messages became memes on Twitter, and consumers have developed a sharp eye for content they find inauthentic.
That’s why leaning into creating content and ads that sound real and in your own unique brand voice is going to be critical to digital marketing in 2021. Using natural-sounding language in your content and ads and being honest about the benefits of your product will go far this year.
And finally, influencer marketing (where real people with considerable social media following vouch for your products) is also set to increase.
What this means for marketing:
Ensure your brand has found an authentic voice that differentiates you from your competitors. You want to sound like you’re speaking directly to your ideal customers, not mimicking what other companies are doing.
Add on AI
There are so many great tools that businesses can now use to communicate with customers through the power of AI. Chatbots are one of the biggest options your business can use to communicate with customers in real time and answer their questions as they come up. You can also use the power of automated email marketing. This is where certain email sequences are triggered when a potential customer takes a certain action.
See our recent blog post on email marketing and its benefits here.
These automated options can make your business more effective at responding to customer needs without increasing your workload. And this is especially vital for small businesses with limited staff. Plus, relying on technology means that your customers can get answers, help, and information around the clock.
What this means for marketing:
Think about testing out a form for AI for your business to handle repetitive mundane tasks. For example, you could try a Facebook Messenger bot to answer frequent questions from your customers to free up time for your team to handle more complicated matters.
Go Big on Video
Video marketing has been growing steadily in popularity over the past few years, and it’s poised to really take off as a helpful form of digital marketing in 2021. For example, did you know that the second-largest search engine in the world is actually YouTube?
Video content can be:
- on your website
- on a social media platform like TikTok or YouTube
- in a website banner ad
But no matter how you view it, it’s becoming essential for businesses that want to succeed this year.
Video content is highly engaging and is a great way to expand your content marketing efforts. You don’t need to use an expensive video production company (though it’s something to consider if you have the budget). However, finding ways to create more video content to resonate with your ideal audience is a good marketing move in 2021.
What this means for marketing:
Creating a video marketing strategy that works for your business and your budget should be on your to-do list for this year. It doesn’t need to replace your existing content marketing, but can be a great addition.
Need Strategic Guidance for Digital Marketing in 2021?
Still feeling uncertain or apprehensive about the best path forward for marketing your business this year? Get expert guidance about exactly what your business needs to do to exceed your goals with the power of digital marketing in 2021.
That’s just what the digital marketing experts at Content First Marketing are here to do for you. We’ll design a completely custom plan for your business to get you real, measurable results from your marketing based on the latest trends and information.
Schedule a free business review here to find out how we help businesses grow. You can use these insights for inspiration, and let us do the marketing for you.
Sources:
https://www.adweek.com/performance-marketing/
