The year 2021 is going to be different from the previous years. Yes, 2020 brought forth a drastic change due to the pandemic. But it also got a lot of confusion. The trial and error method was more prominent as business owners tried to find a way to keep the business going.
With more people used to online shopping, business owners need to know the latest digital marketing trends for the year before investing in website optimization and online promotions. It is also recommended that business owners hire the best digital marketing agency to create a comprehensive strategy. It is no longer when business owners could rely only on guts and instinct to make an impression on the target audience.
Featured Snippets
The goal of business owners in 2021 is to grab the position zero on the SERPs. This is the highlighted section that directly displays the answer to the user’s search. Though users will not have to open the website link, this position brings credibility to the business. Use long-tail keywords to optimize for featured snippets.
Social Media Engagement
Do you know that the budget for SMM has gone during the last year? As people spend relatively more time on social media, it has become visible on these platforms. Sharing posts, events, contents, doing interviews and interacting with followers has taken prominence. Whether it is a startup or a large enterprise, the time has come to conquer social media.
Eco-friendly and Sustainability
The best digital marketing agency highlights the shift in customers’ perspectives. Users these days are more conscious about the environment and their purchases. If a brand is not inclined to show that it is doing something for the environment, customers will likely move to another business. Communicate the measures taken by the company and create an eco-friendly identity.
Optimizing the Website for Voice Search
Voice search became famous in 2020. The same trend is said to continue in 2021. Whether it is on the smartphone or the home assistants like Alexa, people rely on voice search to find answers and place orders. The business website needs to be separately optimized for voice search. Featured snippets are helpful here, just as long-tail keywords.
Overcome the Ad-blocker Hurdle
More and more people are using ad-blockers. It is estimated that 27% of the users have ad-blockers in place, and they are not going to disable it to view a business website. Instead of asking the user to change their settings, it is suggested to overcome the hurdle by changing the marketing strategy.
Local SEO and Google My Business
The searches for local businesses have gone up during the last few years. Most of these come from mobile phones. If a business hasn’t yet invested in local SEO services, it is time to do so immediately. Opt to create a “Google My Business” profile and verify it. Make sure the NAP details, timings and descriptions are updated.
Image and Video Marketing
Visuals are always compelling. A website with high-quality images and personalized videos gets more attention than an ordinary website. But it is essential to optimize the pictures and videos for SEO. Make use of keywords in the alt tags and descriptions. Upload the videos on YouTube. Live stream events and behind-the-scenes on social media.
Interactive Content Marketing
Content marketing has gotten a little twist. Engagement is as necessary as readership. Open-ended questions, asking for opinions and ideas, conducting polls and quizzes on social media are a few ways to increase interaction between the business and customers. The data collected from these interactions can be used to improve the business. Growing organic is the best option to grow on social networking sites, but people try to find different ways to enhance their growth. For instance, Instagram users often look for growth tools like Path Social to get faster growth. Users must wonder, is Path Social a Scam? By reading the reviews the accurate information can be found. Hence, it is very important to choose a legit tool for social media sites because a scam tool can do a lot of harm to the accounts.
Segmentation and Retention
With personalization becoming a keyword in recent times, businesses are now segmenting customers based on various factors, such as purchase behaviour, likes and preferences, demographics, etc. The idea here is to target a specific audience with a marketing campaign that has been designed exclusively for them. We can consider this as a part of local SEO services.
Employee Satisfaction
The employees of a business are its internal customers. If they are not satisfied, it can be hard to convince outsiders to be loyal to the brand. Business owners are now focusing on motivating and empowering employees. This will naturally lead to an increase in productivity. However, it will also result in the employees taking a personal interest to promote the brand and bring in more customers.[adsense]
Conclusion
Apart from the above trends, businesses need to continue with the successful trends from 2020. Focus on inclusivity (various ethnic groups) and social responsibility. Communication is vital, as the target audiences need to know what stand the brand has taken on social topics. This could go either way, so weigh the pros and cons before making a declaration.
