8 Essential Marketing Trends for Your Business in 2021
Last update: 18 August 2022 at 11:50 am
5.00/5How to stay up to date in 2021 with new marketing trends
The world is changing. More and more rapidly. What we are seeing is that digital developments are also changing people’s behavior. What this means is that companies must adapt to these new behaviors. Brands have to use new marketing strategies to reach their target audience. Discover with us, the 8 marketing trends to keep in mind in 2021! We also advise you to work with a specialized agency to build and implement your digital strategies.
Marketing Trend 1: Voice search
After the introduction of the keyboard, mouse and touch screens, voice technology is expected to make a definitive breakthrough in 2021. Doing a voice search or interacting directly by voice instead of in writing will become increasingly common. Just look at the adoption curve of connected speakers like Alexa to see this. Or simply the fact that the phrase “Ok Google” is an integral part of our lives now.
For companies, this means that their brand needs to be “top of mind,” so that their name is directly spoken when someone wants to buy that brand’s product or service. For example: “Alexa, add Colgate toothpaste to my cart” and not just “Alexa, buy toothpaste”. This means that brands will have to invest heavily in their branding to stay visible.
Marketing Trend 2: Chatbots
Chatbots are slowly but surely conquering their place in digital marketing. 80% of the questions received by customer services are standard questions. Given this fact, it makes sense to automate the answers given to these questions. What is needed is for the chatbot to be able to recognize the question asked and then provide the right answer. Once this condition is met, customer service can save a lot of time in processing other requests with much more attention.
Beyond that, a chatbot offers the advantage of being accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Brands such as bol.com or KLM already use chatbots to simplify rather complex services. As another example, KBC customers will soon benefit from the help of the intelligent assistant Kate in their mobile application.
Even though many users are still reluctant to ask their questions to a chatbot and few companies manage to build a really effective bot, there is no doubt that this technology will become more and more commonplace. Should we wait a few more years before launching a chatbot? Certainly not! Start already now with a basic chatbot if you have the possibility to do so & consult one of our innovation agencies to create great value to your business!
Marketing Trend 3: Artificial Intelligence
Many big names, such as Amazon or Alibaba, are shuffling masses of data. And they need to make sense of all this data. That’s where artificial intelligence comes in. Thanks to its computational capabilities, AI is able to organize and create meaning based on the data we give it.
As a result, it is possible to provide personalized content and services directly to the users concerned. But in 2021, it will go much further. Toutiao, one of the most popular information applications in China, uses robots and AI algorithms to write customized articles for its 120 million daily readers.
This is a complex subject, which is not suitable for all companies. We advise you to surround yourself and work with the best web development agency in case you want to use AI in your digital strategy.
Marketing Trend 4: Augmented reality
A picture says more than 1000 words and a video is even more powerful!
Augmented reality and virtual reality have the potential to revolutionize many industries. By allowing companies to give a new dimension to their content, they will be able to offer completely new users experiences.
This is for example the case of Ikea, which already create a mobile app that allows its customers to use their smartphones to check whether a piece of furniture could fit the space they want to furnish. Another example is the use of videos and 360-degree photos that allow real estate agencies to show properties remotely. For individuals, this allows them to get a better idea of the apartment or house they are considering renting / buying directly from their sofa. If you want to try this new marketing trend, be sure to surround yourself with the best mobile and app development agencies!
Marketing Trend 5: Use all Search Engines
When we talk about search engines, we necessarily think of a white Google screen with a search bar in the middle. But we have to go further and get off the beaten track! Today, and this trend will continue in 2021, a lot of searches go through YouTube. In fact, YouTube is the second largest search engine that exists. Which seems to make sense given the ease with which video can convey information.
But we can go even further. Let’s say you’re looking for a bakery or a garage near you. Chances are that your first reflex is to look on Google Maps using geolocation. This will allow you to see directly where the nearest bakery or garage is located, its opening hours, contact information, and the quickest way to get there.
What this means is that a company doesn’t just have to be on Google to be visible online. It must also develop strategies to be present on the different channels that its target audience will use.
What about YouTube?
It’s not surprising that Youtube is the second largest search engine. What could be better than a video to get an idea of the product you’re thinking of buying or to learn new things?
Let’s say you want to replace the tire on your bike or repair a leaky tap. All you have to do is type it on Youtube. For 2021, it makes sense to build a YouTube channel for your business and reference it correctly. Create educational videos about your expertise. From this channel and the descriptions you write underneath your videos, create links to your website and increase naturally your PageRank!
Google Maps, yes but how can I use it?
A restaurant, a hotel, a store, a park or a parking space … if you are looking for something nearby, Google Maps is the best option. As a business, it is important to make sure that your product, service or brand appears in searches on Google Maps. Also make sure your Google My Business account is up to date.
Also, did you know that all of Waze’s data is based on Google Maps? Two birds in one stone. You can even advertise on Google Maps. It’s an effective way to reach your customers through geographic ads.
And Marketplace?
In addition to YouTube and Google Maps, marketplaces like Amazon, Coolblue, Bol.com are also places where a lot of searches are done and where brands need to be present. For some products, people choose to surf directly to an online store. Electronics on Coolblue, for example, toys on Bol.com, books on Amazon, etc., are all available on the Internet. Placing your products on these sites will give you more visibility.
Marketing Trend 6: Data-driven advertising
From Facebook ads to remarketing: many advertising options are available today. Large companies are investing heavily in data-based marketing. Most SMBs are not yet doing so. Which is a pity, because there is a lot to be gained. It is certain that in 2021, data-based advertising will go even further.
An important variant is programmatic advertising. This means that you identify very detailed target groups through different channels and websites. Algorithms learn on which platforms the highest engagement rate is generated, which ads get the best results, and they automatically match them to the most relevant target groups.
One step further is Dynamic Creative Optimization or DCO. This allows you to create huge amounts of creative ads through self-learning and machine learning systems that constantly improve the most effective ad. These ads are automatically adjusted according to the user who sees them.
Marketing Trend 7: The rebirth of e-mailing
Despite the rise of social networks, e-mail is far from dead. On the contrary, it is regaining importance in digital marketing strategies. Just look at the success of tools such as Substack and see all the new newsletters that appear to be appearing to realize this.
Anyone who manages to stand out in a mailbox has gold in their hands. The chances of conversion with an effective e-mail are much higher than with advertising. However, it is important to create a good e-mail address base, divided into different target groups, where you deploy campaigns tailored to each of these target groups.
In addition, you need to know when to use this channel and how to use email marketing. It is not about winning new customers, but about keeping your existing customers interested in your products and services. The secret lies not in quantity, but in quality. It’s better to put more effort into creating an excellent newsletter than sending two average ones.
Marketing Trend 8: The quality of content marketing
Content marketing is becoming more and more prevalent when it comes of ways to improve your website ranking. And it will continue to do so in 2021. That said, there will be an increasing focus on content quality to improve the user experience. Depth, creativity and relevance will become decisive. This means that you have to answer an important question: “How can I provide content that is relevant and enriches the lives of my target group? »
Not only does this mean creating useful content, but it must also be easy to consume. Think about all the questions your target group has and find the best way to answer them by creating quality content. If you want to improve the content of your blog and landing pages, we advise you to read all our articles about content marketing or consider consulting one of our marketing content agency.
Conclusion
Companies need to take all these trends into account. What is happening now because of the Covid crisis and its impact is that marketing is becoming more and more fragmented and more and more complex. These are 8 examples, but there is no doubt that other trends will emerge. You can also obtain different digital marketing certificatesto find out other marketing trends in 2021.
For brands, the marketing expertise to be mastered is more varied than ever. It is crucial to surround oneself with the right people to stay up to date.
