Wednesday, May 26, 2021

Top 7 Digital Marketing Trends to Follow In 2021


Ask anyone what the year 2020 meant to them, and you are bound to hear the words “unpredictable” or “unusual” in the description. And that is barely a surprise – as far as game-changers go, this year was admittedly the biggest. The COVID-19 pandemic changed the way we did everything – from education and work, to lifestyle and shopping, and beyond.

Digital marketing, of course, has been no exception to this. Not only did 2020 see most, if not all, of the predicted and anticipated trends go out the window, it led to companies and agencies to have to “pivot” in record time by changing their marketing strategies in record time. Online shopping going ultra-mainstream, social media browsing increasing manifold, working and studying-from-home becoming the new standard, and video conferencing becoming the go-to way to communicate led to a massive change in the dynamic s of interaction between brands and their customers.

While the pandemic continues to spread even in 2021, we are more prepared than before to figure out what the trends are as we proceed further into this year. Below are 7 key online marketing trends dominating thus far in 2021.

1. Influencers and Live Streams

The phenomena of using influencers to market products and services are nothing new. In fact, many companies today have dedicated influencer marketing divisions, and some are even known to base their entire operations on this. However, with people being isolated due to stay-at-home orders, and attending in-person events and socializing with family and friends going out of the question, people’s digital footprint ended up being bigger than ever before. Social media in general and live streams in particular have gathered immense popularity. This is mainly because of the fact that live streams offer a level of personal involvement that is closest to in-person interactions.

There has been a massive upward growth in the number of live-stream viewers as people are virtually up to see all kinds of things – be a live-stream of their favorite celebrity, a brand showcase or even an online class. With COVID-19 still not out of the picture, it is safe to say that this trend will indeed continue throughout this year – to say the least. Marketers, must therefore, make sure to tap into the benefits of this as long as it remains a top trend.

2. Brand Transparency

In an era big giant brands and companies have come under the fire for years of shady activities, people are now emphasizing on seeing transparency in the brands that they use. Simply offering the assurance of genuinty is not enough – brands need to go the extra mile to connect with their customers and show their authenticity.

Add to that the current turbulent times means that brands which aim to remain trustworthy and relevant will need to get creative and find new and novel ways to flourish. A great example in this regard is the #HotelsForHeroes campaign by Hilton, which offers free rooms and room services to medical workers. Such an act demonstrates how an otherwise niche luxury service can adapt to the needs of the people in an emergency situation.

3. User-generated-Content

In the recent years, the axis of marketing has shifted from being seller-centric to buyer-centric. These days, a superior customer experience is crucial for any brand to achieve success and profits. When it comes to customers, the top things they expect from a brand they like is personal connection, social proof and the assurance of having made a profitable purchase. User-generated content (UGC) is the one element that checks out in all of these departments.

Such content, which includes user testimonials, review photos and videos, and even unsponsored reviews on social media is touted gives brands the element of reliability, since they literally portray the customer point-of-view. UGC already has a history of helping brands establish a feeling of trust among their customers, and 2021 will see this trend continue to evolve.

4. Sustainability Will Thrive

Since the last few years, people in general have become more aware of the things they consume, and have begun to add more emphasis on the carbon footprint of the items they consume. Brands have been seen to respond to this need by tweaking their processes – from changing their packaging and systems to using recycled materials to make their products.

A trend that has evolved steadily over the years, and there is no reason for it to slow down during 2021. And to make sure that people know about their eco-friendly initiatives, companies need to invest in marketing to demonstrate their positively-changing values.

One of the best examples in this regard is The Ocean Cleanup, which recently unveiled their first product that was made fully from waste plastic collected during the Great Pacific Garbage Patch event. They explained the inner working of their brand using TINT, and further added that the revenue they would generate from the products they sell would circle back to fund their cleaning and conservation campaigns.

Inclusivity Will Be Important

Beyond the coronavirus, one of the biggest highlights of 2020 was the issue of inclusivity – or perhaps the lack of it. Taking a departure from the pandemic, movements such as Black Lives Matter are highlighting the hidden issues within the larger society.
According to a study, this awareness toward the issue of inclusivity is causing a shift in purchasing behavior. As many as 41% of shoppers left retailers that they felt did not reflect the ideas of diversity and identity, while 29% was willing to let go of brands that did not show any kind of inclusivity.

Developments resulting from such an identity-driven way of thinking are definitely going to stay. Any brand that can be vulnerable with its consumers, and can show them how authentically involved they are when it comes to matters of inclusivity shall thrive due to having created a between connection with their customers.

Visual and Voice Searching

The use of visual and voice-activated mediums such as Google Lens or Alexa has already been steadily growing since 2018. 2020, however, saw an explosion in the number of consumers turning to voice and visual based searches. The reason for this explosion could be many – people being stuck at home, being isolated and lacking opportunities for conversation, and even turning to the technology because it was easiest to use and readily available.

The one thing we know, however, is that this high number of alterative search users is not going down anytime soon. In fact, as of writing this article, every 1 out of 4 homes in the United States own at least one smart device of this kind.

With search mediums beyond text taking the center stage, marketers will need to seriously amp up their SEO strategy. Simply sticking to textual and on-page SEO will no longer bear the same results.

Compact Content

2020 saw a sharp rise in all kinds of home deliveries – from raw materials to smart devices to delivery of readymade food. But the trend didn’t just end there. Bite-sized, easy-to-consume media content like short podcasts, curated lists, and email newsletters saw an immense increase in popularity as well.

This is basically a behavioral shift within people – and one is will be here to stay. It will only be fair to assume that businesses which can create such type of content for their consumers shall stay ahead of the competition by creating a more personal and intimate connection with their consumers.

The unusual nature of 2020 essentially displaced the trends that were being anticipated – many trends never saw the light of day, while other new ones emerged. Yet, many of the current trends ended up being modified. All of this meant that brands had to get creative in marketing themselves – while maintaining the connection and the humanity quotient.

While 2021 so far seems to be somewhat stable-but-somber, one can only expect for the above-mentioned trends to continue as we move further into the year.

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Leads Online Marketing

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Best web marketing company I have delt with in the area.

Best web marketing company I have delt with in the area.

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Ricky and his crew are GREAT to work with. I had the pleasure of starting working with Ricky 45 years ago, and it has been problem free. 5 all the way

Ricky and his crew are GREAT to work with. I had the pleasure of starting working with Ricky 45 years ago, and it has been problem free. 5 all the way

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This company has helped my business grow since the very beginning We have 3 retail locations now and we are still growing. Results are transparent and easy to follow. Also would like to mention that you can view your reports or login to view your results as you go Been letting these guys do my advertising for over 4 years. Wouldn't go anywhere else

This company has helped my business grow since the very beginning We have 3 retail locations now and we are still growing. Results are transparent and easy to follow. Also would like to mention that you can view your reports or login to view your results as you go Been letting these guys do my advertising for over 4 years. Wouldn't go anywhere else

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I just started working with Leads Online Marketing although my company has been with them for several years. I'm already very impressed with Ricky and his team. I look forward to seeing where this partnership takes us.

I just started working with Leads Online Marketing although my company has been with them for several years. I'm already very impressed with Ricky and his team. I look forward to seeing where this partnership takes us.

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Ricky and his staff have been amazing to work with My company has really reaped the benefits of using Leads as our online marketing company.

Ricky and his staff have been amazing to work with My company has really reaped the benefits of using Leads as our online marketing company.

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Ricky and his staff have been amazing to work with My company has really reaped the benefits of using Leads as our online marketing company.

Ricky and his staff have been amazing to work with My company has really reaped the benefits of using Leads as our online marketing company.

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Last March I had an appointment with Lead Online Marketing. Thinking this was just another advertiser promising me the moon I still decided to sit down and talk with Ricky. To my pleasant surprise he was very up front about what he could and could not do. Many other marketers are disingenuous. Once deciding to go with Ricky and his team my website was on the first page of Google organically within 4 months and is now a mainstay there thanks to the great communication and effort from the 'tech' side of Leads online marketing Chris. Chris is great to work with and has done a fantastic job for us. In fact they have done so well for us last year I had them take over my PPC campaign. Last February we had 3 leads total for the month. Today is the 5th of February and I have 16 on schedule. We are coming up on 1 year with Leads Online Marketing and very pleased with my investment and how they are very responsive and courteous to us. Bottom line We are being found online by our customers and business is good Highly recommend

Last March I had an appointment with Lead Online Marketing. Thinking this was just another advertiser promising me the moon I still decided to sit down and talk with Ricky. To my pleasant surprise he was very up front about what he could and could not do. Many other marketers are disingenuous. Once deciding to go with Ricky and his team my website was on the first page of Google organically within 4 months and is now a mainstay there thanks to the great communication and effort from the 'tech' side of Leads online marketing Chris. Chris is great to work with and has done a fantastic job for us. In fact they have done so well for us last year I had them take over my PPC campaign. Last February we had 3 leads total for the month. Today is the 5th of February and I have 16 on schedule. We are coming up on 1 year with Leads Online Marketing and very pleased with my investment and how they are very responsive and courteous to us. Bottom line We are being found online by our customers and business is good Highly recommend

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The leads group has increased my business. Lots of people talk but few deliver like this group. Sit down with Rick and tell him what your short and long term goals are and they will put a plan together that really works. My customer base has increased almost 35 in the two years I have been with Leads and my only regret is not using them sooner..

The leads group has increased my business. Lots of people talk but few deliver like this group. Sit down with Rick and tell him what your short and long term goals are and they will put a plan together that really works. My customer base has increased almost 35 in the two years I have been with Leads and my only regret is not using them sooner..

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Exceptional team, with great resultsBest marketing group in CLT.

Exceptional team, with great resultsBest marketing group in CLT.

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Leads Online Marketing built our website and has been in charge of our internet marketing at Ballantyne Plastic Surgery for the past few years. They have far exceeded what any company has done for us in the past. Ricky and his staff are knowledgable, responsive to our questions, and honest. I highly recommend them.

Leads Online Marketing built our website and has been in charge of our internet marketing at Ballantyne Plastic Surgery for the past few years. They have far exceeded what any company has done for us in the past. Ricky and his staff are knowledgable, responsive to our questions, and honest. I highly recommend them.

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Ricky and his staff at Leads Online Marketing are some of the best people you will ever come across. I am so glad that I got introduced to Ricky almost a year ago. I was looking to do a website and just did not know who , where or what to trust. Luckily, I came across Ricky. His staff is always looking for ideas to help my business. Their web pages are A in design, simplicity, and getting the necessary traffic to your site. They are always on top of things. Whether it is info for your blog or just helpful reminders of social networking ideas. I would highly recommend Leads Online Marketing for all of your online needs.

Ricky and his staff at Leads Online Marketing are some of the best people you will ever come across. I am so glad that I got introduced to Ricky almost a year ago. I was looking to do a website and just did not know who , where or what to trust. Luckily, I came across Ricky. His staff is always looking for ideas to help my business. Their web pages are A in design, simplicity, and getting the necessary traffic to your site. They are always on top of things. Whether it is info for your blog or just helpful reminders of social networking ideas. I would highly recommend Leads Online Marketing for all of your online needs.

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Any business owner who experienced the startup process of launching a website knows how difficult the job is. Thankfully, a friend of mine recommended Leads Online Marketing in Charlotte. I hired them to handle the website design of our company. We had an ambitious design concept for our website, but I was very happy with the outcome. It was even more impressive that they managed to get the website working efficiently within the time frame we gave them. Most of the web designers we've worked with in the past always never completed the project on time, even the most skilled designers. Thus, it is definitely a bonus for us I would gladly recommend this company

Any business owner who experienced the startup process of launching a website knows how difficult the job is. Thankfully, a friend of mine recommended Leads Online Marketing in Charlotte. I hired them to handle the website design of our company. We had an ambitious design concept for our website, but I was very happy with the outcome. It was even more impressive that they managed to get the website working efficiently within the time frame we gave them. Most of the web designers we've worked with in the past always never completed the project on time, even the most skilled designers. Thus, it is definitely a bonus for us I would gladly recommend this company

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Owner operator Ricky is the best , I was always sceptical of these marketing company's and never would have thought of spending my hard earned money on these things until I met lRicky I have been harassed cold called emailed and down right irritated by so called company's that were going to build my business, but with leads I met with Ricky he showed me what he could do , spent a great deal of time with me at no charge and no pressure and left it as call me if your interested, no bull just straight up honesty , he has built me an incredible website , increased my business and at an extremely affordable price I have links and sites , even social media pages I didn't even know existed and the best part he's a regular guy , we talked business over a beer at the cigar bar right up the road, again no corporate bs just results , check him out you won't be disappointed

Owner operator Ricky is the best , I was always sceptical of these marketing company's and never would have thought of spending my hard earned money on these things until I met lRicky I have been harassed cold called emailed and down right irritated by so called company's that were going to build my business, but with leads I met with Ricky he showed me what he could do , spent a great deal of time with me at no charge and no pressure and left it as call me if your interested, no bull just straight up honesty , he has built me an incredible website , increased my business and at an extremely affordable price I have links and sites , even social media pages I didn't even know existed and the best part he's a regular guy , we talked business over a beer at the cigar bar right up the road, again no corporate bs just results , check him out you won't be disappointed

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Leads Online created an exceptional website for my company and the value has been staggering. Their continued efforts to drive our website traffic in a cost effective manner has produced significant measured results. They are highly responsive and help to keep my site fresh with content whenever the need arises. Leads Online is an excellent solution for small businesses looking for a true online presence.

Leads Online created an exceptional website for my company and the value has been staggering. Their continued efforts to drive our website traffic in a cost effective manner has produced significant measured results. They are highly responsive and help to keep my site fresh with content whenever the need arises. Leads Online is an excellent solution for small businesses looking for a true online presence.

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