The digital marketing space is one of the most exciting spaces to be in when you consider the significant amount of change it experiences daily. The key to being an excellent marketer is always staying on the pulse of what is trending or expected to start trending at any moment, and there are a lot of things that the year 2020 has set in motion for this year.
2020 saw significant changes in how digital marketing and the web presence of many businesses ultimately impacted consumers. This ability to adapt amid the turbulence of 2020 has shown a great amount of innovation and also given new insights into consumer interactions. Fortunately, even though it has been a tough year for many, we’ve learned a lot about what to expect by way of 2021 marketing trends.
The Importance of a Digital Presence
While there are many things businesses had to adapt to in 2020 that are only intended to be limited time measures like reduced hours or online only orders, some changes are here to stay. Particularly when it comes to the digital experience consumers and potential leads are more focused than ever before on digital accessibility.
More customers are spending time online researching businesses and products before purchasing. With the impact on visibility in an oversaturated market with many companies scrambling to be available online, businesses must build and maintain an online presence and offer an easy to navigate and enjoyable digital experience.
Whether that means creating an easily accessible web store or planning virtual events for this coming year, the online advertising space will still be a significant platform throughout 2021.
Mobile-Friendly Content and Ads
In 2020, we saw a massive rise in mobile browsing and internet use. Mobile use from website browsing and purchasing is nearly on par with desktop use as we enter 2021. This trend will likely continue to grow as businesses, and SEO specialists navigate Google Mobile-First Indexing changes.
With so many consumers engaging with brands through their mobile devices, it is more important than ever to consider consumers’ mobile experience. Instagram and Facebook have introduced sales platforms through their mobile apps via Instagram Shopping and Facebook Marketplace.
In addition to making purchasing easier, there are also important app developments like reels, Instagram’s answer to the growing popularity of TikTok. The constant evolution of mobile apps and their impact on advertising does not seem to be going anywhere in 2021.
Facebook Vs. Apple and What it Means For Small Business
Apple has implemented a new feature for iOS 14.4 that stands to harm some small businesses. Apple has called the move a privacy measure, but it seems more likely to be a measure to lessen competition and increase in-app sales that apple receives a cut of.
There is a new prompt that asks users if they are comfortable having apps track their data across other apps and websites, something most users are not comfortable with on the surface. However, the reason many free apps and small businesses offer their content or entertainment for free is to be able to gather insight on their customers to market to them effectively.
With the changes Apple is implementing, small businesses will not be able to advertise to the right people because they will have lost valuable insight data. This may mean that previously free software may now need to start charging, which may drive many apps off the market. On the other side of the aisle, big businesses with big marketing budgets won’t be hurt by this change, making this a hurdle to be mindful of in 2021.
Facebook has responded to this change in favor of small business owners making their platform much more attractive for advertising in 2021.
In Closing…
While much of what we came to see in 2020 will ideally be temporary changes, many of those related to digital marketing and the digital experience are not going away. Consumers have come to expect more from companies online in 2020, and those same customers will have their eye out in 2021 to see who has adapted to the new normal, and who is being left behind by an unwillingness to adapt.
