With over 4.5 billion people actively using the online world, digital marketing has become one of the most effective ways for businesses to reach a vast pool of potential customers outside their physical borders. Today, it is almost impossible for any modern business to be competitive without making its online activities. However, merely being online no longer cuts it for businesses, especially when marketing conventions keep moving quickly from one trend to another.
That, coupled with the ever-changing behavior of online consumers, means that business owners need to keep up to date with significant digital marketing trends to make their brands visible to their target audience, remain competitive, and attract their target customers. So, are you looking for new and more effective ways to attract the customers you want? Here are some effective digital marketing trends you cannot ignore in 2021 and even after.
Video marketing
According to some online marketing experts, over 80% of all online content will be videos. Video marketing has become one of the most effective strategies for attracting attention to your products and services. And this makes a lot of sense, considering videos offer more comprehensive and engaging content than text. Plus, unlike previously, it now costs comparatively less to watch video contents online. Most consumers shopping online want to know about their options before they make their purchases. So they rely on video reviews and ads that allow them to see the features of products clearly and in ways that text or still pictures do not show. Videos are more exciting, engaging, and fun. And businesses looking to make strong online marketing moves should take advantage of video marketing. This, of course, will require more than you holding your phone up taking a selfie video of you and all your employees; If you truly want to invest in digital marketing through video, you’re going to want to go with a top-rated content marketing agency to be taken seriously.
User-generated content
Businesses can take advantage of user-generated content to increase their brands. One way of doing this is by encouraging your potential customers to share exciting content with the help of some incentives. You can also encourage your satisfied customers to leave feedback on your websites and social media pages. Most people want to read about what others’ experiences are regarding a product or service before committing themselves. And reviews are one of the main things they look at to guide their decision. Click here if you want your business to get reviews that will help grow your brand.
Live streaming
Lifestreams create a more human approach to online marketing, which is missing in most digital marketing strategies. Moreover, more and more people are taking to live streams because of the current pandemic, with live viewings shooting up on social media platforms. Facebook and Instagram, for example, saw a live viewing surge by up to 50% and 70%, respectively. As a result, business owners can take advantage of live streaming to provide the human-driven content that potential clients want to see. Doing this will help build trust and create a moment of connection between your brand and your target audience.
Using artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer the future of online marketing – it is the present. AI makes it possible for you to analyze consumer behavior and search patterns. That means it puts you in a better position to deliver more personalized online advertising and marketing campaigns that target your target consumer’s specific attributes or behaviors. One perfect example of the use of AI at work is the creation of chatbots.
Chatbots
According to experts, chatbots will dominate the majority of online customer service strategies by the end of this year (2021). Chatbots make use of artificial intelligence technology to deliver more personalized messaging solutions in real-time. Plus, because you can use them around the clock, potential customers in different time zones no longer need to wait for you to come online to reply to their messages. That means you can prepare chatbots to answer basic customer inquiries in a more personalized manner.
Social media stories
Since Snapchat changed ownership, the “My Story” feature has now found its way to other social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, and Facebook Messenger. Today, social media stores have become one of the most popular features on social media platforms. These stories last for 24 hours and represent an enormous marketing opportunity for savvy businesses, especially small business owners looking for cheaper means of marketing or advertising online.
Social media stories can help you increase your brand awareness and boost visibility. The reply feature also makes it possible for your clients and target audience to engage with your brand. And because stories are comparatively newer features, they allow you to connect with your generation Z audience. And believe it or not, you can use social media stories to drive traffic to your main website.
