The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly transformed how businesses operate. At one time, artificial intelligence, data-driven marketing, and voice search engine optimization were considered ambitious; today these digital marketing strategies are the priorities of every marketer. remove “in 2021”
In this decade, where technology is playing a crucial role in influencing a buyer’s purchasing decision, it has become essential for every business owner to work in tandem with modern-day consumer behavior.
In this blog, we shall divulge the top 7 digital marketing trends in 2021 that you can’t ignore.
- Artificial Intelligence
It’s high time you realize the significance of artificial intelligence in marketing. 2020 witnessed a massive adoption of artificial intelligence across industries. The trend is expected to surge further.
Artificial intelligence can effortlessly analyze the consumer behavior and search patterns of the target customers, and use the data gathered from various sources (social media, for example) to help businesses understand how customers find their products and services and also their opinions on the same.
The best example of AI in practice is chatbots. Mastercard successfully created a Facebook messenger bot that leverages natural language processing software to detect and decipher what the customer wants and respond as if they are chatting with a real person.
A study by Gartner predicts that artificial intelligence will soon be implemented in basic communication, product recommendations, content creation, e-mail personalization, and e-commerce transactions.
- Chatbots
There’s no denying that the use of chatbots will surge and it’ll continue to be an integral part of digital marketing in 2021 and beyond. This is again an AI-based technology using instant messaging to chat in real-time when your customers visit your site or use the mobile application. According to a survey, almost 85% of businesses in customer service will be powered by chatbots by 2021.
Another survey revealed that many customers prefer communicating with chatbots as they are responsive whenever they need to know something. The primary reason is that they give prompt answers, recall the entire buying history, and patiently respond to all user queries. Chatbots are also known to offer exceptional customer service as they meet all the expectations of visitors and automate repetitive tasks.
- Conversational Marketing
Conversational marketing is slowly picking up pace. People prefer a conversational touch and brands are reciprocating. According to a study, when customers want to know about a product/ service, almost 82% of them want an immediate answer. Experienced marketers are of the view that conversational marketing facilitates a one-to-one, real-time connection between marketers and customers.
The best part about conversational marketing is that, unlike traditional strategies, it’s applicable across multiple channels, allowing brands to meet each customer’s specific needs. The primary goal is to improve the user experience through a feedback-driven model that focuses on higher engagement and greater loyalty.
- Programmatic Advertising
Programmatic advertising is directly proportional to AI. It implies using AI to automate ad buying so that you can streamline your target audience. Real-time bidding, for instance, is a type of programmatic ad buying. The process being efficient and consuming less time, the conversion rate is significantly higher, and that too, with lower customer acquisition costs.
- Personalization
If you want your brand to stand out from the crowd, you must adopt personalization marketing. This means you need to come up with personalized content, products, e-mails, and much more.
A study revealed that 63% of customers get irritated with generic advertising blasts and 80% believe that they want to do business with a company if it’s offering personalized experiences. Netflix and Amazon are classic examples that offer personalized experiences with tailor-made recommendations of their products.
- Influencer Marketing
Influencer marketing is a form of word-of-mouth marketing that involves utilizing the appeal of knowledgeable individuals of the industry for amplifying a brand’s message. These individuals are well-known celebrities on Instagram or YouTube with a huge following. The goal is to capitalize on the following of the individual and spread the word about the product through social channels.
Influencer marketing will also be affected by artificial intelligence. With each year, AI is helping businesses find suitable influencers, as per the need of the product. This helps reduce the time needed for collaboration and understanding the product. Advanced AI-powered tools are helping businesses identify influencers with better engagement, fewer fake followers, and a higher chance of generating a positive return on investment (ROI).
- Video Marketing
Video marketing is unarguably one of the most sought-after marketing trends, which is likely to stay at least for the next 5 – 10 years. It’s not just limited to YouTube; there are several strategies through which you can drive higher engagement through video marketing. You can make a video post or start a live broadcast on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.
One of the biggest challenges that marketers these days face is the rapid shift to hand-held devices, such as cell phones and tabs. Gone are the days of long-form sales pages and e-mails as they are not easy to read on small mobile screens. A video with a proper storyline can present the same information that works perfectly, no matter the device. A study stated that if your site has video content, the probability of converting organic traffic into paying customers increases by up to 50%. Another exciting thing about video marketing is, it’s quite easy to reformat your content. So, here was a definitive guide to the seven most popular digital marketing trends you can’t ignore in 2021. Change is an integral part of digital marketing, so it’s essential to embrace the changes to have an edge over competitors.
Don’t miss out on the opportunity to gain a competitive edge. Contact our team for expert assistance.