The top 9 digital marketing trends of 2021 are:
- Universal Inclusion
- Featured Sections and No-Click Searches
- Sustainability: Standing tall and proud
- Blocking Ad Blockers
- Image and Video SEO for Visual Searches
- Interactive Content
- Customer Segmentation
- Local SEO
- Old but good
1. Inclusion
A look at the headlines shows the importance of inclusion in our current time and place. More and more people, especially from younger audiences and marginalized groups, want to see a more optimistic portrayal of equality in the content they consume and the brands they buy from. Or, more accurately, they don’t want to see the same repetitive content we’ve been used to for decades. In 2021, digital marketing will include media and topics that cover a variety of races, sexual orientations, religions, etc., as well as representation of people with physical and mental disabilities. This includes your visual and video content, as well as the topics you discuss on social media and blogs, or even the products you recommend. According to Accenture, this cultural shift is already affecting shopping behavior: 41% of shoppers “have shifted their business away from retailers that don’t demonstrate how important (identity and diversity) is to them… .” The same study found that 29% of consumers are willing to switch brands altogether if they don’t offer enough diversity—and that percentage increases for ethnic and community minorities.
2. Featured snippets and no-click searches
For many, many years, the goal of SEO has been to get “number one” in your search results list. Now, as we enter 2021, the ultimate goal is shifting to more SEO visibility in “position zero.” Position zero refers to Google’s “featured sections,” and the 2021 SEO marketing trends prioritize it above the rest. Featured sections work differently than other search results for the same thing – separated by a small box and placed at the top. More importantly, they also display additional, relevant information by attempting to answer the user’s questions without the need to click on it, creating the nickname “click-free search.”
While it may seem far-fetched to ignore someone who clicks on your link, being recognized as a thought leader is more important than a click/view. Additionally, highlights are sometimes read aloud by Google Assistant voice searches. If you want to target a highlight yourself, there are a few things you need to know. For starters, highlights are often keyword-driven phrases, like questions like “how to design a logo.” They come in a variety of forms, from step-by-step lists to straightforward definitions or even videos (etc.), so tailor your content to the appropriate format.
In the content itself, make sure to answer the key questions clearly and concisely, preferably with a list of options or a table structure.
3. Sustainability: Loud and Proud
Just like the global marketing trend of inclusion, people in 2021 are similarly passionate about defending the environment. They want to make sure the brands they’re taking their money from care about the planet just as much as they do.
With 81% of consumers feeling strongly that companies should help improve the environment, what we’re seeing is a demographic that’s advocating for sustainable and eco-friendly brands, especially among younger consumers. This goes well beyond the green product market—any brand can benefit by promoting sustainable products. The key is to present your sustainability through your brand and content to make environmental advocacy a part of your identity. There are many different ways to do this, depending on your brand style, such as prominently displaying a banner on your site, or frequent discussions on social media. You can even opt for more subtle methods, such as branded reusable tote bags or conveying green themes through your brand’s visual identity.
4. Block ad blockers
2021 digital marketing trends aren’t all about positivity and progress – they’re also about overcoming obstacles like ad blockers. With 27% of internet users expected to use ad blockers in 2021, many marketers are automatically cutting off their initial traffic stream at the source. First, it’s a good idea to assess how much of a problem this is for you – your advertising data and analytics should tell you what you need to drive. Depending on your target audience or where you’re running ads, the damage may be insignificant. If your ads are falling victim to ad blockers, your best strategy is to adapt – don’t waste time trying to convince potential customers to change their preferences. Re-plan your advertising budget to align with other high-yield campaigns, such as influencer marketing or sponsored content. Younger audiences don’t respond well to display ads, but they do respond well to influencer marketing; Therefore, this switch is recommended in any situation.
5. Image and Video SEO for Visual Search
You already know that images and videos can be searched for by typing in keywords, but did you know that you can also search for content by providing existing images, or even taking original photos? As more users discover these visual search techniques, the SEO landscape will change. To make the most of the increase in visual searches, it’s best to make sure your image and video SEO campaigns are in the best shape possible. To get started, apply the basic principles:
Always have alt text in your image descriptions.
Add images to your sitemap or create a dedicated image sitemap.
In the file name of your image, enter your desired SEO keywords.
Use high-quality images and videos, such as HD.
Also, get familiar with Google Lens, especially if you’re an e-commerce brand. If you manage SEO techniques properly, you can take traffic away from your competitors when shoppers perform image searches for products or barcodes.
6. Interactive Content
There’s a trend that’s been around for a while technically, but is now recognized as a best practice. Interactive content not only drives more engagement, but also increases user enjoyment. Interactive content like quizzes, open-ended questions, surveys, contests, auctions, polls, calculator widgets, etc., can do wonders for your brand. At the very least, they increase the amount of time users spend interacting with you, which helps keep you in the algorithm – searches and basic feeds. But more importantly, people want to engage with something, so interactive content almost always improves your user experience. Interactive content is part of a larger trend of personalization; by giving users the opportunity to have their answers or their opinions heard, they feel a more personal connection to the brand. Don’t forget that this can also be used to gather data on user preferences, for example in terms of product or site improvements.
7. Customer Segmentation
Another trend that isn’t new but has recently become popular is customer segmentation. The idea is simple: Instead of a few large marketing campaigns targeting a general audience, it’s better to have many small marketing campaigns targeting specific audiences. Customer segmentation means grouping your target audience by specific characteristics or behaviors, such as demographics or shopping habits. This allows you to more precisely align your content with their preferences; for example, having two separate lists for big buyers and small buyers, and sending different newsletters that highlight different products to each list. As long as your followers receive curated content for them, this strategy works best for personalization and customer engagement. Beyond email lists, you can segment your customers for specialized advertising on different sites, blog content categories, and social media content for multiple communities.
8. Local SEO
Google frequently updates its local SEO algorithm, so if you’re a local business, you should also keep your business’s appearance in local results up to date. In one sense, local SEO is even more powerful than broad SEO – people are more likely to buy when they search for a business in their geographic location, so it’s easier to change them. To get started, you’ll first need to get verified by Google. You can do this by signing up for Google My Business and claiming your listing or creating a new one. This will help you rank higher in Google SERPs and also give you the opportunity to provide more information about your company to online searchers. Additionally, it’s a good idea to include local keywords prominently in your SEO strategy. Obviously, you should prioritize your city or county name as a primary keyword, but you can also go a mile by using related keywords. If your location has a famous landmark or tourist attraction, mention it once or twice.
9. Old but good
The best digital marketing trends of 2021 are not all specific to 2021. Many marketing trends from last year or the year before are still going strong and will continue to be relevant throughout the coming year. And if you haven’t implemented them yet, they’re more important now than ever.
In particular, don’t miss out on these digital marketing trends that are trending in 2020:
Shoppable posts: Social media posts that link users directly to the checkout to purchase a product are intended to increase the chances of a sale by simplifying the checkout process. Check out if you’re eligible to sell on Instagram.
Gen Z Marketing: Last year saw the seniors of Gen Z turn 18 and enter the workforce. If you want to penetrate this young market, first learn the best content marketing templates.Understand for Gen Z.
Micro-influencers: Unlike major influencers, micro-influencers are more like average people with a larger-than-average social media following. Typically, if you attract enough of them through social media contests and auctions, you can achieve the same level of influence as high-level influencers for a fraction of the cost and effort.
Voice Search SEO: Since voice assistants first hit the market a few years ago, voice search has disrupted traditional SEO tactics – people don’t use the same keywords when they speak and when they type. Try to change your SEO strategy to include spoken keywords.
Depending on who you ask, it seems like all web designers do this these days. That’s because the phrase “website designer” is often used as a catch-all label for anyone who builds a website.