How To Prepare For Digital Marketing in 2021

Niamh Taylor
December 17, 2020

Digital marketing became even more crucial than we ever could have predicted in 2020. Due to so many closures of physical stores and office spaces around the world in the wake of the coronavirus crisis, many companies that ran marketing campaigns in these types of places were forced to transfer all their marketing campaigns and budgets online. Digital marketing is a vital element for any business that hopes to prosper in contemporary business.

2021 Digital Marketing Trends

So what kind of digital marketing trends should you be looking out for in 2021? Let’s take a look at some predictions for the future of digital marketing as we head into the new year.

1. Prepare for reels. Lots and lots of reels.

Since the dawning of the TikTok revolution, more and more social media apps are jumping on the bandwagon of short, snappy content clips. Instagram’s new ‘Reels’ feature sought to catch up with the enormous surge of young social media users flocking to TikTok as their main source of content.

When it comes to digital marketing, the most important thing is to move with the times. This means getting on board with reels. Get onto TikTok. Learn how it works. Learn what makes young users stick around.

The beauty of this type of marketing is that it can be learned and created on free platforms, but the downside is that it takes a fresh perspective to make the mud stick to the wall. If you are looking to hire new marketing team members, looking to young graduates who understand social media on a cellular level is important. Short form, to-the-point marketing is an essential thing to learn if your business is going to take off in 2021.

2. Getting personal…

While targeted ads are an established form of digital marketing already, projections for 2021 suggest that things will get even more up close and personal in the future.

Although documentaries such as Netflix’s The Social Dilemma have warned us off engaging with personal notifications and messaging on our devices – ‘If you aren’t paying for the product, you are the product,’ according to this documentary – people are hungry for personal marketing.

A recent study claimed that 74% of customers feel frustrated when website content isn’t personalized; as a result of this, 47% of people check Amazon if the site they are shopping on doesn’t suggest relevant products. If your business is competing with bigger fish in the same pond, personalized marketing is the key to maintaining a large customer base.

It seems that blanket emails landing in your customers’ inboxes will not be met kindly – it’s all about targeting them with the kind of deals and offers you know they are searching for. This might require a higher marketing budget, and for small businesses, this can be tricky. However, like it or not, 2021’s marketing trends are taking a turn for the personal.

3. The COVID-19 Aftermath in Digital Marketing

Dealing with the aftermath of COVID-19 is something that no business can fully prepare for. Alongside all that is happening in the world, it is vital that your digital marketing strategy reflects understanding of people’s situations, and moreover how your business can help alleviate their stress or dissatisfaction.

2021 will see the aftermath of one of the hardest years society has dealt with in history, so the role of your digital marketing strategy is to show clear communication in facing the fallout of the crisis.

Your strategy for this will come down to the goods or services you provide. How do these goods or services create happiness, peace, satisfaction or alleviate stress for the consumer? This should be the focus of your digital marketing strategy as 2021 rolls in.

4. Use All The Free Tools You Can Get

Not only have your customers suffered at the hands of coronavirus, but your business probably has too. 2021 might be a tight year when it comes to budgeting, so it is essential that you utilize all the free tools at your disposal.

The biggest, most accessible free tool is your social media. These should be a priority when it comes to free products that will promote your brand and expand your customer base. Learn how to use all the features on these apps to create a personal socials experience that will market your brand totally for free.

In conclusion, 2021 will present a whole new set of challenges in the digital marketing industry. Stay ahead of the curve with these four helpful tips!

Niamh Taylor

I am the Founder and CEO of Digital Twenty Four. I’m an award winning digital marketer who took a risk, and left the safety of a well-paid, super safe in-house head of marketing role to launch Digital Twenty Four in May 2015. But -it was a risk worth taking because I now own a brilliant company, with a brilliant reputation, and with the best humans working within it. And an award-winning digital marketing expert with over 20 years experience in marketing.