Top 15 Digital Marketing Trends for 2021

Discover the digital marketing trends that will make their mark in 2021

Business interactions are increasingly taking place in the virtual world. Therefore, planning and developing digital marketing strategies that are relevant to the current market is essential. It is a sure-fire way to help you reach new customers and strengthen your relationship with those already loyal to your brand.

To help you with this task, check out the incoming trends for 2021 across this field. This list not only takes into account predictions from international publications such as Business Insider and Forbes, it also draws on information shared in several Domestika courses dedicated to the best digital marketing techniques.

Make sure to stay up to date. In a market as vast and competitive as the Internet, every little detail that makes you stand out is vital and may be the factor that determines whether a business is successful or not.

Storydoing

Storydoing or storytelling–a tool already widely used in digital marketing–focuses on action. Instead of simply telling stories, brands seek to engage the user and share an experience with them. For this strategy to work, you need to be very clear about what you’re going to tell, the expected reaction, and the possible effects.

Shoppable TV

Do you remember those television channels dedicated exclusively to selling products? Although they were never a hit with a mass market, we can consider them precursors of the Shoppable TV trend, which allows you to shop products that appear on TV. By scanning a QR code or using the app, you'll be able to purchase goods from a marketer’s website.

Programmatic Advertising

This term encompasses different types of technology capable of automating advertising processes at different levels. It automatically maps advertising space suitable for a campaign objective, based on user browsing behavior. The strategy, therefore, tends to be much more effective.

Artificial Intelligence

Since we are talking about automating processes, it’s time to look at artificial intelligence. With the advances being made in this area, companies will be able to improve how they personalize online order processes, continue to optimize user experience, and improve their relationship with their customers.

Search out loud

When it comes to search marketing, we’re sure to see an increase in searches by voice command. It’s estimated that at least 50% of searches–taking place directly on search engines or through virtual assistants such as Siri–will be carried out this way. This will directly affect brands’ positioning on Google. After all, speech and writing do not always match up. It will be important to update your SEO strategy.

End of third-party cookies

Another important change is that Google Chrome will stop using third-party cookies. The plan is that, by 2022, the browser, like Firefox and Safari, will no longer support this tracking technology used in advertising campaigns. This maneuver aims to strengthen privacy and, therefore, user confidence.

Shopping on WhatsApp

The Facebook instant messaging application is already widely used by businesses, but the Shopping Cart feature is new. This new feature allows users to browse their catalog, select items, and send orders as messages.

Biometric identification

According to a recent European study, two thirds of respondents prefer to identify themselves with biometric data for online payments. It can be done by facial recognition or using other physical features. For security’s sake, this trend will play an increasingly important role in the growth of online shopping.

Shoploop

You may not be familiar with this shopping platform from Google as it has only been around for six months; however, it is likely to make its mark in 2021. Looking like a social network, it combines video and e-commerce, allowing users to watch product demos of up to 90 seconds. Purchases are made directly on the app.

Interactivity

This trend has been growing over the years, and it looks like it is here to stay. The way brands communicate with users is becoming more and more interactive, incorporating countless resources: surveys, games, videos, competitions, etc. Therefore, when producing content, it is important to think about formats that will generate engagement and interaction.

Social Awareness

Today, brand marketing and PR go hand in hand. A new generation of consumers want brands to be conscious of their social impact. The values you transmit are as important as the quality of your products. Show your customers who you are and what you believe in!

Micro-influencers

It may sound strange, but studies have shown that the bigger an influencer is, the lower the return on investment. Micro-influencers have more loyal followers and, consequently, they are better at selling the products they advertise. In addition, they tend to operate within a niche, which makes targeting easier and has a more positive impact on the success of your campaigns.

Google My Business

Make sure you always keep Google My Business up to date, for two reasons. Reason one: it is important for customers to easily find out your opening times, the services you offer, and your location. They should never have to go to a great amount of effort to get this information. Reason two isn’t quite as obvious: including your exact geographic location in local listings will make your company more likely to appear in the "near me" search results.

Memes

With relationships between customers and brands becoming more and more informal, it is worth embracing humor. Memes allow you to present yourself less seriously, and, hopefully, they could go viral. However, you have to be very careful: a misinterpreted message can have a negative impact and this can be hard to fix.

Smartphones: the go-to device

Finally, perhaps the most important trend: the use of cell phones as the go-to device. The pandemic, in a way, contributed to the acceleration of this trend. Locked up at home, cell phones, this year, became our windows to the outside world. We are spending more and more time on them, so it is important for your company to have responsive apps and/or websites that allow users to find everything they are looking for without having to use a computer.

English version by @eloise_edgington.

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