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We haven’t reached the era of flying cars yet, but that doesn’t mean the future is not coming straight for us. We have virtual intelligence, robots are already cleaning our homes and pouring us wine, and security robots are doing rounds and fighting crime to ensure that we are safe.
Moreover, when marketing is involved, everything has moved onto the online medium. As a modern person, you need to keep up with the times so that you may reap the most out of your marketing campaign.
Digital Trends in Marketing Are On the Rise
According to Forbes, digital marketing is pretty much here to stay – particularly after the rough 2020 that we all pretty much had. Before there may have been a few remnants of traditional marketing, but now everything is set up in the online medium. As a result, you need some marketing tactics to beat the challenges brought by the previous year.
Virtual events have become quite a popular thing, and we are so deep in social media now that not taking advantage of it would be foolish. Rather than just using it for discoveries, it has now become a top channel for shopping.
We are the victims of digital Darwinism, so we need to make peace with it. An informed brand will know how to take advantage of the latest digital marketing trends of the year.
Trends in Advertising You Should Try
When it comes to digital marketing, there are several strategies that will help you stand out from the crowd. So, here are some of the most popular trends in marketing that you may want to consider doing this year.
- Personalized Marketing
Everyone likes to feel special – and this often includes the client as well. If a prospective customer feels like the content is delivered specifically to them rather than to a group, they might be more inclined to make a purchase.
This is why personalized marketing is one of the best things that you can do for your brand, as it takes the market and molds it to the individual that you are planning to make a sale to. Some examples here may include email marketing, but there are various other options from which you may choose.
- Influencer Marketing
Nowadays, advertising is all about collaborating with the right influencer. These days, when someone is looking for a product, they don’t really search directly for the item. They look for people that have previously reviewed said product so that they can get some extra advice and input. Influencers often do reviews, so if one becomes a fan of your product, then you may have just signed yourself for a continuous sale.
Influencers have thousands of followers and those subscribers will hang on to almost every word they say. That is because they trust their judgment. So, if the influencer says that they like your product, then the followers will check you out.
Make sure that you go for an influencer that is relevant to your business. If you are working in retail, for example, you should consider collaborating with a person that works in the same or similar industry. You need your product to be relevant to what they are usually talking about because this is how you will appeal to their viewers. There are even certain services such as NinjaOutreach that will connect you with the right influencer.
- Artificial Intelligence
In case you haven’t noticed already, 2021 is the year in which artificial intelligence will take an even bigger leap. Business owners are using more and more programs such as Acrolinx to automate conversations and shorten the editorial process. This kind of service can analyze the performance of your marketing strategy and ensure that the technology you are using is useful for your advertisement plans.
Artificial intelligence can make a lot of things easier, so if you end up not using it, you will find yourself at a serious disadvantage. This may be used in anything from automatic posts to automating replies based on the questions that the customers asked. Considering today’s technology, most clients won’t even realize that a robot is answering their questions. This can come very in handy for someone that wants to expand their business in different countries but doesn’t know the language; they can use AI to break the language barrier.
- Chatbots
Some people may complain that it’s unnerving when they have a chatbot answering to them. Still, the majority of users don’t even realize that they are actually talking to a robot. In fact, 63% of them prefer talking to the chatbot instead, as they are more efficient and straight to the point when compared to real people. MobileMonkey is a common chatbot option used by many brands.
The advantage of chatbots is that you can make them work 24/7 – even when you are sleeping or doing other tasks. Since the responses will be immediate for the client, they won’t have to deal with growing frustrations toward a brand. They will have their queries answered right away and the chances are that you will gain another satisfied potential customer.
- Video Is a Must-Have
Videos are no longer just an option; video is a necessity. If you haven’t been using video already, then the latest trends in marketing say that it’s high time you should. The new current is to add at least one video throughout your content, as it will likely help with conversion.
Around 65% of the consumers claim that watching a video of a product makes them more confident in going through the purchase. They will have a visual – knowing that the product they wish to buy is real. It also gives them confidence, as they can see how the product looks full-size, beyond the picture. As a business owner, Fastreel is one good online video maker that you may use for this purpose.
- Interactive Content
If there is one thing that we know, it’s that interactive content will become mainstream. Around 51% of business owners have been using interactive content for more than 3 years, whereas 14% have been using it for more than 7 years. Moreover, it is shown that marketers in every industry prefer interactive content as opposed to the static kind, as it is often more efficient in educating the buyers.
- User-Generated Content
One more thing that is trending today is user-generated content. It can represent videos, reviews, podcasts, and so on. These types of content are not made by someone who represents your business, but rather by someone that tried your product before and recommends it through storytelling. This is exactly what makes it so reliable. You can use Shortstack to help you with your user-generated content.
- Advanced Search: Visual and Voice
We like to type – but at the same time, we like the convenience of voicing our needs. The future starts with “v,” and this is why you need to make your content visual-and voice friendly. This should help the search engine push your content even more to the top.
- Omnichannel Marketing
We may have gone digital, but omnichannel marketing is one of the biggest topics that you should address as a business owner. Every client should be offered a seamless experience, no matter if they are shopping from a phone, a laptop, or a physical point.
- Augmented Reality
Augmented reality takes classic branding materials such as brochures and business cards to the next level and adds a virtual component. The users may use their phones to scan the materials, giving them more access to the product. It is one of the newest things that are trending right now, but its addition is always greatly appreciated by clients, considering the innovation.
- Virtual Events
With the lockdowns of 2020, virtual events have become a necessity. Still, 90% of the people say that even if live ones become a thing again, they would still love to have virtual offerings as well. Virtual events may attract clients and make your brand stronger. And considering that these types of meetings are here to stay, you may want to add them to your marketing campaign.
- Social Media
Social media has been blooming for the past years in the marketing world, with people doing their advertisement on Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram – and even TikTok, as of late. According to Instagram statistics, though, this platform is the main place where you should take your business – particularly if you are targeting the youth.
The Bottom Line
In 2021, digital marketing is about to soar. And as a business owner, you may want to give these innovative and efficient trends in advertising a try. If you use them correctly, they will certainly help your business bloom.
