2020 has been tough and unexpected for everyone – no one was prepared for the pandemic. Resultantly, all aspects of life and the world were affected, including businesses. No matter how small or big a business was thriving in its respective niche, the financial impacts were felt by everyone in 2020.
As we are wading through 2021, there is hope on the horizon that things will get better. However, the changing online landscape has pushed businesses into thinking about whether their learned SEO and digital marketing trends are still relevant today. Click here for more information and see how link-building services can benefit your business today.
While the pandemic has taught us about the uncertainty of life, it also generated trends and steered consumer interest in different directions. For instance, people have changed the way they shop. Now everything has shifted from practical to online. The more people spend their time on their gadgets, the harder it has become for companies to predict consumer behavior and interests.
The bottom line is that digital marketers can no longer rely on their conventional methods, marketing strategies, and educated guesses if they want to help businesses in standing out in their niches and leave their competitors behind. The old SEO and digital marketing methods have changed, and businesses must adapt to the rapidly evolving transformations in digital marketing.
Here are the top digital marketing and SEO trends that will help businesses thrive and succeed in today’s innovative age.
AI – Artificial Intelligence
We have placed AI (Artificial Intelligence) on number one because it is here to stay – it is the present and the future. It is currently operating at the core of many businesses. You might have heard about Microsoft’s use of AI in the form of the K5 (Knightscope) robots.
These robots have efficiently replaced humans as they “keep an eye” on the cars and activities in spacious outdoor areas, such as parking lots. The K5 robots can derive data by reading license plates and even reporting a crime to law officials. The use of AI has also decreased the expenses for many businesses, including Uber.
If you are still confused about how your business can benefit from AI, here are a few essential reasons that you might want to think about:
- AI will allow your business to acquire a competitive advantage over other businesses operating in your niche.
- The inclusion of AI will allow your business to sync smoothly with other businesses and hence enter new markets.
- AI will help you reduce business costs and save time and energy to invest in other areas.
- In the near future, smart supplies will offer services and products that AI drives. Customers will prefer offerings that AI drives.
- AI will boost customer service as it can analyze the search patterns of potential customers. Additionally, AI also derives data from social media and other public platforms to make businesses understand what potential customers are looking for in services and products.
That said, the past and the present are all about AI. You might already see the implementation of AI in basic communication, email personalization, and e-commerce transactions. It has been predicted that all businesses that are ignoring AI today will set themselves at a great disadvantage for the next decades.
Personalization
2021 and beyond are all about personalization, including personalized emails, products, services, and content. Did you know that more than 50% of potential consumers feel irritated when they receive generic advertisements?
As we mentioned before, consumer behavior has changed massively over time. Potential customers are thriving to have a sense of connection with the brand, so personalization promotes customer loyalty.
Today, digital marketing is all about the value you provide to the clients to make them feel valued and special. Above 80% of potential customers say that they prefer businesses that exhibit personalized experiences.
Above 90% of potential consumers state that there is something undeniably appealing about personalization that makes them feel valued and turns them into loyal customers. Compared to generic advertisement emails, personalized emails trigger the buying behavior at least three times more.
For instance, look at Amazon; you will see the power that comes with personalization, such as their personalized recommended products and services. Cadbury is another company that successfully used the personalization marketing trend by launching a personalized video campaign from data derived from their customer’s Facebook profiles, which was then linked with a chocolate flavor.
Through this kind of personalization, Cadbury boosted 33% of their conversion rate. Such examples prove the powerful impact of personalization, which is why businesses need to include personalization in their digital marketing and SEO strategies.
Influencer Marketing
Since the first quarter of 2020, with the initial global lockdown, we have witnessed a massive boost in the number of social media users. That said, there was an increase in the popularity of influencers who used social media platforms, such as YouTube and Instagram, to gain a massive fan-following base.
Nearly everyone is on social media platforms which helps users to connect with their family and friends. Successful and smart business owners use influencer marketing to reach a greater target audience, introduce their products and services on different social media channels, and boost brand visibility.
Simply put, influencer marketing is a type of marketing that integrates the spread of word-of-mouth by focusing on the key social media influencers who can rightfully amplify your business message and convey your products and services to a larger market.
The psychology and success of this digital marketing trend are really simple! People are more likely to buy new products and services that are approved by their favorite social media personalities. In other words, people are more likely to trust the viewpoints of their favorite influencers than the advertisements of brands and services provided.
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According to different surveys, nearly 60% of people have brought new products and tried out new services based on an influencer’s recommendation and positive reviews. It has been estimated that this digital marketing trend is more likely to generate $10 billion by 2022, reflecting the power of influencer marketing.