After such a turbulent year, it might seem close to impossible to predict what 2021 will bring us. Despite saying goodbye to 2020, we will still be seeing much of its influence shaping this year’s digital marketing trends. Below you can find out which trends the Blue Frontier experts predict for 2021. From inclusivity, interactive content and local SEO to sustainability, we will cover the upcoming trends so that your business can stay on top of digital.
To accurately predict this year’s digital marketing trends it is vital to analyse the impact 2020 had on consumer behaviour shifts. These shifts in trends are likely to become prevalent in this year’s market and play a significant role in how we work, connect and communicate.
2020 popularised online events and virtual experiences and we can expect to see more of them in the future. We can assume that this type of communication with the audience will remain, even when COVID-19 restrictions are eased because of ROI and their accessibility. Brands have found that by going virtual, they opened up their events to an entirely new audience, as virtual events are more accessible than in-person events. Breaking down communication barriers and leveraging online features is how many businesses improve their connection with their audience.
After the shift to online shopping in 2020, Ecommerce will remain popular in 2021. Furthermore, social media will become even more utilised as a channel for purchase, instead of just discovery. Platforms such as Facebook and Instagram are making it easier for customers to go from browsing to purchasing without having to leave their site or app, creating a seamless shopping experience for the end-user. With Ecommerce on the rise, many retailers will have to adapt their shopping experience to ensure they can provide an online shopping option for 2021.
There is a significant push and need for more diversity online, with audiences expecting to see this from brands that they support. In other words, they don’t want to see homogeneous content that has been popular in previous decades, and instead rightly so, want their brands to be more inclusive of all minorities and ethnicities. This goes not only for the photography and imagery used by the brand but also the line of products it offers.
In 2021, brands are expected to show even more transparency and purpose than in previous years, as conscientious buyers want to buy from conscientious brands. Businesses are now expected to show as much concern about the environment as their consumers. In 2021, we can expect a boost in the popularity of sustainable and eco-friendly brands, therefore including green practices in digital marketing efforts can prove itself very beneficial.
In previous years the main SEO goal was to get listed as the first search result. However, going into 2021 the end-goal is to be featured as a snippet (position zero). The featured snippet works differently than other search results, as it’s separated by a box and located at the very top. It also displays extra information while answering the user’s question, without them needing to click on a link. It might seem counter-intuitive at first to forego a potential customer from clicking on your link, however, the recognition your brand gets as an expert in the field outweighs a link click.
The trend of influencers in social media marketing is not slowing down and has so far offered impressive results for businesses. Micro and nano influencers who have under 25k followers have the highest engagement rates and are a safe bet for 2021. Much like reviews work, shoppers like to know the opinions of others, especially if it's the opinion of someone they admire and follow. An influencer's opinion on brands and products can be very powerful, and this will only continue to gain momentum.
Targeting a specific audience is the aim of any marketing campaign, however, in 2021 we can expect to see more small marketing campaigns targeting specific audiences rather than large marketing campaigns targeting general audiences. This means more personalisation and customer engagement in the new year.
This trend has been around for quite some time, yet it is only now that it’s starting to become a best practice. Not only does this form of content promote user engagement, but it also improves user experience and is therefore vital to building good relationships with the audience.
Surveys, quizzes and genuine questions can all improve brand image and brand awareness. This type of content increases the length of time users engage with a brand, which helps improve the standing in algorithm-based searches and feeds. It is also a great way for the business to get to know their customers/audience and will be a popular trend in digital marketing going forward.
Google’s local SEO algorithm is frequently updated, and it is therefore particularly important for local businesses to continually improve their appearance in local results. Consumers are more likely to choose the business near their geographic location which makes them typically easier to convert.
With AR on the rise, it is only a matter of time before businesses will need to consider incorporating it into their marketing campaigns. Even though this is still in its fledgling stage, now is the time to get ahead of the competition and analyse how this technology can be leveraged for your brand and incorporated in your digital marketing efforts.
As we can see above, many digital marketing trends in 2021 are branching out directly from changes that took place in 2020. Now more than ever a significant digital presence is important for brand success. If this is something you would like to outsource, Blue Frontier offers honest, bespoke, multi-channel digital marketing services to a range of small and large private and public companies. Contact us to find out more.
Digital Marketing Executive
Wiktoria lives to create, she is a marketing postgraduate who loves social media and content creation. Customer satisfaction and driving engagement is at the heart of her work. She has worked with different clients including fintechs, affiliate marketing agencies and NGOs for over 3 years to grow their brands, as well as provide them with original and creative content. Since joining Blue Frontier, Tori has focused on content creation and social media marketing.
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