8 Key Digital Marketing Trend to focus in 2021
2020 was an unpredicted year, due to the chaos it brought into our lives and businesses. Everyone has witnessed the swift change in their lifestyles. Businesses and their operations are drastically changed. We are trend to various forced adaptations to reshape the elements of the marketing landscape.
eCommerce sales are radically increased, and people are spending a lot more time on social media than ever. Video Conferencing has become a norm. People are communicating and connecting digitally which results in a major shift to the ways brands need to communicate with their customers. Hence, brands are:
- improving their digital reach through digital channels
- increasing digital engagement of their audience
- managing digital marketing effectively to integrate their marketing activities
We have covered the hottest digital marketing trend that will keep you a head-start over your competition. You can form kickstart digital marketing strategies for your brand while focusing on these marketing trends.
Embrace Digital Transformation of your Business
Covid-19 has forced brands to go digital and adopt digital channels for products and service delivery as well as marketing. Companies of all sizes are transforming and migrating to digital platforms by investing significant dollars.
Brands that have embraced evolving technologies are providing seamless customer experience and has become the market leader. One of the key elements in a successful digital transformation is developing omnichannel marketing according to channel use and change in the preference in the new digital age. If you haven’t transformed your business yet, check our Shopify services for the fastest and profitable transformation.
Emphasize Social, Environmental, and Ethical responsibility
Brands that are more committed to social and environmental sustainability have a strong customer base. Customers are loyal and ethical businesses tend to have more successful operations in the long run. Customers revolve around the content. Hence, business is focusing more on the content strategy to win their customers’ heart. The year 2021 is all about green and healthy. Businesses need to perform ethically right for society, customers, and themselves.
Influencer Marketing Solidifies Brands
We cannot ignore the fact and trend of influencers in the new era. The hype, fame and amplified advertisement that bought due to influencers are converting prospects to customers in no time. Consumer brands are historically using social media influencers of YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat for explosive growth. Influencers can speak on a more personal level and give their honest opinion that resonates more with their followers compared to normal brand advertising
Live-Streams and Real-time Engagement
Stay at home orders of pandemic canceled in-person events. Therefore, people cannot socialize with their friends and family. It led to an uptick in the number of people tuning into live-streams, either a branded live-stream, a live video of our favorite celebrity, or an online shop.
The trend of online classrooms, online workshops, virtual meetings have played a significant role in the operations. You need to engage with your audience in real-time from various social media and live platforms.
On Facebook, live viewings spiked by 50% during lockdown periods, while viewings on Instagram surged 70%. TikTok use shot up in 2020, and there’s a good chance we’ll see this upward trajectory continue to play out in 2021.
All-in on Google Listings and Local SEO
It is very important for the business to ensure their local listing are verified and kept current on various search platforms. The Google My Business Listing provides valuable information about the businesses for instance opening hours, offered services, geographical services, reviews, FAQs, etc. The customers of B2C businesses mainly prefer locals and that is why B2C businesses need to focus and draw customers on the local level by doing local SEO. It’s one of the key factors in search and business owners are often blown away to learn how many directories there are out there. Hence, local SEO is mandatory for businesses to attract local potential customers.
UGC to enhance the Customer Experience
Customer experience has never been more important. Customers crave delightful experiences with brands that are easy and memorable. They need to be assured and demand proof before making any purchase decision. They are well aware and conscious not to make the wrong decision.
User-generated content (UGC) assure the following benefits if the content is engaging and connective:
- It builds, shapes, and strengthens communities
- It’s relatable and uplifting
- It enables brands to meet customers where they’re already hanging out
- It helps brands generate tons more content
UGC has always been an effective way for brands to forge relationships with their customers and provide social proof, and this will be a common theme in 2021 as well.
Easy-to-consume content
Consumers always appreciate the ease and facile. In the year 2020, we witnessed people leaning on easy-to-consume content – things for instance podcasts that can be consumed on-the-go or newsletters that land directly in subscriber’s inboxes.
More goodwill and purpose-driven missions from brands
According to the 2021 Hootsuite Social Trends report:
“The smartest brands will understand where they fit into customers’ lives on social media, and they’ll find creative ways of fitting into the conversation.”
The core of this is the need for transparency.
Consumers do not trust and rely on the suspicious and questionable brand. It’s impossible for consumers to connect with brands that they see as ‘shady’ or insincere. Why would they want to invest in something that they can’t trust or don’t believe in? This is why connection will be critical for brands that want to remain trusted sources in 2021.
We believe that 2021 will be full of optimism, with a focus on performance across channels, empowered by improved tracking. Most of the behaviors consumers and brands will adopt are based on core values, authenticity, and the efficiency of digital channels. How are you adapting your digital marketing to changing behaviors in 2021?