Underneath the failed businesses, collapsing economies, and mental breakdowns caused by the coronavirus, changes are brewing. The coronavirus pandemic forever altered the retail landscape, so much so that even traditional retail businesses closed their doors and moved digital. In countries such as Singapore, SEO has replaced in-person marketing because of the development of virtual platforms and e-commerce websites. Advertising campaigns are now designed with the new norm in mind. So what are we expecting in digital marketing in 2021? How will the pandemic carve a new path for marketing?
Search Engine Optimization Will Still Rule
It is not that content is the king in internet marketing. It is that SEO will dictate what it wants to turn into a king. Search engines are the ultimate kingmaker. Whatever algorithm it comes up with will affect the whole digital marketing industry. If tomorrow it wants to prioritize blogs over videos, that’s what marketers will have to do—write more blogs. If in 2021 it wants to use long-tail keywords, short keywords will be obsolete.
Short-form Videos Might Be the New King
Speaking of kings and rulers of digital marketing, short-form videos such as the ones on TikTok and Snapchat will redefine brands do marketing. Short-form entertainment dominates the likes of TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, and even Facebook to some extent. As people’s boredom levels increased while sheltering in their homes, so does their affinity for short-length forms of entertainment.
Shopping on Social Media Channels
Social shopping has evolved in recent years. Today, more than 30% of consumers are open to shop directly from social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. The latter is the more popular of the two. Businesses have to explore social media more and how they can help them reach their consumers. The focus of social media marketing is more than attracting consumers to buy from your business. Rather, businesses can use the platforms directly to make a sale.
User Privacy Protections Will Change Ads
The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) of 2020 changed the way brands can access information about web visitors. Currently, the industry uses big data to target, track, and retarget customers. Marketers use well-placed ads on social media. This is about to change because other states and countries will follow the CCPA. Businesses have to prepare for these changes. They can begin by assuring their customers that their privacy is being protected, by staying updated about industry news and monitoring how these changes can impact their clients’ bottom line.
Marketing Automation Will Be the Norm
Imagine never having to customize the email manually or scheduling blog posts so that they are published at a specific time. Marketing automation improves the flow of marketing and business transactions. They help businesses grow faster. However, instead of needing time and manpower to provide a personalized experience for customers, businesses can rely on marketing automation tools to help them with this.
Using chatbots on social media and websites will also fall under this category. Customers are no longer willing to wait a few hours for your reply when they inquire about a product. They want information faster. Chatbots can be programmed to give the exact information that your customers need. It will also alert the account owners if the inquiries are more complicated than they can answer.
What will be your New Year’s resolutions for your digital marketing strategy? Although 2020 was a strange and difficult time for businesses, you must not lose sight of your overall goal. The aim is to build your business’s resiliency and keep up with the changes in market behavior and marketing technology. As much as the world has changed this year, businesses need to work twice as hard to remain relevant.