13 Key Digital Marketing Trends for 2021

2020 was a very uncertain year and simply disastrous for many businesses. With the outbreak of the Corona Virus, it has become evident that an approach to business operations and marketing is changing.

Many of those who adopted the digital platform earlier profited, those who did not faced loss and this became quite evident in the past year. Unfortunately, the uncertainty hasn’t ended and it remains to be seen what the future holds for us. But, let there be no despair. If you are a business owner or someone looking forward to increase sales then we are here to not only educate you about digital marketing but we have also come up with a list of latest marketing models and trends you need to keep an eye out for.

Ever since the outbreak of Corona in 2020. The word digital transformation has gained more attention and many companies started to adapt new work methodologies. Companies are willing to invest a significant amount in this process; may it be the new e-commerce model, use of AI, analytics to identify customer trends or the use of social media platforms for marketing more than ever.

Here are 13 must to follow digital strategies that will help you achieve your sales targets in 2021:

1. Use Al to your Advantage:

Undoubtedly, digital advertising has become tremendously successful due to its adaptation of artificial intelligence.  Digital Advertising giants such as Facebook and Google have successfully implemented artificial technology to better segment their audience on the basis of age, gender, interests, and various other aspects. AI has allowed marketers to better target their desired audience and effectively run campaigns.

However, it is equally important for marketers to spot the trends to make strategic advantages accordingly. The AI can do wonders with the right creatives and budget allocation on part of the marketer.

2. Influencer Marketing will be a Key Channel:

Influencer marketing is establishing itself as one of the most promising marketing channels in the digital marketing world right now.  There are tons of influencers emerging on various digital platforms such as Instagram, Youtube, TikTok, and other social media platforms in every niche giving marketers ample choice to invest depending on their budget. According to one of the researches conducted to study consumer behavior, it was reported that 40% of people bought a product online after they saw an influencer wearing or using it.

3. Sustainability Marketing :

Another growing trend which is proving to be highly successful is sustainable marketing. Letting your audience know that you care for the environment can help you increase your sales. Yes, that is correct! People really appreciate products that contribute towards a sustainable and greener environment. After all, global warming is a real issue and it’s great that companies are integrating sustainable practices into their business model. 81% of consumers feel that companies should help save the environment.

4. Ad – Blockers :

While 2021 will be bringing plenty of opportunities for digital marketers. It will also bring its fair share of challenges and ‘Ad-Blocker’ might prove to be a nuisance.  It is expected that by 2021, 27% of internet users are expected to be using Ad-blocker which will create hindrance in running PPC campaigns effectively.

However, you can overcome this challenge by investing your PPC budget in other marketing channels like Influencer marketing.

5. Google My Business :

Google my business is another useful tool that you need for your business. Google my business listing appears across Google’s Search and Map platforms. It assists your customers to quickly access the relevant information about your product/services, business hours, location, customer reviews with just one Google search and it saves them the time to go through your website (which by the way most customers don’t bother to).

6. PPC Campaign :

Despite the early disclaimer about ‘Ad-blocker’. PPC isn’t going anywhere in 2021. If anything it is going to get more impactful. Being mindful of the fact that the number of internet users are growing each day with an estimate of 53.7% of global population to be internet users by 2021. This means there will still be plenty of audience to reach through your campaigns.

Also, the fact that AI systems are getting smarter with each passing day, PPC campaigns are predicted to produce better results.

7. Search Engine Optimization :

• User Experience (UX):  Gone are the days when you could merely rank your website by just stuffing as many keywords on your webpage. Now, Search engines take into account several factors for page ranking and User Experience is an all-important one. The website’s bounce rate, loading time, mobile responsiveness all fall under user experience.

Search Intent: What is search intent? Why will it be a critical factor in ranking your page?

Search intent is to understand how users might ask their queries and how your content matches their query. Google aims to provide its users with the most relevant results to their searches. The more your content aligns with the user’s search intent, the more relevant it will be to the search, helping it to rank further up.

Tip: using long-tail keywords will certainly help you in this case.

8. Mobile Optimization :

• 

In today’s era, it has not only become useful to have a mobile-friendly user interface but has become a necessity for your website. There are 3 billion mobile users worldwide currently according to Stats and that number will only grow.

In 2021, it is estimated that 53.9% of all retail e-commerce will come from m-commerce.

So it is a no-brainer in this case to have a mobile responsive interface or better an app for your website.

If you are not utilizing social media marketing by 2020, you need to seriously re-evaluate your marketing strategy and correct it for 2021. SMM is one of the cheapest marketing channels you can utilize for your brand. There are two ways you can market on social media either organically or by paid ads.

9. Paid Social Media Ads :

Social media ads have shown great results for businesses. There are several platforms for you to sell on social media depending on your business and preference. In the last quarter of 2020 alone, Facebook’s ad revenue amounted to 21.2 Billion USD and yes majority of the revenue was from mobile devices.

10. Video Ads :

Video ads give better results than static ads without any argument. Why do video ads perform better? The simple fact that they are able to convey more information and have the element to hook audiences. 92% of marketers agree that video ads are an integral part of their marketing strategy.

11. Email Marketing :

You can’t count out Email marketing. It’s a cheap and reliable channel that needs to be included in your marketing strategy for 2021. What you need to include in your strategy is to automate your emails to timely respond to events and create personalized emails.

12. Interactive Content :

Instead of just pushing your products in the face of your customers. Try to take a more interactive approach by including your customer’s opinion. Interactive content like hosting a poll, giving giveaways, open ended questions can significantly increase engagement rate on your post.

13. Data Analytics :

“Data is your best friend” as a marketer. Data driven strategies are attributed to produce better results for campaigns. Data analytics help marketers target consumers more effectively and produce desired outcomes.

You can use popular web analytic tools such as Google Analytics and Facebook Pixel for campaign tracking.