As 2020 closes out, it’s a good time to look back at the past 12 months, which we hope amounted to a very good year for your business and your digital marketing efforts. That digital marketing was more impactful than ever in 2020 is pretty obvious; we can see, for example, that some digital marketing trends accelerated this year, including greater use of video marketing and voice searches, that content marketing continued to be an essential strategy in digital marketing, and that SEO tactics keep evolving thanks to the constant updates in search algorithms.
We know that digital marketing isn’t a static process, but we also know that digital marketing is going to continue to be considerably more effective than traditional marketing since it offers much greater potential for innovations. With that in mind, let’s take a look at what kind of trends are likely to accelerate in 2021 — and what your top digital marketing resolutions should be for the new year.
Think About How Search Is Evolving
Search has been advancing for the past few years, and that’s going to continue in 2020. We know that people are conducting searches and interacting with digital devices in increasingly different ways, so fewer search queries are being physically typed into a computer. More searches are completed by someone speaking to a voice assistant.
That trend should continue as advanced technology keeps providing users with more sophisticated ways of gathering information. In the meantime, it’s important to be certain your marketing efforts are reaching the right people, which means you might need to revise your approach to traditional search strategies like on-site optimization and content targeting.
Thinking more about voice search technology will be important since you can use it to deliver faster results and provide greater convenience to your users. Voice technology offers a unique opportunity to generate more traffic — and sales. After all, more than 3.5 billion voice searches are performed on Google each year.
SEO Campaigns Need a New Approach as Well
Keywords have played a significant role in SEO campaigns in the past, but won’t be the top factor in 2020. Search engine algorithms keep altering, so other factors are likely to be even more important, including creating authoritative content, finding engaging topics, and thinking clearly about how you can offer the best user experience possible.
Even though the landscape for SEO has gotten more dynamic, you still want to stick with some basics, including:
- Putting relevant keywords in titles
- Optimizing for mobile users
- Doing effective link building
Another thing to keep in mind is how more and more users are doing zero-click searches as a result of Google’s search engine results page (SERP) features, particularly the Featured Snippets that answer queries immediately. In 2021, you might focus more on creating really good snippets — and aiming to get a Featured Snippet, where the entire block of information is shown at the top of a SERP.
Getting one isn’t easy, and it’s going to involve making sure your data is structured. A good tool here is WebSite Auditor, which gives you a check on whether your site’s data is already structured.
Why Video Marketing is Becoming More Important
It’s likely that more and more content marketing will be using videos to reach an expanded audience. Yes, good videos can be expensive and time-consuming to make, which may be why few digital marketing campaigns have executed lots of them. But we also know that the rise of Stories on social media sites demonstrates that videos don’t have to be television-commercial quality to get a following, and that’s a key reason why video marketing is becoming more important: the increased number of likes and shares you get when they resonate.
That means that if you start following video marketing trends more closely in 2021, it’ll likely pay off since more brands and firms are incorporating them into their overall marketing strategies. You don’t want to miss creative opportunities to stand out in the crowd!
Videos are also important because they hone in on personalization and providing targeted solutions to the needs of your customers, which saves them from endlessly searching for the solutions they want. A well-done two-minute video can go a long way toward building customer loyalty by communicating your message more efficiently.
A Major Resolution for the New Year is to Innovate
If you’ve got a kind of digital marketing comfort zone, 2021 will be the year to get out of it and start thinking about more innovative ways to operate. And yes, that means taking some risks along the way.
Being aware of the latest industry trends is important, but even more important is figuring out which tactics are going to work best for your company. Staying ahead of the game isn’t easy when the trends change so quickly, but a lot of it starts with understanding your customers and what they’re looking for.
The internet and technology have created a massive global village connecting people from different countries, and it’s easier than ever to share knowledge, which also means there are more opportunities to generate product awareness or promote your service. So don’t be afraid to take risks when it comes to delivering the best content possible for your unique customer base.
How To Stay Ahead of the Trends in 2021
When you’re creating content, think about ways to help people solve any issues they might be experiencing, and make it informative and enjoyable to read. There are plenty of smart ways to engage people in your social media marketing, digital marketing, email marketing, and content creation. Don’t underestimate the effectiveness of any of these possible avenues as the new year begins.
If you’re not certain about how to enhance your marketing goals heading into 2021, we can help. At Market My Market, we collaborate closely with our clients to demonstrate the best ways to create content that improves the user experience for consumers. Contact us today for a free marketing consultation.