The year 2020 was a turning point for most businesses. Revenues have fallen, workflow has moved online, and sales of products and services have moved to the Internet, where the rules of the game are radically different from what we are used to. All this has formed a completely new reality, which is sure not to change in the next couple of months. 

So, let’s take a look at the current trends in marketing and figure out what areas of digital are worth investing in the coming year to attract customers and increase revenues.

1. Attract And Retain Customers In Social Networks

The pandemic has significantly increased the amount of time people spend online. Interest in brand sites and pages on social media has increased, which has opened up new opportunities for marketers to expand audiences and interact with customers. Having a content plan, regular posts and feedback allows you to attract new consumers and build trust with them – all for relatively little money.

Still hesitant? Then here are some numbers: in the second quarter of 2020, social media budgets accounted for 23% of total U.S. marketing budgets. Last winter, it was only 13% – a reason to think about getting your brand an Instagram page.

2. Check The Validity And Relevance Of Your Data In Search Services …

… and if things aren’t quite right there, fix it. After all, local optimization is very effective: if people are looking for a specific product or service relative to their geographic location, they are more inclined to buy than others. And it becomes easier to convert them.

In order to “take off” in search results, you need to responsibly fill in information about the company, its hours of operation and services in the Google My Business service. You should remember that Google frequently updates its local algorithm SEO, and therefore the data will have to be regularly checked and updated for best performance. This won’t only increase the relevance in search results, but also to inform customers about changes in operating modes or promotions. And for a company to show up “near me” in a search, make sure you have a geographically defined service area. You can include keywords related to a location or landmark nearby in your SEO strategy.

3. Becoming More Accessible (In A Good Way)

People’s changing lifestyles also affect their ability to visit brand stores, service offices, etc. And that’s why changes in the opening hours of your stores or an increase in the length of time you keep your products in stock can position customers and increase the likelihood that they will return.

Also worth mentioning here is the need to create a list of customers who can be automatically notified of changes, new offers or arrivals. After all, timely notification also makes products or services more accessible.

4. Getting Away From Manual Bid Assignment In Google Ads

Marketers at Google are constantly working to optimize ad campaigns, and one of the major advances in recent years has been the automation of the bidding process. The algorithms allow the user to save both time and money, getting the maximum return on investment. And the hours freed up can be used to improve other aspects of contextual advertising.

The year 2020 was a breakthrough for the automation of these processes, because it was the year that search engines rolled out more than one update for this. In 2021, this trend won´t only continue, but will become more widespread.

5. Adapting Site Content For Voice Search

Another trend that has emerged in recent years. Thus, the results of voice search results are often different from those that appear in writing. And therefore increase the relevance of your site in the systems can be due to the adaptation of the content of the site. The text should be more simple and conversational.

6. Increase Customer Retention Through Segmentation

This strategy is not new, but it has recently become popular. It turns out that a lot of small marketing campaigns targeting a narrower territory can yield amazing results. Even large campaigns for a wide audience lose out in comparison.

A segmentation strategy consists of grouping a target audience by certain characteristics, behaviors or habits. For each new audience segment, a separate list of email addresses is generated, to which ads personalized to that group are then sent. This also works for specialized ads on websites, blog content categories and social media content.

This also works with Influencers. Unlike millionaire bloggers, who in the audience’s mind have already taken a place in the ranks of celebrities, micro influencers are more like regular people with above-average social media followers. Their audience is more segmented and active. Engaging a lot of small bloggers can be much more beneficial for product promotion than a campaign with a high-level blogger.

7. Adding Interactive Content

A great way to add value to a potential customer’s site visit. Whether it’s a calculator widget, a survey or a quiz, it doesn’t matter. The important thing is that it extends the time of stay and interaction with the site, strengthens the visitor’s connection with the brand and increases the degree of their enjoyment.

It’s also a great way to learn about user preferences to improve your service or product. Interactive content is a clear manifestation of the global push for personalization, so the trend toward introducing elements of user interaction is likely to continue in 2021.

8. Fighting For The “Zero Position” In Search Results

Google’s snippet, which is commonly called that, works differently than other queries. It is separated by a small field and is located at the top, displaying also additional information. The latter allows the user to get the answer to his question without going to the site.

But why should you  give up clicking on your link? The answer is simple: “zero position” automatically recognizes you as a leader in the field, and therefore increases credibility and brand awareness. The main thing is to answer the query really briefly and helpfully – bulleted lists and tables will help with this.

9. Adapting Site Content For Voice Search

Another trend that has emerged in recent years. Thus, the results of voice search results are often different from those that appear in writing. And therefore increase the relevance of your site in the systems can be due to the adaptation of the content of the site – the text should be more simple and conversational.

10. Increase Customer Retention Through Segmentation

This strategy is not new, but it has recently become popular. It turns out that a lot of small marketing campaigns targeting a narrower territory can yield amazing results. Even large campaigns for a wide audience lose out in comparison.

A segmentation strategy consists of grouping a target audience by certain characteristics, behaviors or habits. For each new audience segment, a separate list of email addresses is generated, to which ads personalized to that group are then sent. This also works for specialized ads on websites, blog content categories and social media content.

This also works with Influencers. Unlike millionaire bloggers, who in the audience’s mind have already taken a place in the ranks of celebrities, micro influencers are more like regular people with above-average social media followers. Their audience is more segmented and active, and engaging a lot of small bloggers can be much more beneficial for product promotion than a campaign with a high-level blogger.

11. Learning To Live With Ad Blockers

In 2021 27% of Internet users are expected to use ad blockers, and that number will only grow every year. Of course, depending on the target audience and the location of advertising this damage may be insignificant, but forewarned is forearmed.

There is a way out – do not waste your time and actively develop new types of marketing campaigns. If you don’t need it in 2021, you will need it later.

12. Talking About Ecology And Inclusiveness

Both of these topics now occupy a significant place in the information space of the planet, and therefore they should not be ignored. If you can, talk about how your brand contributes to the environment. Or reflect on your commitment to breaking down barriers and making it accessible to everyone.

These themes will work especially well for young audiences of Generation Z, who are just entering adulthood. Here are some examples of how this can be communicated to an audience:

13. Using Visual Search

SEO optimization has undergone a number of important changes in recent years, one of which has been the ability to use visual search. And so don’t forget to use high quality images and videos, include targeted keywords in your image file name, and always add substitute text in the description.

That way you’ll benefit from the growing popularity of visual search, and you can even draw traffic from your competitors if they search for products or barcodes based on images.

14. TikTok’s Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing is boldly heading into 2021 and becoming even more relevant. It’s the one most commonly seen on TikTok.

According to studies, celebrities and opinion leaders account for more than 85 percent of TikTok marketing. They both help to raise brand recognition as well as sales.

According to Sensor Tower data, TikTok became the most popular app in the world in August 2020. As a result, Converse partnered with million-dollar bloggers to allow consumers to customise their Converse sneakers. Thousands of videos from brand enthusiasts were uploaded to TikTok alone, resulting in 24 million views in only six days.

15. Augmented reality

According to a Gartner report, more than 70% of businesses would use augmented reality (AR) technology by 2021. Customers will be able to build their own house, “try on” items, and get all the information they need just by pointing a smartphone camera at the object of interest.

AR will aid in the creation of a more intimate relationship between the client and the brand. Furthermore, unlike virtual reality (VR), augmented reality is considerably easier and more accessible to medium-sized enterprises in terms of deployment.

Author Bio:

Rebecca Carter works at uk essay help as an essay writer. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and during her study developed an enthusiasm for writing articles about Business, Digital Marketing and Self-Development. When she is not writing Rebecca enjoys being in the mountains, gym, and volunteering.