Digital Marketing Trends For 2021

25 February 2021

At the start of 2020, the digital marketing industry didn’t expect to be where it is today. People thought that there would be a gentle acceleration towards more online outreach in line with preceding trends

But what we’ve seen has been nothing short of an explosion. Digital marketing has come to the forefront of business practices in interesting and curious ways thanks to the pandemic.

Here are some of our thoughts for how digital marketing is going to evolve in 2021:

Increasing Reliance On Voice Search Integration

Google was experimenting with voice search nearly a decade ago, but the concept didn’t really take off in the way the tech gurus hoped. Even the arrival of the smartphone didn’t push it forward all that much.

That paradigm, however, appears to be finally changing with the advent of home assistants, like Amazon Alexa, Google Home and Apple’s Siri. Now consumers are getting used to the idea of asking questions with their vocal cords and getting responses Star Trek-style.

Digital marketing needs to keep at least one eye on this emerging and potentially explosive technology. It might not be long before the average company needs to optimise their content for voice search, not text.

Greater Reliance On Mobile Apps

Using a browser on a smartphone has always been clunky compared to apps. But in 2021, it is going to become something that consumers expect companies to deliver from the outset. Firing up an app and typing in a URL address is no longer acceptable. It takes way too long.

There are good brand reasons for taking a voice search approach to SEO. Did you know that app users are likely to spend three times as much with your app and non-app-using customers?

The Rise Of “At Home” Content

Unfortunately, lockdowns and social distancing mean that normal life is temporarily on hold. So, naturally, the way people live is changing.

Perhaps the biggest difference is in how people are interacting with each other while at home. Platforms like Tiktok have exploded as consumers share their daily activities with each other.

Digital marketing will need to find ways to tap into this new paradigm. Relatable content, collaborations with audiences and avoiding the hard sell will all play an important role in building brands through instant video platforms.

Flexibility And Transparency

After 2020, the future looks more uncertain than ever. People are worried about both their health and the wider state of the economy following government lockdowns, furloughs and other hits to their income.

Brands, therefore, will need to find ways to use digital marketing to encourage customers to open their wallets in 2021. Expect to see the following tactics:

• More promotions to encourage customer loyalty
• More displays of goodwill towards customers
• More brands helping people in need in the community
• Longer repayment options and flexible payment methods
• More focus on social justice movements

Eco-Conscious Marketing

Lastly, we are likely to see an explosion in eco-conscious marketing. Expect to see an increase in terms such as “local,” “sustainable” and “environmentally-friendly” in advertising. Also, expect to see more business posts relating to corporate social responsibility efforts.