10 Digital Marketing Trends You Can’t Ignore in 2021

Last updated on September 19th, 2023 at 02:53 pm

Due to the outbreak of COVID-19, businesses took a significant hit. Since then customers have changed their shopping habits. Physical shopping is no longer a preference. Consumers are actively shopping online and many businesses have gone online to keep connected with their audience. With this massive increase in online shopping, the competition standards have risen high between businesses. Many brands are hiring digital marketing companies as they are updated and loaded with modern marketing trends. These digital market companies are advanced, and professional and provide an instant solution for brands.

However, a company’s inbound digital marketers are finding new ways to attract customers and make sales like before. To make sure your brands stay connected and get the attention they need, try these 10 digital marketing trends in the year 2021.

1. Video Content

Consumers are shopping from home; this is why they cannot see a product or its features clearly through a picture. Many customers would sail away if they did not understand the description. This is why video content should be added to your marketing strategy. Visuals provide an exact look at the product, highlight its features, and provide a 360 view of the product. Marketers are producing short, concise, and engaging videos to target their audience. There are various types when it comes to video content; you could choose an animated explainer video; which is acknowledged as the most powerful marketing tool. It is exciting, informative, and eye-grabbing for customers.

2. Chatbots

Chatbots have secured their importance in digital marketing in 2021. This is an AI (Artificial Intelligence) technology. Consumers can text at any time of the day or night to ask questions. These chatbots provide a basic answer that encourages customers to make purchases.

• According to surveys, Chatbots will support 95% of customer service by 2021.
• They are beneficial to provide 24-hour service. Instant response to customer inquiries and answer to basic questions result in sales for businesses.
• Marketers can quickly incorporate a messenger chatbot for popular platforms like Facebook or Telegram.
• Around 75% of people prefer messaging a message for communication with a brand.
• Chatbots will let businesses save $8 billion by 2022.
• As per 80% of businesses, Chatbots sound more intelligent and human.

Customers prefer talking to Chatbots as answers are instantly provided. Virtual assistance is known to provide excellent customer service without losing patience. Many businesses are already using Chatbots, and more brands are looking forward to including it in their marketing strategy.

3. Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing is acknowledged as word-of-mouth publicity that focuses on using famous people to bring brand awareness. Influencers are usually celebrities; however, various Instagram and YouTube influencers have a fan following of millions. They could play an essential part in marketing a brand’s products or services as they already have a huge audience. There are influencers for every niche, and they are endless. It is known as an authentic way of marketing,

• According to 63% of customers, they trust influencer’s choice of products and reviews.
• As 58% of individuals, have purchased a new product because of influencer recommendation.

4. Voice Search & Smart Speakers

The higher use of voice search through the Google search engine has made it crucial for businesses to follow this trend in 2021. According to sources,

• By 2020, 50% of searches happened through voice.
• 55% of American residents will have a smart speaker by 2022.
• 72% of individuals own voice-activated speakers and use them as a regular part of their routines.
• Voice shopping is expected to hit $40 billion by 2022.

5. Social Media Stories

Snapchat was the first-ever social media platform to introduce “My Story”, then this concept was used by Instagram, and Facebook stories were initiated too. Now YouTube has its own story: REELS. These stories are set to stay up for 24 hours, and it’s a good marketing technique to stay connected with your audience.

• It increases brand acknowledgment.
• Engagement.
• Cost-effective.
• Higher traffic coming to your webpage.
• Opportunity to connect with the Gen Z audience.

6. Content Marketing VS SEO

Content marketing is dominant in SEO, according to Google’s John Mueller is “Focus on attractive content instead of SEO content”. Content marketing is playing a vital role for 88% of B2B content marketers. It creates content that makes the audience view the brands as an authentic and credible resource.

Some stats provided by the Content Marketing Institute:

• Content marketing is 60% less costly, as compared to outbound marketing.
• It generates 3x more leads.
• Content marketing has long-lasting benefits as compared to paid search.
• 615 million devices use adblock, which means paid ads are not seeable by people.
• Small businesses are known to produce 126% more leads due to blogs.
• The conversion rate is 6x higher as compared to other methods.

7. Interactive Content

In 2020, the typical text has been replaced by interactive content. It is dynamic, engaging, and offers an immersive experience. There was a significant change in the traditional text, such as,

• Quiz & Polls
• Embedded calculators
• Reality ads
• 360-degree animated videos.

Brands can consider, that 91% of buyers are searching for interactive content. Customers do not prefer it because it is unique and fresh, but because it feels more authentic and connects them to the brands in the purchasing procedure.

8. User-Generated Content (UGC)

User-generated content (UGC) is a potential source for digital marketers whose target audience is Millennials, and Gen Z. Brands can encourage their potential buyers to share interesting content by offering an incentive, such as discount offers, or a gift coupon.

9. Google Ads

With the intense competition between brands on social media, the organic reach has started suffocating the users, and paid advertisement is more worth full force in 2020. Brands who rely on organic reach should now consider the “Smart bidding feature on Google Ads”.

Advertisers can give the reins of their PPC (Pay Per Click) campaigns to Google’s AL system; this will optimize brands’ budgets to double their ROI. This works for various numbers of PPC goals,

• Target CPA – Generate leads and potential customers at a higher cost per acquisition.
• Target ROAS – Set brand sights on the highest return on their advertisement investment.
• Maximize Conversion Rate – Rack up promotional conversion rates, whether the target is set to get more email subscribers, downloads, or product sales.

10. Better Analytics

Digital marketing and metrics are known to go hand in hand; if you are not investing in improved analytics, the struggle will be seen in the outcomes. However, the customer journey is complicated now more than ever.

Brands are working in an Omnichannel age where many customers’ engagement with a brand goes up to six touchpoints before a purchase. With various channels to balance and a myriad of techniques to market products, Analytics tracking is increasingly becoming a gargantuan mission. Many businesses are searching for beyond the basics of Google Analytics for a complete business intelligence solution.

Another way this trend would be boosted is by moving towards BI – business intelligence, according to Neil Patel, “ A BI option is, “A focal place where businesses can tie in all of their data and make better-informed decisions to optimize lifetime value instead of focusing on short-term income”.

There are various BI options available paid and free, such as Google Data Studio, Metabase, and Tableau.

Wrap Up

Now you have it, our complete guide to the ten digital marketing trends that can’t be ignored in 2021. For businesses working in the era of digital marketing, constant change is an important part. Marketers have to keep on looking and strive to welcome new technologies, tools, and marketing strategies to be one step ahead of their competitors.