21 Digital Marketing Trends for 2021 to Use As Your Guide into the Next 12 Months

21 Digital Marketing Trends for 2021 to Use As Your Guide into the Next 12 Months

There’s been no event like the last twelve months of pandemic that has had such a profound impact on businesses at both a local and global level.

 There have been billions in lost revenues, companies that have shut down permanently, and unpredictability that has made it difficult to project, invest, sell, profit, and move forward.

 Though 2021 continues to see regions all over the world fight COVID-19 infection rates, the distribution of highly-effective vaccines has meant a light at the end of the tunnel. Now’s the perfect time to strategize.

 The months ahead are going to be a complete re-launch for a lot of brands. This means a crowded market, a lot of established players vying for the same target audience, and an opportunity to make gains for new businesses.

 Let this be your guide. Here are 21 ways you can succeed in digital marketing in 2021. Trends. Strategies. A way forward. For any brand or small business, start here to make the most of the opportunities ahead.

What is the Best Digital Marketing Channel?

 The true power of digital marketing is achieved when it works across multiple channels. Omnichannel marketing targets customers through various platforms, from social media to mobile, radio, PPC, brick-and-mortar, offline and online both.

How Do I Optimize SEO for Voice Search?

 As of January, voice search will eclipse 5 billion queries per year. SEO for voice search is just as important as any other optimization. Note how voice search is more sentence-based, features long-tail keywords, and often takes on a question-and-answer format. By tapping into voice-activated search with Alexa, Google Home, Siri, and more, you reach more people.

What is AI’s Role in Digital Marketing?

 AI is developing. The repetitive tasks your digital marketer has to do for your brand will soon be possible to assign to an AI. Invest time in researching ways that AI and digital marketing related. You may be surprised to find you can save time while increasing sales through marketing-based AI strategies.

Are New Customers or Existing Customers More Important?

 Estimates suggest acquiring a new customer is up to 25 times more expensive than customer retention costs. Furthermore, a recent Harvard Business Review study demonstrated for every 1 percent increase in customer retention, the average small business increases profitability by 5-20%. Any multi-platform digital marketing effort should have a clear effort made in customer retention.

What is Predictive Analysis?

 Predictive analysis uses historical data, customer data, and analysis tech to predict a user’s behavior. When predictive analysis is successful, a brand attracts, retains, and nurtures existing customers and leads. Predictive analysis also optimizes the effectiveness of your campaign, improving cross-selling opportunities and driving conversions.

How Do I Use Chatbots?

 Chatbots are the most popular form of AI in marketing right now. At least 25% of all brands this year will use chatbots. How to use them is relatively simple. Employ them on your website, in messaging functions on social media, and on apps. Chatbots in marketing provides a 24/7 representative to help users find the information they want and close sales.

What Are Examples of Virtual Events?

 Virtual events, live stream events, and online-only experiences have proven central to online success within the last year. There are dozens of virtual event examples, from one-on-one consultations to demonstrations, live music celebrations, webinars, conferences, and more.

Should I Host A Virtual Event for My Business?

 A virtual event is more accessible than in-person events. You can place it on YouTube or Facebook, opening it up to millions of people who may not otherwise find you. You avoid the costs and restrictions of travel, almost guaranteeing more exposure, more participation, and higher return-on-investment.

How Can I Make More Engagement on Live Streams?

 On live stream and virtual events marketing, it can be a mistake to keep the event to one-way communication. Part of the fun is the interaction between users. Try a chat room. Answer comments as they come in. Interact with those watching your live stream. The rewards of two-way communication exceed the risks.

Is Content Still King in 2021?

 The value of authentic, original content is still high. For all intents and purposes, content is still king. Here are some content marketing strategies being used today to maximize the potential of content to reach as many targeted users as possible.

  • Write and publish content based on keywords.
  • Share content regularly on social media platforms.
  • Use PPC and paid promotion to keep relevant content in view of target users.
  • Diversify content with long content (1,500 words and above) and short content pieces (500 pieces and under).

How Do I Make Images and Video SEO-Friendly?

Image search and video search are growing. Ensure images and video have an SEO strategy. Put keywords in titles, metadata, and descriptions. Make sure your images and video are being classified by the right terms. Consider incorporating more visual media into blog posts and your website design.

Do I Need Social Media for eCommerce?

 Selling online has been so very important to surviving COVID-19 for businesses. A social media presence leading back to your eCommerce store is integral to catching users looking to buy, advertising products or services, and breaking down barriers to purchase. Instagram is widely considered the best social media for eCommerce.

Where Can I Sell Products Online?

 Social media sites are working hard to accommodate eCommerce trends. Leading the race, Facebook has made it easier to buy and sell products online without ever leaving. Make a seamless path from lead capture to sale by maintaining a strong Facebook presence and creating a way for consumers to buy your items directly on the site.

What is Expected with Personalization?

 Through the use of cookies, email subscriptions, and online accounts, brands win big when personalization is prioritized. Note what a consumer’s bought in the past, recommend similar products or services, use their name and location, and consider other sales-based strategies. Collecting user data, there are a lot of ways to make a brand more personal to the user.

What is the Right Tone for Email Marketing?

 Modern, witty, humorous email marketing is the right tone for email marketing in 2021. If it’s appropriate for your brand, nothing beats wit. Short, exciting emails are a sure way to get conversions and clicks. Especially in a hyper-eCommerce landscape, email is a powerful advertising tool to retarget past customers and social media followers.

Should I Keep My Online Store After the Pandemic is Over?

 The pivoting to online shopping in the last year is a trend that most believe will pick up more momentum. If you’ve already invested in online shopping, keep going. This is how you can pandemic-proof your business and will shift more sales what’s possible strictly through brick-and-mortar.

Is Video Marketing Important to eCommerce?

 Three-quarters of online shoppers will watch a product video when researching product. As eCommerce sales are exploding, video’s as key to your strategy of selling online as a cup of morning coffee to productivity.

What’s the Right SEO Strategy for 2021?

 To this day, 93 percent of users start their Internet use with a search engine query. This makes search engine optimization very important to growing brands. This isn’t just on Google and traditional search engines but also on social media search, YouTube video search, and more. Optimize on-page and off-page SEO strategies for every platform. Multi-channel SEO is the way to go.

How Many Social Media Accounts Does My Business Need?

 A growing trend is to declutter one’s social media commitments, using less accounts and dedicating more attention to platforms where the biggest returns are. Facebook and Instagram are as big as social media gets. There are also certainly arguments to be made for Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok, and others, all depending on what the target demographic is.

Do Ethical Business Practices Have A Place in Digital Marketing?

 The pandemic opened up a lot of eyes to racial injustices, economic inequalities, and a wide variety of healthcare issues. Though these may not directly impact your business, consider it a philanthropic opportunity to do some good. Adapt your marketing messaging and ensure, ethically, your brand is where you see it is.

Should I Have PPC Marketing for Your Online Marketing?

 Organic search is a high-income long-term strategy. For a short-term spike though, PPC marketing’s where to look. Paid searches put you in the right spot for attention, leads, and immediate results. Considering the ever-changing nature of algorithms in the search engine landscape, incorporating paid ads is a smart move for small businesses looking to reach people today.

Start 2021 on the right foot. Join Unlimited Exposure, the ultimate team in digital marketing. Knowledgeable about the latest marketing trends, we are at the forefront of success in AI, automation, voice search, video marketing, social media marketing, content marketing, and more. Contact a representative today.