Technology is developing at the speed of light in all areas, and marketing is no exception. As the world has become increasingly digitized over the past years—also propelled by the COVID pandemic—consumer behavior has also changed. Let me share 6 top trends you can’t ignore anymore in 2021.
1. Video Marketing
This is probably the most important trend of the past few years and, I believe, will gain even more importance in the future. Video marketing is more engaging than traditional marketing and leads to higher conversion rates. It is by far the best way for a consumer to learn more about a product or brand. With video marketing, you can make sure your consumers really understand your product or service. According to SEOtribunal.com, if your site includes video, it is 50 times more likely to drive organic search results compared to just text. In fact, Google pushes pages that include videos higher in their rankings because this format is so successful. Your takeaway? Include video in your marketing strategy and ensure to make use of this efficient format!
2. Artificial Intelligence
AI is a trend across industries and, therefore, also marketing becomes more and more AI-driven. The big benefit of AI is that it can analyze consumer behavior and search patterns, then use this data to help you understand how consumers interact with your services. There are many different ways to work with AI, like chatbots (which are driven by AI), but also more subtle applications: think optimizing word choices in text, personal advertising based on a customer’s past behavior, voice searches, or interactive marketing content.
3. The Metaverse
THE next big marketing trend, if you ask me. The Metaverse is the sum of all virtual worlds, AR, and the Internet. The best way to think of it is to compare it with the movie ‘Ready Player One’: everyone has an avatar in either a full digital world or an AR world, where people can create, explore, socialize,... basically anything you can do in the real world too. This already shows that the Metaverse offers huge opportunities. Marketers can and should take advantage of this—get ready now by researching AR/VR possibilities for your brand. As in recurring to AR to see how well clothes fit you, or to make fashion recommendations for your consumers. Or as in enabling consumers to recognize your products in a VR world. There’s endless opportunities...
4. Conversational Marketing
Okay, conversations aren’t exactly new in marketing. But: conversational marketing is more than just talking to your customers. It is talking to your customers whenever and wherever is most convenient for them. That could be on Facebook, via live chat, or via WhatsApp, for example. It can be at 8 a.m. before work or 8 p.m. after work. Companies have to be flexible nowadays to meet the communication needs and expectations of their customers.
Let’s talk about chatbots for a second: chatbots have been around for a while, and they will stick around. They offer many advantages, like being available 24/7, real-time responses, and the ability to answer simple questions. Chatbots can also give recommendations or advice on certain products. The goal here is simple: make marketing increasingly conversation-like, almost as if you were chatting with a real person, for a more personalized experience. Which leads me to the next trend...
5. Frictionless Customer Experience
Customers now have higher expectations than ever before. Any obstacle that pops up while interacting with your product or service could be a reason to switch brands. Therefore, a frictionless customer experience will pay off in many ways. In order to identify obstacles it’s important to look at the whole customer journey, from its very beginning to post-sales situations. For many people the customer experience is the main reason why they are loyal to a certain brand. So, make sure to reduce potential friction points like poor customer service, a complex buying process, or long waiting times.
6. Purpose Marketing
To complete this list, I also have to mention purpose-driven marketing. Customers expect companies not only to sell products of high quality, but also to contribute to the wellbeing of our planet and society. Every company needs a purpose: to keep its employees, to win over customers, and to make a bigger impact in the world. Millions of customers enable you to have a big impact, and with that comes a big responsibility. Covid-19 also increased the importance of purpose-driven marketing. But be aware that purpose isn’t just a PR text, a tagline, or a mission statement. Companies really have to live their purpose in their day-to-day business in order to do their part.
Tell me, which trend do you consider vital for the future of marketing?
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