Digital Marketing : 2020 has been nothing less than a roller coaster ride! Agree? People across the globe are still trying to come to terms with the “new normal” which has also had a significant impact on their behaviour online.
The COVID outbreak has not only had an enormous impact on our personal and professional lives, but also impacted major businesses. But, there’s a silver lining to all this.
Businesses have started realizing the importance of Digital Marketing and how it can help them get right back in the game.
With the internet being the main bridge connecting people to the outside world, here are the 5 digital marketing trends we think you will need to look out for in 2021. Let’s dive in straight away!
#1 Transitions In Social Media Marketing
Social Media has been growing tremendously in the past few years and now thanks to corona, it has become even more indispensable. With more than 3.5 billion social media users worldwide and still growing by the second, creating engaging content is not an easy task. Here are a few marketing trends that top brands are implementing in their strategies – Virtual Reality (VR) or Augmented Reality (AR) technologies have become popular in recent years and are growing to be leading marketing designs. Brands are making use of Augmented Reality to give their customers an out of the way shopping experience. For example, Ikea, a Swedish-origin company that sells furniture and home appliances was the first to implement AR in its applications. The IKEA Place app shows its customers how more than 2,000 furniture items would look inside their own homes.
I mean, how crazy is that! According to a recent update by Forbes, YouTube’s AR Beauty Try On has partnered with cosmetic brands like MAC, to create an AR experience that lets users try on make-up virtually. YouTube’s statistical reports say that 30% of the viewers activated the AR experience feature.By implementing innovative tools like these, brands will be able to reach out to engaging customers more efficiently. Influencer Marketing is also something that has been going very strong in recent times. The rise in the number of influencers on all social media platforms like YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, etc. shows how we, millennials and the Gen Z generation, are welcoming them with open arms. Brands can collaborate with such influencers to create valuable content and keep customers more engaged with the brand.
#2 Voice Search and Voice Assistants
According to PWC, by 2021, 70% of all searches will be via voice. 3 out of every 4 consumers are using voice assistants at home. As we have already become so comfortable using smart voice assistants like Siri, Alexa, Cortana, etc., the next logical step would be to try using them for more personalized needs.
Social media platforms have already started implementing voice capabilities.
For instance, Twitter introduces voice tweets. This feature lets you speak and record what you wish to tweet and share with your followers. Each voice tweet has a time frame of around 140 seconds. Wow!
Similarly, LinkedIn has also added a new feature that lets you record the pronunciation of your name so that it can help people pronounce it right.
Voice search and voice assistants already have a large impact on search trends which will automatically gain a significant place in the upcoming Digital Marketing trends.
#3 Video Marketing
In comparison to reading all the textual information available online, you would anyday prefer watching a Video. Consumers prefer Videos over textual content because they’re easy-to-digest, engaging and more interesting.
Whereas, marketers prefer Videos because they give a potentially huge ROI through many channels. 92% of marketers say that videos are an important part of their marketing strategy.
Videos are one of the best ways to connect with your audience and communicate what you and your business or your clients are doing. Over 80% of all traffic is predicted to consist of video by 2021.
#4 The Rise Of AI
With time, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has changed the face of the digital landscape. As intelligent tools keep evolving, many successful brands have adopted them, to use within their marketing. So, how is AI transforming the Digital Market?
Creating and Generating Content:
What? A machine that writes on its own and creates content from scratch? No way!
This is the new way!
Even though AI cannot write political opinions or blog posts all by itself, it can write content based on data and information that will attract visitors to your website.
Forbes and several other organizations are already using intelligent tools like Quill, Wordsmith, etc to create news which increases traffic on their websites.
AI Chatbots:
Many brands are reaching out to their customers through messaging apps like WhatsApp, Facebook, etc. and honestly, nobody likes to wait for a response on their phone.
Chatbots are making the process of automating responses easier. They serve clients 24/7 and also retain their data. They can respond to several requests from different customers at the same time. So, waiting time will no longer be a problem.
Content Curation:
AI can not only generate content, but can also curate it.
Netflix’s recommendation system gives you suggestions for movies or TV shows that you might find interesting. And it’s pretty accurate!
Now, the question is, how is this helpful in digital marketing?
Imagine showing your visitors blogs that are relevant to them, based on topics that they have already looked for in your blog. They would definitely spend more time on your web page.
AI is here to make the marketers aware of their strategic potential and not here to replace their jobs. But for this to happen, it is very important to get adapted and be ready to go on board with AI.
#5 Interactive Content
Is Interactive Content the future of Content Marketing? Yes! Absolutely!
You follow 101 strategies in digital marketing but if you’re lacking with the quality of content, all the efforts you put in will be a waste.
Content is the King in Digital Marketing! To keep the customers engaged, it is very important to have good and interactive content.
Content is the best reason for any user to stay longer on your website. And interactive content is mainly created to grab the user’s attention and make them take some action on your website. The actions can be as simple as a click to learn more about the product, a quiz, or even a poll.
As the content marketing surge continues, brands need to work towards implementing new and creative strategies to reach the targeted audience.
Conclusion
Digital Marketing is a multifaceted field and the possibilities are endless. We always look out for innovative solutions to make our clients happy. But what’s more important is, finding solutions that best suit your needs and not going for the new and shiny. So, let’s stay optimistic, utilize this opportunity to redefine our marketing strategies and set ourselves up for success post this pandemic.