We think it’s safe to say that 2020 has been one of the most unpredictable years of our lives. Any ideas of what we thought the landscape of this year would be … was probably incredibly wrong!
Lockdowns and social restrictions taught us to work from home, navigating daily life amid other distractions. We found new forms of entertainment to keep occupied and saw in the digital realm, more than ever before, how having a strong online presence has become a necessity to achieving success in business.
In an effort to be as prepared (as much as we possibly can!), here’s our pick of Digital Marketing predictions for 2021 and what business owners should be considering as they plan out their next e-commerce strategy.
1. Shoppable Posts
This year saw the long awaited launch of Facebook and Instagram Shops, which simplifies the process of running an E-commerce business on the world’s most used digital platforms. Both platforms will work to integrate shopping more seamlessly into the user experience with features included advanced one-click purchasing, new AR try-on tools, video tags for products, and livestream shopping to encourage direct buying between the consumer and merchant. If you haven’t utilised Facebook and Instagram’s shopping tools yet, make sure to implement them now!
2. SEO’s Increasing Importance In Visual Searches
Using visual images to search for products and services is now commonly used but the increase in prevalence of online shopping brings changes in rankings for SEO.
To capitalize on the increased amount of visual searches, A focus on your SEO campaigns for visual content is important. Make sure you have the following covered:
- always include alt text in your image descriptions
- add images to your sitemap or create a dedicated image sitemap
- include your target SEO keywords in the file name of your image
- use top-quality images and videos, including HD
Put in the work around your SEO, and improve the chances of being the first business seen when a shopper searches for products or barcodes.
3. Local SEO For Small/Medium Businesses
Google is always updating their algorithms and search meters, so if you’re a local business, you should be continuously updating your business in local results too. Local SEO can be even more important than broad SEO—people searching for a specific type of business in their proximity have a higher intent to purchase, so it’s easier to convert them.
For starters, you have to get verified by Google. You can do this by signing up for Google My Business and either claiming your listing or creating a new one. This helps you rank higher in Google SERPS, and also gives you the chance to offer additional information about your company to online searchers. Have a look at our 6 Google My Business tips and make sure you have them covered.
4. Reels To Change Organic Instagram Exposure
The explosion of Tik-Tok and continued popularity of Snapchat has proven that short-form video is here to stay. With Instagrams launch of Reels, we have seen organic engagement increase for Reels videos over Stories and feed posts. This happened in 2016 with the launch of Stories and speaks to Instagrams algorithm push for their newest features. Reach is dropping for Stories and feed posts but is exploding for Reels. With an increase in views of up to 10x that of Stories and posts, now is the time to be utilising this feature! With music, text and filters available to be easily implemented, get in front of the camera and reap the rewards!
5. An increased Consumer Demand For Sustainability
After lockdowns and social restrictions saw significant reductions in pollution levels , people in 2021 will continue to be passionate about environmentalism. They want to make sure the brands receiving their money are just as concerned for planet earth as they are. With a study by Neilsen showing 81% of consumers strongly felt companies should help improve the environment, we’re seeing a significant demand for sustainable and eco-friendly brands, especially in younger consumers. If your company hasn’t adapted to be sustainable in its packaging and general business practises, you should be revising your methods.
References:
https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/25-predictions-for-social-media-marketing-in-2021/589785/
https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/topics/marketing-and-sales-operations/global-marketing-trends/2021/customer-participation.html
https://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/report/2018/the-education-of-the-sustainable-mindset/
https://99designs.com.au/blog/marketing-advertising/digital-marketing-trends/
