Digital marketing is a hugely influential element of daily life – and it is only going to become more so.
Society is shifting towards an online-centric economy (if it hasn’t already), so there has never been a better time to gain a clear understanding of digital marketing. Whether you are a marketing specialist looking to integrate both existing and emerging approaches into your repertoire, or a business leader wanting to take advantage of the most powerful marketing tactics and full-service millennial run marketing agency, it is crucial that you remain up to date with the most useful digital marketing strategies.
On top of this, you need to know exactly why they are useful and how you personally can benefit from their power.
It is also worth pointing out that many effective forms of digital marketing are actually now considered ‘old school’, and even treated with suspicion by many people. This is because certain digital marketing trends fall in and out of fashion. They are, after all, trends. It is therefore important to view them for what they are, rather than focusing only on what is hot right now.
Of course, that is not to say that nothing changes in the world of digital marketing or that you shouldn’t move with the times. There are plenty of emerging trends which it is worth integrating into your existing strategy or at least considering going forward.
Here are a number of different digital marketing trends that you need to be aware of:
Data analytics is becoming huge
You can’t discuss digital marketing in 2021 without highlighting the increasing power of data analytics. Although it has been around for a while now, it has never been easier to harvest incredibly accurate and useful information about your online presence, your customers, and how your existing strategy is performing.
This is incredibly important because successful marketing is built on a detailed understanding of the target market. The more information you have at your disposal, the better your advertising will be, the slicker your sales funnel will become, and the easier it will be to create an outstandingly persuasive copy.
As data harvesting tools improve over time, data analytics is only going to increase in effectiveness, so it is crucial that you have a strong understanding of how the process works.
Depending on your current situation, it may even be worth enrolling in a digital marketing online masters program, which gives you a thorough understanding of both data analytics and digital marketing as a whole, and how the two correlate.
By having a deep understanding of data analytics, you will be in the best position possible to take advantage of its increasing power in the future.
Email marketing still offers tremendous benefits
One of the most hotly contested forms of digital marketing is email marketing. Ironically, it is also one of the internet’s longest-serving forms of marketing strategy.
The reason why the world of digital marketing is divided when it comes to sales emails is that many people complain that they are spammy, commonly discarded, and not as effective as newer forms of digital marketing, such as social media marketing or targeted advertising.
There is certainly plausibility to this argument, but it fails to consider the fact that when sales emails are written well and are deployed in the right way, they can be devastatingly effective.
Most sales emails are short, infrequently sent, and contain nothing but dull discounts or product information that no one tends to read. This is a safe strategy because almost every company does this, but it is also uninspiring and, by and large, ineffective.
Like all forms of marketing, customers want to be engaged. They want to be spoken to like a friend, not a robot, which is why flashing discount offers under the noses of your email list rarely work unless the copy has been written cleverly.
No one cares how often you send emails if they are actively searching them out to read. This only happens when you research your list thoroughly and know how to keep their attention throughout the email. If you manage it, you will build a strong and responsive list that is far more likely to be made up of repeat customers.
Video content is growing in popularity
It may have been around for a while now, but video content is finally having its moment in the sun.
While vloggers and influencers have been cornering the market with their ability to curate responsive audiences, corporate brands have struggled with video in comparison.
However, this is beginning to change.
The rise in popularity of short explainer videos is giving companies a whole new platform to build a strong connection with their audience and explain their product or services in greater levels of detail.
Explainer videos are short clips that demonstrate a particular detail related to your product or service – whether through a how-to or FAQ structure.
These are increasingly popular for the simple reason that people want a human to convey information, not a thick block of text.
Not only do these videos engage your audience, but they can take the weight off your customer service department because there will likely be fewer customers contacting them with questions.
The digital economy is changing thanks to the metaverse
Arguably the most dramatic change on the immediate digital horizon is the arrival of the metaverse, which promises to transform the way the world interacts with the internet.
Put simply, rather than ‘surf’ the web, you will be able to live inside of it, living in a virtual world complete with life-like avatars, real-life businesses, and digital real estate.
This gives businesses the golden opportunity to effectively build their own virtual worlds, allowing customers to visit their digital shop, buy branded NFT clothing, or even buy digitized versions of your products.
By doing this, you deepen the bond between you and your audience, in the same way, Disneyland works as a giant brand ambassador for Disney. By adapting to this huge change quickly, you will gain a head start on your rivals and grow your brand exponentially.
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