Mastering Digital Marketing in 2021
Mastering Digital Marketing in 2021
It can be difficult to predict how the landscape of digital marketing will be effected in 2021. If we try to avoid generalizations around new tech such as "AI in marketing is going to be a thing" (which we already see in some level) we're just left with changes we have already seen in 2020 and how they will continue or change in 2021.
It is impossible to predict how the current pandemic will affect the future. For some, it is definitely a game changer forcing you to reconsider how you interact with customers, for other larger multimedia companies, most things will go back to normal in the long run.
But the special thing about 2021 is, it's not the long run, it's a medium run at best and will be affected by the pandemic somehow.
To stay ahead in 2021 let's take a look at some trends we saw in 2020 and expect to see continuing through 2021.
Digital Marketing Trends in 2021
1. Shoppable Posts
One of the biggest trends in commerce to come out in the last few years is reducing the number of obstacles between a customer and a product. We've seen developments in product delivery, payment methods, and advertising that have all streamlined the purchasing process and made a merchant's life easier.
In other words, the less you have to do between seeing something and getting that something the better for both the merchant and customer. Shoppable posts, introduced by Instagram and followed by YouTube, allow users to add products they see in social media directly to checkout.
See the item you like, click on it, buy it with an attached payment method, and boom, await your order.
During Covid online shopping has become a necessity for store owners, potentially being the difference between surviving and bankruptcy.
In The End: People moved their shopping online due to ease of access and convenient delivery timelines, the pandemic only increased the rate of online shopping. This suggests that social commerce will become even more important in 2021.
2. Subscriptions over everything
How many services are you currently subscribed to? Spotify? Apple Music? Monthly boxes of new toys for your puppy that chews through everything? Boxes of wine delivered on a monthly basis? Chances are you've embraced the subscription life and brought some friends and family on board as well.
Services are advertised differently than products. Instead of the instant gratifications you want to emphasize the comfort, choice, and security that comes with a subscription based services. Subscription based services also allow you to focus on long-term relationships with your customers where the reward for your excellent services is a loyal, returning customer base.
With a Subscription model you want to make sure that you are grabbing new customers but keeping the old OG ones as well. This is a complete rework of a standard customer funnel where you focus on customer retention and nurturing in parallel with attracting new customers.
In The End: With long-term paying customers a company's finances are more predictable and the customers are tied closely to the company. While finding new customers is important those existing customers who you've nurtured into loyal monthly subscribers will keep you steady through the ups and downs of 2021.
3. New Entertainment
Even with lockdowns, and social distancing, people still want and need to be entertained, the main change we've seen in 2020 is how and where this entertainment will come from. Even with the vaccine light at the end of this dark Covid tunnel it will take time for things to go back to normal, keep this in mind and prepare your entertainment for new times.
The obstacles we've seen in traditional entertainment include travel restrictions, closed cinemas, recession, lockdowns, and social distancing rules. These obstacles have been met with new forms of entertainment including local traveling (I personally explored more of Ontario than ever before), cinemas showing more local or older productions instead of Hollywood blockbusters that keep getting pushed back, live music shows streamed online, and many other local collaborations.
In The End: Every offline event can have an online component to maximize your reach and increase user engagement in 2021.
4. Relationships Matter
In this past year did you buy something online during the lockdown just because you wanted to help a business you know? Did you order food just to support your favourite restaurant even though you had food at home? (Guilty!)
Big brands would kill for this kind of loyalty.
As these brands invest in creating more honest relationships with customers the "Shop Local" movement has put pressure on customers to find alternatives to the big Brand names.
The big brands are now working hard to create the same sense of trust and loyalty small and medium local businesses already have from their customers and community. As an SMB this is your time to give your customers what they want, an easy way to search and purchase your products and services online.
In The End: Relationships take time and effort, but with the proper messaging focused on emotion and not only raw data your customers will continue to stay loyal through anything 2021 throws at us.
With such an unpredictable year soon to be behind us it can be almost impossible to predict how the digital marketing landscape will change in 2021. All we can do is learn from the trends we've already seen develop in 2020 and embrace these for the new year.
Have you seen most of the trends mentioned become prominent in 2020? How have they affected your business and customer relationships?
