What are the top digital marketing trends for small businesses in 2021?
To help small businesses navigate current digital marketing trends, we asked business professionals and digital marketers this question for their best advice. From incorporating AI to entering the podcast space, there are several suggestions that may help your small business utilize digital marketing trends in 2021.
Here are ten tips a small business can follow to better utilize digital marketing trends in 2021:
Connect With Customers
After such an unprecedented year, people are really just looking to connect with one another and that reflects in the marketing trends. Small businesses are starting to focus more on combining their digital efforts with offline experiences that express their gratitude for customers who stuck by them the past year. Strategies like creating handwritten notes or hosting socially distanced events are a great way to market your business while providing that connection people have been craving.
David Wachs,
Tailored Use Reels on Instagram
One big trend is the adoption of new social media channels, especially videos. At this time, it’s crucial to include video as a part of your social media strategy. Not everyone needs to be on TikTok, for example, but if your target audience is, so should your business. If your audience is more Instagram-focused, use Reels to boost your reach and engagement.
Investing in Talent for Social Media
2020 proved that nearly any business can (and must) create digital content including videos, podcasts, webinars, and tools. That said, the expectation of quality of these deliverables was low as many businesses were just learning how to produce this kind of content on a regular basis. As we progress into 2021 and beyond, the expectation from customers of the quality, frequency, and depth of this content will only increase and marketers will be forced to figure out how to level up their production capabilities. This will mean insourcing or outsourcing to higher-level talent, learning to become more creative and researched with their content, and investing in tech and production facilities to increase the quality of output.
Mike Jones,
One of the biggest digital marketing trends for small businesses as of late is the trend of breaking down large content pieces into condensed versions and repurposing them on different social media platforms. A prime example of this trend is for a small business to create a 15-minute video on a particular topic and publish it on YoutTube and Vimeo. Then, the company would take the full-length video and cut it up into 15 one-minute videos to post on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. In addition, this company would then use these 15 one-minute videos and create 30+ shorter clips specifically for TikTok and Snapchat. Repurposing content is seemingly a digital marketing trend that’s strategic and cost-effective for small businesses.
Mike Krau,
Incorporate AI
One small business marketing trend that is here to stay, even after the pandemic is Artificial Intelligence. AI adoption has really picked up in the last couple of years and is now widely used by most top organizations. Small businesses are starting to pick up on this trend and utilize AI to perform functions they otherwise wouldn’t be able to. An example of such an application of AI has been chatbots on websites. Customers can utilize these chatbots to make informed purchasing decisions 24/7. AI is transforming the world that we live in and small businesses should be at the forefront of this change if they look to survive the new world we are embarking on. AI has been a marketing trend and it is a trend that will continue post-pandemic.
Jason Butcher,
Create Data-Driven Content
If you’re looking to improve your digital marketing in 2021 and boost your visibility, it’s time to create original, data-driven, survey-based content designed to get backlinks from elite media outlets like Forbes and Fast Company. Using a carefully crafted methodology for survey studies can help you bring out meaningful statistical data which journalists and bloggers across the world will be eager to pick up, thereby lending your brand huge credibility in generating trustworthy statistical analyses with applicable, real-life insights. Data-driven Digital PR can help you reach new audiences by projecting your brand out there in some of the most respected online media outlets. Ultimately, this type of PR can positively impact your brand’s visibility and rankings in Google and help you rise above the competition.
Daniel Torres,
Drive Business With SEO
A couple of top digital marketing trends for small businesses are SEO and Social Media Marketing. Both of these, when done correctly, are incredibly valuable to a business. SEO and local SEO can be used to help drive customers to your business through organic search traffic. Social media marketing can be used to target these customers and advertise them through their social media accounts.
Darren Litt,
Some of the top digital marketing trends for small businesses in 2021 include more sophisticated targeting of customers and finding new ways to generate sales. This includes new technology that will allow consumers to purchase products via email without having to leave their inboxes to go to a website. This is going to make a huge difference in marketing campaigns.
Dennis Hegstad,
Enter the Podcast Space
Audio marketing is taking over and will only continue to dominate over the next decade. How can you get on board with this movement? Start by familiarizing yourself with various audio marketing opportunities. Podcasting is a highly lucrative avenue to take when first entering the audio marketing space. Select podcasts that are in line with your brand’s messaging and contact them to collaborate. Podcasting opportunities include appearing as a guest on the show or paying for ad placements presented as sponsorships of specific episodes.
Kelli Lane,
Aim for Top Search Results
Attaining “position zero,” aka the Google featured snippet. Featured Snippets appear above the search results and spotlight specific on-page text that Google thinks is a good match for the query or search. This is a powerful position, especially for voice searches, and has 2x the CTR of traditional results. One way you can optimize your page for featured snippets is by answering specific questions that are popular for your keywords.
Anna Caldwell,f
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