Since all industries have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic many businesses were forced to change most of their plans last year. Projects were altered and schedules were changed. With this year set to be as challenging as 2020, planning ahead and the need for a deeper understanding of user’s behavior increases and will be essential as well as following the latest marketing trends.

Lounge Lizard, an award-winning web design and digital marketing agency based in
New York, shared what they consider are the top digital marketing trends for this year. Since marketing is becoming increasingly metrics and data-driven, businesses should consider exploring as many of these as possible to get more leads and sales, according to Lounge Lizard.

More focus on social media marketing

Social media marketing is expected to further increase its reach and impact this year. As of mid-2020, marketing budgets were spending a quarter of their money on social media marketing. Once the pandemic shifted consumer habits online, the focus on social media as a way to reach potential customers only grew. This is set to continue.

Getting verified Google listings to focus on local SEO

Local SEO will become a major focus for businesses, especially after small firms have struggled after lockdown and state-at-home orders. Google My Business, for example, offers an excellent way for consumers to find businesses more easily based on geographical location. This is a tactic that will expand in 2021.

Better communication about availability

After a disruption of supply chains in 2020, a big trend this year will be increased and better communication about the availability of items. Businesses struggled last year with their products going out-of-stock. This led to consumers heading to competitors who still had those items in stock. Getting alerts once an item is back on stock can avoid this.

Optimizing content for voice search

Optimizing written content for voice search will also play a larger role this year. Voice search isn’t currently something Google’s algorithm is looking at but people are still using it with greater frequency. However, the search results are usually different than those you get when you type something into the search box.

Increased segmentation

It’s always easier, and cheaper, to maintain your customers than getting new ones. If they are happy, there are more chances they will stick around. Segmenting customers can help business personalize what customers see, placing them in different email lists, for example. It’s a more targeted approach, saving money and retaining clients.

Greater focus on interactive content

Interactive will also be a big word this year. Either it is a quiz, game, poll, survey or contest, anything interactive usually keeps people engaged. It’s an affordable way to get more leads while the people viewing the content will enjoy interacting with it. That’s why it might be good for businesses to consider an interactive approach.

Greater focus on engaging employees

Productivity took a big hit amid the pandemic last year, with many people working remotely from home. It became very challenging for most to manage their personal and professional lives. That’s why businesses should consider strategies to engage with their staff members, such as scheduling a regular Zoom call.

Creating more highly-targeted ads

This is also going to have greater importance this year. Using highly-targeted ads will save businesses a lot of advertising dollars. They can factor in the age, location, gender, and preferences of their target audience. People are actually more likely to click or tap on an ad that is personalized.

Short-form videos

People have short attention spans, so businesses have to hook them quickly. Short-form videos can make this happen. Social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok are prime locations for this type of marketing tactic. Short-form videos also work on Facebook, which is a prime location for reaching Baby Boomers.

Content optimized for search engines

SEO is something that has been very important for years, and this year will be no different. Today, there are around 200 elements Google’s algorithm factors in when it comes to SEO. Content writing will be the main generator of organic traffic, so it would be wise to focus on creating content that is interesting and helpful, while optimizing it so that it reaches the top of the list.

Redesigning websites

If a business doesn’t have a website, it should get one. And if it already does, it should consider giving it a makeover. Visual content can make a big difference nowadays, as it engages people and captures their attention. Websites should also be secure with an SSL certificate and should be mobile-friendly and load quickly.

To survive and thrive this year, businesses will need to revamp their digital marketing strategy. Keeping these 2021 digital marketing trends from Lounge Lizard in mind, businesses will be able to achieve solid results. It’s time to increase traffic, leads, and sales and a good way of doing so is to follow these trends.

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