Top Digital Marketing Trends for Businesses in 2021

Mat Bullock • April 22, 2021

Like the technological evolution, consumer behaviour is rapidly evolving in the current competitive digital climate, and businesses need to adapt through effective digital marketing strategies. Digital marketing is growing so fast amid unpredictable consumer behaviours, so companies and marketers can’t afford to remain static, hoping that old techniques will still work. If you wonder what 2021 will look like in the digital marketing world, here are the top trends to help your business thrive this year.

Mobile-friendly SEO

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Many people are accessing the web from mobile phones, which is expected to reach almost 73% by 2025. Search engine giant Google has recently recognised this trend by focusing on indexing mobile-version of websites first before their desktop versions in SEO rankings. Therefore, it’s imperative to ensure your website’s mobile version displays as good as its desktop versions to offer a seamless smartphone user experience. If your website isn’t mobile-friendly yet, now is an excellent time to pay attention to it.

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence is already here and will be at the centre of the global business and the industry’s future, taking over many existing simple tasks. Experts in recent times projected that AI would be universal and included in all new software products. For instance, Uber and Microsoft adopted the Knightscope K5 robots to guarantee safety and predict crime in large outdoor areas like parking lots. These robots are designed to read license plates, report suspicious actions, and gather information for the owners. AI has advanced to become a tool for businesses due to several reasons, including;

Gaining and sustaining competitive advantage
Easy transition to new markets
AI serves as a cost reduction tool
Suppliers are offering AI-driven products and services

Meanwhile, several studies have projected the trend to remain the driving force behind many service areas such as communication, personalised emails, product recommendations, content creation, and e-commerce transactions.

Automated advertising

Automated advertising implies the use of artificial intelligence to direct ad buying to target specific audiences. Real-time bidding is a typical example of automated ad buying and is considered faster and more efficient to achieve higher conversion at a considerably lower customer acquisition cost. A 2020 digital marketing study projected that 86% of US digital display ads would be automated at the year-end.

Like search-driven manual advertising, programmatic advertising considers daytime, location and keyword, and other targeting signals to personalise ads. You can target customers based on their behaviours and lifestyle by integrating programmatic advertising with customer data platforms.

Chatbot

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A survey predicted chatbot to be the driving force behind 85% of customer service by 2020. Another conducted by Oracle suggested that 80% of brands have taken steps to integrate chatbots into their strategies. Numerous clients are inclined to interact with chatbots due to their responsiveness and quick turnaround time, precisely reviewing your entire purchasing history and never getting irritated. They offer exceptional customer support by meeting clients’ expectations and automating redundant errands, enabling you to complete a lot within the shortest possible time.

Informed buyers will buy from only knowledgeable brands

With buying evolving from personalisation to personal commerce, shoppers co-curate their brand experiences to mirror their preferences at any time. Consumers expect brands to comprehend their purchasing history, assist them in figuring out what to buy next, given all the information they have deliberately shared by engaging their websites and other marketing platforms. Once upon a time, it was all about brands meeting customers where they’re present most, but now it requires more than that as they expect brands to tell them what they want and when they need it.

With brands continually collecting consumer data, it’s essential to create meaningful experiences by predicting consumer behaviours and appreciating their locations during purchasing cycles to understand their buying needs.

Personalised advertising

In 2021, every business needs personalised products, content, and emails to be unique. Several statistics back this trend, with 90% of consumers finding personalisation appealing, and 80% of consumers most likely to trade with businesses that offer personalised experiences.

Meanwhile, experts claim behaviour-personalised emails are three times more effective than bulk emailing. Netflix and Amazon are clear examples of personalisation power with tailored recommendation movie titles and products. Starbucks and Cadbury are also typical examples of using a gamified mobile application and personalised video marketing to enforce their marketing strategies.

Video marketing

It’s impossible to mention the top digital marketing trends in 2021 without adding video marketing. Statistics indicate how crucial video integration is to your current digital marketing strategy. While 72% of businesses attest to video integration enhancing their conversion rate, a significant number of consumers agree to share brand videos. Video marketing is undoubtedly the fastest and most convenient way customers prefer to learn about new products and services. This trend will likely continue, let’s say, between now and the next 15 years.

However, when you mention video marketing, it’s easier to think of YouTube. However, there are other effective platforms as well. Video marketing via Facebook live broadcast, LinkedIn or Instagram has proven effective in drawing higher content engagement. A growing number of consumers are moving to mobile devices, quickly fading out emails and long sales pages since the text could be hard to read on small phone screens. Yet, video can offer the same marketing info in formats that work across all devices and platforms. With businesses actively using animations in their sales and marketing activities, it’s essential to find a great animation studio to create engaging video content and stand out from the competition.

Virtual events are here to stay

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Virtual events, which began as a necessity due to the outbreak of the pandemic last year, will remain due to their accessibility and return on investment. Lockdowns and restrictions prompted the innovation as several brands and businesses had to get creative in the wake of the pandemic. Several events will remain virtual even post-pandemic due to the valuable insights from 2020. Virtual events exposed audiences to new experiences than in-person events, which means more companies will stay with the trends to reach a wider audience.

Travel documentation issues and ticketing aren’t a concern to hold a virtual event. Additionally, it doesn’t cost so much compared to in-person events. Organisers only have to get creative with their content promotion to drive engagement.

Influencer marketing

Influencer advertising is a verbal marketing form that centres around utilising key influencers to enhance your brand image to reach a bigger market. Influencers can be notable celebrities, or more often, individuals with a large following on media platforms like YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, etc. They can use their social media platforms to promote your brand’s products and services to massive niche audiences.

Influencer marketing is considered more genuine than corporate marketing. Out of the 63% of consumers who depend on influencer review on products and services than what brands project about themselves, 58% made recent purchases based on influencer recommendations. However, AI will affect influencer marketing since it’s advancing processes to find the right influencers to partner with.

Conversational marketing will stay

Two-way conversational marketing isn’t a new concept. With all interactions moving online, while call centres are operating with reduced employees, the idea has become permanent. Marketing has evolved beyond businesses simply putting their content out there and expecting audience engagement. Digital marketing now requires the personalisation element to make up for what’s lost during in-person interactions.

During a marketing study, 59% of consumers asserted that personalised engagements that rely on past experiences are essential for winning their patronage. To maintain a competitive edge, brands must offer products and services that are more tailored and two-way. You can utilise online tools like social media to listen and respond accordingly to what consumers and potential clients are saying about your brand. Fortunately, there are chat widgets and messaging features on social media to help you easily keep conversations going online.

Social media stories

What began as a Snapchat concept has evolved to find its way across the various social media platforms, including YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The story feature, when posted, disappears after a given period, offering an excellent platform for marketers to utilise in creating a brand and product awareness, regular audience engagements, and increase web page traffic. Your brand can likewise use the feature to recognise other partners and customers, inspire your audience to try a new product, and also use, for example, the geo-filter feature on Snapchat.

Sustainability

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Lastly, sustainability is another primary subject that has generated interest among consumers and must be factored into your digital marketing strategies this year. In a challenging economic period where businesses are struggling to retain their customers, studies have suggested that clients believe brands should improve and protect the environment. When exploring your content marketing ideas, this is a subject to consider if you want your customers’ loyalty. You must replicate this on your website and your social media to enhance your green badges.

Change is integral for everyone working in the digital marketing industry. Therefore, it’s essential to remain proactive and quickly adapt to innovations, tools and the right marketing strategies to stay ahead of the competition. This comprehensive article offers the vital digital marketing trends to centre your online strategy in 2021.

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