Nothing could have prepared us for what 2020 had in store, every aspect of life has been affected, including our buying habits and how we digest marketing. COVID-19 has forced a digital transformation at a rapid speed in 2020 causing the switch to online survival mode.  Now 2021 is all about growth and prosperity by creating a stronger targeted digital marketing foundation for every organisation.

The focus on digital marketing is embodies into three key trends highlighted in this blog:

1. Brand transparency and authenticity
2. The importance of conversational marketing
3. Multi-channel integrated marketing

 Brand Transparency and Authenticity

The pandemic has caused us to re-evaluate what’s important in life and given us a new sense of gratitude. These can all be seen at the bottom of Maslow’s Pyramid of Needs, such as love and belonging, safety needs, and psychological needs. We need to ensure that this shift has been considered when developing our marketing strategies in 2021, marketing is a powerful tool and therefore needs to be used correctly.

How can you do this?

1. Social Conscious Consumer – your audience needs to know that you actively care about the world and the people in it. This can be done through both words and actions, such as engaging with important topics like inclusivity and mental health. Through creating a positive impact, you will be able to bridge the gap between different demographics and build a loyal base of customers.
2. The Integrity of Information – COVID-19 has brought multiple controversial discussions and conspiracies into society, and with people desperate for answers during this uncertain time many have been caught up in ‘fake news’. It is vital that brands focus on being completely honest and transparent with their audience in 2021 or they will see a decrease in engagement and followers.

Conversational Digital Marketing

Conversational marketing is all about connecting with your audience in real time online; virtual conversations are the new normal in a world of social distancing. Being able to offer customers faster answers, engaging with them, making them feel important and guiding them to their final destination in the customer journey. It comes with no surprise that engaging with your audience and bridging the gap between brand and customer has a positive impact on ROI, with some reports showing an increase of 10x more sales conversions.

How can you do this?

1. Go Live – there’s no better or more efficient way to answer any questions your audience may have. Whether you’re selling a service or a product live videos are the way forward, and there are many social media platforms that are supporting it, such as Facebook and TikTok.
2. Get personal – personalisation has been important for a long time, but with the increase in technological advances we need to delve deeper into the different ways we can deliver optimum customer experience. By analysing the behaviour flow of your users, you will be able to discover all touchpoints that can be personalised to make their lives easier, for example notifying them when a product has been replenished or showing them product recommendations based on browsing history.
3. Chatbots – over 50% of companies are now using chatbots to engage with customers, and by 2024 the global chatbot market is estimated to be worth around $994m. Not only is this technology responsible for boosting sales by 67% due to the 24/7 availability for customers and added personalisation, but it enables businesses to gain a deeper understanding of their audience, improving customer data.

Multi-Channel Integrated Marketing

Digital interactions have grown in importance thanks to the pandemic, with twice as many digitally enabled sale interactions compared to traditional. It is now more important than ever to have a full understanding of who your market is, and how you can effectively target them online whilst ensuring you are keeping up with digital marketing trends. Utilising multiple digital platforms will help you to increase brand awareness and social reach.

How can you do this?

1. Memes (social media platform) – a great way to add humour and authenticity to your brand, they also grab the attention of your audience and are more likely to be shared and interacted with. Although they are relatively easy and cheap, you need to make sure that you fully understand the message behind the meme and where it originated to ensure that it cannot be seen as divisive.
2. Podcasts (media sharing platform) – in the last year Spotify has seen the number of podcasts triple from 700,000 to 2.2m! Listening to a podcast fits into our lives so easily because they are just so practical, you can listen whilst walking, doing bits and bobs around the house, or even just relaxing outside. For your audience to hear your voice as if you are speaking to them will add a personal touch to your brand, making them feel involved and creating a sense of community.

Note:

Keeping up with new digital marketing trends is important in order to continue to stay visible and relevant, but ensuring you are stay focused and up to date on technical SEO and content SEO throughout is just as much of a necessity.

We know it can be difficult to know where to start, so we’re here to help. Our FREE Digital Marketing Audit will provide you with insights into how you can grow your business in 2021.