2021 will be a year of continued change in the digital marketing space. Here are seven trends to leverage.
Digital Marketing has become a major part of modern consumerism.
Delivering more authentic content, leveraging chatbots and voice search, using social media marketing to a greater extent, and creating engaging user experiences are among the key trends to know – and use – in 2021.
Make sure to understand which trends will benefit you the most as well as which trends you should avoid based on your business.
This article is for small business owners and digital marketers who want to know more about the key trends and what they should focus their marketing efforts on in 2021.
While many marketing principles remain the same every year, the tools businesses use to achieve marketing success have changed dramatically over the years. Newspaper advertising was once commonplace; today, digital advertising and artificial intelligence play a major role in businesses’ marketing strategies.
Some of these technological advances are commonly used by larger corporations, but small businesses can learn a lot from the marketing strategies that larger companies are using. Business News Daily spoke with marketing experts to find out what marketing trends small businesses can take advantage of in 2021. Here are seven trends we believe small businesses should take advantage of in the coming year:
1. True Content Marketing is on the rise.
For small businesses on a budget, providing authentic content is a powerful marketing tool. By adding a blog to your website, you can generate interest in your products while establishing your brand as a thought leader in your industry. Writing about topics that your customers care about is a great way to build brand awareness and customer loyalty. By showing your audience that you care about more than just selling, you can build trust.
Whether it's a social media post, blog post, or email, make sure your content strikes a good balance between highlighting your product and offering valuable, helpful advice.
2. The demand for chatbots is increasing.
According to Salesforce, 69% of U.S. consumers prefer to use chatbots when interacting with brands, as they typically provide a quick response. However, most small business owners surveyed said they don’t use the technology. A chatbot running on your website can answer basic customer questions at all hours of the day or night, even while you’re focused on other tasks.
3. Voice search is gaining traction.
With mobile devices and voice services like Amazon’s Alexa becoming more popular, voice search is one area where your small business can stand out from the competition. If your business is online, there’s a greater chance that people will find your website or content marketing materials through voice search in 2021 and beyond.
From Hornak's perspective as a digital marketing expert and with expertise in creating blog content for small businesses, organizations with blogs or content streams need to change their plan of attack.
According to Hornak, one simple technique you can adopt in 2021 is to provide answers to frequently asked questions about your products on your website.
4. Data analytics is still critical to success.
Curtis Tingle, senior vice president of product at smart media distribution company Valassis, says most brands are prioritizing data analytics, but marketers still have a ways to go.
Companies’ access to data goes beyond basic demographics, Tingle says. Brands can now access consumers’ online and offline media behaviors and preferences, day-of-day locations, purchase histories, promotion sensitivity, and more. This allows them to customize messaging, imagery, and offers across channels, even at the household level.
Tingle's observation is important: Marketers need to do more than collect data. Data needs to be meaningful, and businesses need to use that data to improve marketing campaigns. Simply collecting information isn't useful.
5. Social media marketing will be a top priority.
Social media will continue to play a vital role in the digital marketing efforts of successful companies. However, in 2021, expect to see companies emphasizing direct communication with customers through social media and using their social media platforms as a living embodiment and representation of their brand.
6. Consumers are searching for new brands across a number of digital channels.
The use of digital to find and nurture new customers has exploded over the past year, especially as the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted in-person shopping. This has prompted many companies to make major changes to their online presence to appeal to a wider audience of consumers.
McCarthy says new brand discovery is at an all-time high, and businesses are focusing on building relationships with these new customers by leveraging their owned channels – email, web and mobile – to do so.
7. User experience (UX) will become increasingly important.
Modern customers expect an engaging, user-friendly, and seamless online experience, whether it’s in an e-commerce store or browsing a website. In 2021, expect to see an even greater push towards a seamless and highly engaging user experience, with a focus on personalization and speed.
Original post: 2022 Marketing Tech Trends – businessnewsdaily.com
Translated by: Phan Cong Duy
