Digital marketing trends you should be aware of in 2021
The past year has been difficult to navigate for all of us. Some businesses have excelled while others have sadly had a drop in revenue. Nevertheless, businesses and marketers continue to use a large amount of their budget on digital marketing. With the majority of things moving online, digital marketing remains an essential part to business.
As we all know the marketing world is continuously adapting, but nothing changes faster than the digital element. As new technology, algorithms and trends enter the marketing scene, the old and overused ones, that were so last year, are pushed aside and it can get rather hard to keep up with it all. The key to a successful marketing strategy is to keep moving forward and to stay up to date with all the latest technology and trends so you don’t get left behind. Will content still be King? Are virtual events here to stay? This blog will discuss some of the trends you should be aware of and jumping on this year.
Video Content
High-quality content has been a key component to great digital marketing strategies for many years now but the demand for certain forms of content is changing. Blogs remain important for many reasons, SEO being one of them, but they are no longer the hip thing to do. With boredom levels increasing over lockdown, short-form videos have taken centre stage. With YouTube, TikTok and Reels taking the industry by storm, video has become the medium to use if you want to succeed. Video content is so adaptable these days, from short 30 second videos to 30 minute live videos, making it a great and versatile medium for brands to use. All you need to do is create content that is relevant to your brand and you’ll have an audience.
Chatbots
Chatbots are a type of computer program that uses artificial intelligence to understand and respond to spoken and written language. There has been a big surge in use of on-demand chatbot messaging with more and more industries integrating them into their business. They are a great tool for customer service and are transforming the ways businesses are now connecting with current and potential customers. In 2021, chatbots are expected to continue to grow and become a major investment in businesses.
Here are a few things we should expect from them…
- To become more human
- Voicebots will become mainstream
- To have a significant impact on the way businesses connect with customers
- To be able to organise internal workflows
- To be included in more apps
- To become a larger part of out daily lives
Mobile Friendly
The number of people using the internet via their mobile phones is continuing to grow. Back in 2019, Google recognised the mobile-first indexing trend, meaning Google now focuses on prioritising the mobile version of a website over the desktop form in search engine rankings. This means it’s more important than ever to make sure your website works just as well on a mobile than it does on a desktop. If this isn’t something you have already done you are probably driving away a lot of potential customers. Make sure you add this to the top of your to-do list.
Influencer marketing
Influencer marketing has been a strong tool over the past couple of years, and it is predicted to become even more in 2021. According to the Insider, the influencer marketing industry is on track to be worth up to $15 billion by 2022, up from as much as $8 billion in 2019. The influencer industry is booming, with an influencer for every possible niche, you just need to know where to look. If you haven’t realised already, they are becoming the norm. So, if influencer marketing is something you have been on the fence about, maybe it’s time to give it a go and take advantage of it to promote your brand. Twitter conducted a survey showing that 49% of respondents rely on influencers for product recommendations. Brands will continue to work with influencers to build their reputation because of their ability to build relationships with their followers.
Sustainability
Sustainability is a hot topic on everyone’s lips at the moment. More and more people feel that a larger number of companies should be doing more to help the environment. Sustainability is becoming a key concern for many consumers when it comes to making a purchase of a product of service. With the economy in a difficult place, now more than ever is the time to earn your customers loyalty and prove yourself by doing your bit. Be sure to show off any green credentials or actions you’re taking through content marketing and social media. For example displaying a banner on your website or discussing the topic on your social media pages. You can even opt for more subtle methods such as using branded reusable tote bags.
There seems to be no limit when it comes to digital marketing and it is only getting more and more effective for businesses. Those who follow the trends and reach the top will be able to stay ahead. Keeping an eye out for trends like these will help you do so. If you have any questions or need any help regarding digital marketing, please don’t hesitate to drop us an email on info@ellis.digital, or give us a call at 01483912900.