The internet has revolutionized the world, and it has certainly transformed the way we do business. Although traditional marketing methods such as print advertisements and billboards are still effective and serve their purpose, digital marketing continues to take the world by storm and be the most effective means of reaching potential customers. Ideally, if you are running an online shop, not only do you want your SEO to rise, you also want to gain customers and purchases. An agency that helps brands market their amazon stores is a good contact to have for example if you are a small shop selling through Amazon. Online/digital marketing is revolutionizing sales.
What are the facts, though? Several 2020 studies reveal that more businesses are choosing to use online marketing methods such as social media marketing, SEO and PPC when expanding their reach – and to great avail. But the question digital marketers have to ask themselves is, is what worked in 2020 still going to be effective in 2021 and beyond?
If you are a digital marketing expert or a business owner looking to hire a digital marketing consultant to improve your digital marketing team, here are the top strategies you should consider for 2021.
Data Analysis
Every online movement a customer makes on a business’s website will create a new set of data to analyze, and it is the job of a data analyst to review the data and make well-researched decisions that will help improve the efficiency of a company or team. For instance, if a customer buys an item, abandons their cart or leaves your website, there will be new data to scrutinize. A data analysis can look at the numbers and find holes in a digital marketing strategy that needs adapting if it is to become a success. You can learn more about the job and tools of a digital marketing analyst here.
Collecting and analyzing data is essential in digital marketing as it allows you to see the results and decipher what went wrong and what went right. But taking the data and learning from it is a skill that can be difficult to obtain. This is where a highly trained data analyst comes in. The role of a data analyst is to take raw data, analyze it, and then figure out trends, predictions and figures that could be beneficial to the rest of the marketing team and the business as a whole. Through better data analysis, you can optimize any live campaigns while also utilizing the data when creating new marketing campaigns.
Influencer Marketing
The rise of influencer marketing coincided with the introduction of social media, and even in 2021, influencer marketing is still an effective means of promoting your products and services to your target audience. But for influencer marketing to be worth your business’s time and money, you need to research and put a plan in place.
Firstly, you need to know who your audience is. If you do not know who you are targeting, then you won’t know who to approach about a sponsorship. Asking a Call of Duty pro-gamer to promote hairbrushes targeted for young girls isn’t going to be as successful as approaching a beauty blogger with a similar brand as Zoella.
Secondly, you need to be clear with your content creators so that they know how to market your product appropriately and whether there are any requirements. For instance, you could create a contract that says they need to post two Instagram posts and one Instagram story a month if they are to remain a brand ambassador.
Lastly, you will need to offer your influencers incentive. For example, you could offer them a content creator code and each time someone uses their code, they get a small profit which, when it hits a certain threshold, they can withdraw into their bank account. For many smaller content creators, being linked to your brand will be enough.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
SEO is the practice of incorporating keywords into content and predicting what your target market is searching for online (through the likes of Google and Bing) so that you can drive organic traffic to your website. This is a popular form of digital marketing, and although it is effective and all businesses would benefit from having an SEO strategy in place, it can take a few months before you start to see results. Another essential aspect of an effective SEO strategy is Local Search Marketing. This focuses on optimizing your online presence to attract customers in specific geographic areas, making it especially beneficial for small businesses that rely on local clientele. By ensuring your business appears in local search results, you can connect with your target audience more effectively and increase visibility within your community.
You need to remain on top of the SEO trends and be ready to adapt if you wish to remain on top of the Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs). Google has a history of changing their algorithm, turning the most successful of SEO strategies upside down and inside out. However, with 81% of people searching online for a product or service, the payoff of having your website at the top of Google’s page of results can be profitable.
For instance, if you run an adult website, you might be needed to sail through the unique requirements of the adult industry. Your website usually needs to be compliant with certain regulations in order to avoid legal issues. In this regard, you can approach an adult seo agency that tends to optimise content to ensure legal compliance and attract the audience. This may reduce the risk of penalties, an increased traffic to the site, ultimately boosting your revenue.
Content Marketing
Content continues to reign supreme in the digital marketing world. Through good content, you are able to reach, engage with and tempt readers to take the steps towards converting or reaching your business’s goals (e.g., signing up to your newsletter).
What makes good content?
Good content is well-written, clear, and informative. It offers value to the reader and is inspirational. Your goal is to get as many people sharing and talking about your content as possible (positively, of course), so that you can expand your reach and generate more leads and sales.
To create good content, however, you will need to invest in a team of talented copywriters and editors. Copywriters are responsible for crafting the content that supports your marketing campaigns, often working closely with marketing and content teams within your company. However, if you prefer to outsource this task, consider reaching out to this digital marketing agency here. They can provide expert copywriting services and ensure your content aligns with your marketing goals.
Different types of content
There are many forms of content, all of which have their own benefits. The most common include:
- Blog posts
- Guides
- Whitepapers
- Video
- Podcasts
Make sure the type of content you settle on reflects your overall marketing goals.
Email Marketing
There is a misconception that email marketing is no longer profitable. This is not correct. Email marketing has long been a popular form of digital marketing, and although marketers have had to adapt their email marketing strategies over the years (no more spam emails!), it continues to be a successful form of marketing that yields results.
Through email marketing you are able to reach a large collection of your target market, engaging them with content that is relevant for them and offers incentive. A successful email marketing campaign increases your change of turning passive customers into paying ones.
But how do you do this?
Rule number one is only target those who have subscribed to your mailing list and never send out mass spam emails. Not only is obtaining personal data illegal in certain countries, but you are likely to irritate a potential customer by invading their inbox without an invite. Spam can create a negative image for your brand.
To gain a person’s email, you need to prompt them to sign up via your website. To do this, you could offer them a sign-up discount code that is revealed to them once they fill in their email and opt in to your business’s newsletters. However, once you have obtained their email address, you will want to use this opportunity wisely. Spamming the receiver with impersonal emails will prompt them to unsubscribe.
A good email is targeted. For instance, you can send them an email on their birthday offering a discount code to celebrate. What’s more, you can send customers gentle reminders if they have items left in their cart.
Podcasts
Although still considered a new form of marketing, podcasts are continuing to become a popular form of media. There are a few various ways businesses can utilize podcasts and include them in their marketing campaigns. Starting a podcast can sometimes be confusing, especially when a business has other focuses, but thankfully, Lower Street are there to help!
For starters, a business may wish to start their own podcast. This is a great way to solidify yourself as an industry leader and create a pool of returning customers/consumers who turn to your brand for advice on a specific topic. If your podcasts become useful and trustworthy, listeners will share your content with family and friends, expanding your reach and finding new audiences.
Another way to market your brand through podcasts is to sponsor popular podcasts much like a TV advert. However, this means finding a podcast that is relevant to your field and targeting podcasts that your target audience would listen to. For instance, if you are a digital marketing agency, there is no point in sponsoring a podcast on true crime.
The recipe to a successful podcast is:
- Coming up with a series of relevant topics that resonate with your target audience
- Writing a script
- Investing in the proper equipment
- Having the knowledge and skill to record and edit the audio files
- Creating artwork and writing the podcast’s description (making the copy SEO-friendly)
- Uploading the podcast to your website and/or other sites such as iTunes or Spotify
- Marketing your podcast
Trends come and go, especially when it comes to digital marketing. The fast-paced nature of digital marketing can be enough to cause whiplash for the most skilled digital marketers, but by remaining knowledgeable and taking the time to read the latest trends, you can remain on top of the latest digital marketing trends.
Make 2021 your year by researching and implementing new digital marketing campaigns such as podcasts and video content, while altering and improving any existing campaigns that may be lacking.
