January 29, 2021 •Claire Archer-Davis
With the 2020 pandemic really throwing a spanner into the works with most brands digital marketing plans, what can we expect to trend as we move into 2021?
We have seen a huge shift in consumer behaviour because of the effects of lockdowns and more people being put on furlough or working from home. Many people suspect that a lot of these new consumer behaviours will have a lasting effect going forward.
So while it looks like 2021 may be the year of the vaccine, and hopefully a slow return to more normal consumer behaviour, you can expect some newly developed buying habits taken up in 2020 will stick around and become the new normal.
No matter how the next year pans out, we have every expectation that digital advertising will have a bright future as more people are going online for their product information, to read customer reviews and to buy products and services.
How digital channels are benefiting from the pandemic
With more people staying at home for the past few months, we have seen a huge boom in the use of online digital channels to help maintain connections with family, friends and work colleagues.
You only need to look at how Zoom has exploded in popularity, not to mention their stock prices going through the roof as a result of the pandemic. TikTok also experienced explosive growth this past year. But what about digital marketing? What can we expect to trend in 2021? Here are four digital marketing strategies we think will trend during 2021.
1: Consumer behaviour will permanently change
The effect of the pandemic on customer behaviour has been significant, and most likely will be enduring. Marketing experts from Ipsos and McKinsey now indicate that digital marketers will need to focus more on value-based messaging and pricing as people’s purse strings will continue to tighten as the economy starts to recover.
Brands will now need to research how the pandemic has impacted their customers, their industry and even their employees. Digital marketers will use their research results to form their short and long-term media messaging.
With virtual events seeing an explosion in growth, digital marketers will likely be using these as a staple of their marketing plans. This makes sense as conferences and trade shows are struggling to adapt to this new environment.
2: Brands will become more responsible
With consumer awareness of environmental, social and ethical issues on the rise, brands will start to focus on becoming more transparent about their business practices and show that they draw from ethical and sustainable sources.
Branding messages will be more targeted towards attracting enlightened customers who choose to buy from ethical companies with a commitment to social and environmental sustainability.
3: Businesses will embrace digital transformations
With business activities shifting online during the pandemic, more brands will be adopting digital marketing to deliver everything from information about their products and services to purchase, delivery and follow up customer services.
4: Influencer marketing will continue to grow
Social media influencers have been popular targets for consumer brands for a few years now, but it is predicted that they will be used even more in 2021 to present authentic unbiased opinions of products and services to their peers and dedicated followers.
Experiencing the pandemic has shown how much influencers have impacted online sales due to the restricted access that people have had to shops during the recent lockdowns. A recent report showed that 40% of people interviewed purchased a product online after seeing it used by an influencer on YouTube, Instagram or Twitter.
Because social media use has dramatically increased over the last year, researchers believe this trend will be very long-lasting. Our team at The Bright Click believe that 2021 will be a year full of hope and positivity for digital marketing, which is something we all need as we exit one of the strangest years in history.
We would like to help you improve your digital marketing performance in 2021, so why not contact our friendly team at The Bright Click to see how we can help to boost your digital engagement and sales next year – and into the future!