The advertising and marketing industries are constantly changing, especially in the digital age. In order to stay competitive, it’s important to stay up to date with the latest industry trends so that you’re able to reach potential new customers, while also staying relevant and true to your brand. We’ve broken down a few of the forecasted trends for 2021 that can help your business succeed in a continuously evolving online world. While you may be familiar with a few or all of these trends, we’re expecting them to be used like never before in the coming year.
Artificial Intelligence and Chatbots
Most of us are familiar with the little speech bubble that pops up on the bottom of the screen to ask if we need help when we visit a website. Lately, you may have noticed a rise in more automated customer service chats. These chatbots simulate conversations by interpreting a user’s words and providing a pre-set response. Chatbots can easily provide answers to simple questions, recall purchase histories, and much more. Even better, chatbots are available 24/7 to answer customers’ needs without needing a customer service rep present.
Personalized Ads and Content
As technology becomes more intuitive, it will inevitably become more adept at providing each consumer personalized and relevant ads. We already see a ton of personalized ads popping up on social media and when we visit websites. However, personalization doesn’t just apply to advertising. Companies such as Netflix and Amazon are already highly skilled at using consumers’ data to make recommendations for a more personalized experience that benefits both the company and the consumer.
Influencer Marketing
There’s no doubt that we’re currently living through the age of social media. These platforms allow us to learn, connect, and network with people all over the world. The rise of social media has brought with it a new segment of reaching consumers: influencer marketing. By paying influencers with high followings to promote a product or brand, companies can reach their target market demographics in a more authentic way.
Content Marketing
Content marketing is the practice of creating consistent, relevant content in order to reach your target audience and expand your market. A common method of doing so is through writing relevant blog posts for your company. In fact, small businesses with blogs drive an estimated 126% more leads than businesses without. In addition to content marketing, focusing on user intent and needs will be essential to business success rather than relying on personal promotions, alone.
At Smarter Searches, we stay on top of all of the digital marketing trends so that we can create the most effective internet campaigns for our clients. Marketing is one of the fastest-changing online landscapes, but that’s part of what makes it so exciting! Keeping up with the trends means that we, as marketers, get to decide what the future of the industry looks like for both consumers and companies. Who knew we had that much power?
