After the rollercoaster ride of 2020, we’re glad to say that the forecast for this year is quite different! Here are the top digital marketing forecasts for 2021 from our digital marketing strategy team in Melbourne, so you can shape your strategy for success.
#1 – Ecommerce Boom to Reach New Heights
Once seen as a niche avenue for specific businesses in the retail sector, ecommerce is set to take centre stage in 2021. The events of last year accelerated growth in this sector, with giants like Amazon seeing more ecommerce growth in 2020 than in the previous 3 years! In Australia alone, 73% of households are now shopping online, bringing in AU$27.5 billion in revenue.
When online platforms became the only way to buy, consumer demand soared and businesses pivoted to meet this demand. This year, we’re expecting to see businesses double-down on this investment, streamlining their ecommerce offering and online shopping experience to take advantage of customer’s increased comfort and demand for convenient remote shopping.
#2 – Using Voice Search to Boost Local SEO
Local SEO is a key focus area for online strategies as more businesses become active – and more competitive – in the online space. One way to boost your local SEO is to jump onto the latest trend – voice search. With Alexa, Siri and Google’s Assistant becoming commonplace in our homes, phones and smart tech, the idea of searching for everything we need whenever we need it through voice search is becoming increasingly popular. 27% of the online global population are already using voice search on mobile, and 62% of regular smart speaker users make a purchase using voice technology.
Voice search is fantastic for content marketing, capitalising on the keyword phrases we incorporate into our speech naturally. It’s especially great for local search because an increasing number of requests are for products or services “near me”.
#3 – Social, Ethical and Environmental Responsibility is Essential
There is a growing trend amongst consumers to support businesses that actively demonstrate their social responsibility at every level of their organisation, including their supply chain. From diversity to social upliftment initiatives to environmental responsibility, consumers want to support brands that really care – that go far beyond lip service. While it takes effort and active investment to achieve these goals, they pay off in the long-term, especially when marketed thoughtfully. In terms of environmental responsibility alone, studies have found that 81% of consumers feel that this is an important emphasis for any business they support. When you align your business practices with the values of your consumers, you transform your followers into brand activists who work to support, build and grow your business. Here are some socially-responsible brands who are doing it right.
#4 – Visual and Video Search to Make an Impact
Visual search is becoming much more accessible and effective, allowing you not only to search for videos and images using keywords, but also submit images for search too. With Google Lens, ecommerce brands can access consumers on an entirely new level, positioning content to come up in searches for the same or similar products and capitalising on Google’s Shopping search segment. It takes a little SEO-savvy to set up, but it’s set to be a highly-effective method for stealing traffic away from your competitors when your customer is searching for a look they love.
This Year, Take Your Business Digital – And Soar
For expert assistance on positioning your brand, building your website or developing a high-impact social media marketing and content marketing strategy, speak to our talented digital marketing and search strategy team. With extensive experience assisting small, medium and large size businesses and helping them navigate a path to success with digital marketing, we have the resources and skill to set your business on the right track. Contact us today for expert digital marketing strategies.
When clients work with me, they get exactly what they want - no-nonsense, authentic digital marketing that works! With my industry experience, eye for detail, and a team that goes the extra mile, every client gets the personalised, expert treatment they deserve. Let’s get you online – and growing!
