Keeping your business and its marketing ahead of the game is one of the ways to compete effectively in your market. In this blog, we discuss the latest marketing trends of 2021 with the full report available to download.
Trends are important for the following reasons.
- Allow you to keep up with consumers behaviours eg. how they shop and research your products and services (and those of your competitors')
- Enables your marketing to take advantage of the latest thinking, harnessing its effectiveness and potentially saving money on activities or media that are no longer relevant.
2021 Marketing Trends
- Investing in inbound marketing.
- Turning customers into your brand’s biggest promoters.
- Creating and sharing video content.
- Reaching new audiences with native advertising.
- Be Transparent with Diversity and Inclusion.
Other current, yet important tactics to continue:
- Repurposing content across channels.
- Responsive, mobile-friendly website design.
- Include chatbots on your site.
Below we discuss the top 5 most popular marketing trends to help you adapt your business and/or brand.
1. Investment in inbound marketing.
More than ever, outbound marketing (promotion that pushes itself at an audience, whether they want it or not e.g., TV, radio, telemarketing, billboards) has become less effective in reaching prospects and leads. The shift to working from home has made inbound digital marketing even more effective and relevant.
Inbound marketing is a valuable asset for any brand to assist with brand awareness and build trust digitally with potential customers seeking out or coming across your content and brand naturally via key search terms.
The process of inbound marketing requires you to develop quality, valuable content tailored towards your target audience and their needs.
2. Turn customers into your biggest promoters.
The traditional marketing funnel is old news. Today, the flywheel created by HubSpot, with a focus on service— has replaced the one-way direction of the funnel.
In the standard marketing funnel, customers are the goal rather than the focus of brand strategy. HubSpot’s flywheel, on the other hand, places the customer journey at the centre where it belongs.
By tailoring your marketing messages and efforts to the needs and wants of your audiences – your brand will resonate with their aspirations or problems, you’ll be found under terms your prospects are searching for, your brand will be adding value to their experience or research, and you’ll be seen as an authority in your market.
In doing this, you’ll be authentically adding value – and you'll potentially delight and empower your customers. Note however that marketing must be supported with exceptional customer service so that the positive experience of the brand experience lasts beyond the initial purchase.
This in turn will encourage customers to market your brand for you — promoting and advocating your business via their networks both online and in-person.
Did you know?
47% of buyers view three to five pieces of content prior to engaging with a sales rep, and the majority of them expect brands to create content to gain their interest.
3. Create and share video content.
While Video marketing isn’t a new idea, its effectiveness and popularity has definitely skyrocketed particularly since Covid-19.
Video used to cost a bomb. Today, it’s much more affordable and accessible to all brands. You don’t even have to hire a production team these days, all you need is a smartphone, and editing software, such Adobe Premiere.
4. Native advertising – Reaching untapped audiences
When your brand pays to feature content on a third-party website, you’re investing in native advertising. Native advertising are paid ads however they match the look, feel, and function of the media format in which they appear – so they are less obvious and obtrusive.
Because native ads don’t “feel” like traditional ads, consumers are more likely to consume them — in fact, consumers view native ads over 50% more!
Examples of native advertising can be found on social media, through search engine results, content recommendation platforms (links to various other content at the bottom of the page to read more on or related to the topic), or within campaigns.
Instagram is a good example as it partners with brands routinely for native. By taking advantage of the Instagram Story or Shop, brands are able to share posts that look similar to the average user’s posting style, while subtly advertising product.
Social Media Stats
Social Media users in Australia are some of the most active in the world, with a total of around 60% of the country’s population an active user on Facebook, and 50% of the country logging onto Facebook at least once a day.
Social Media Statistics Australia – January 2020
- Facebook – 16,000,000 Monthly Active Australian Users (steady)
- YouTube – 15,000,000 Unique Australian Visitors per month (UAVs)
- Instagram – 9,000,000 Monthly Active Australian Users (FB/ Instagram data)
- WhatsApp – 7,000,000 Active Australian Users
- Snapchat – 6,400,000 Monthly Active Australian Users (Snapchat data)
- LinkedIn – 5,500,000 Monthly Active Australian Users approx.
- Twitter – 5,300,000 Monthly Active Australian Users approx.
- Tinder – 3,000,000 Australian users (my estimation)
- WeChat - 2,900,000 Monthly Active Australian Users approx. – (my estimation)
- Pinterest – 290,000
With its incredible potential for reach and engagement - social media marketing needs to be a part of almost every business’s marketing strategy in 2021 and beyond.
5. Be Transparent with Diversity and Inclusion.
The world has changed since Covid - diversity, equity, and fairness has reached new heights during 2020.
In recognition of this, companies are now moving their social media strategies to include more diversity and inclusion initiatives, and it’s a good PR move as well to demonstrate brands are moving with the times.
To learn more about the trends affecting business in 2021 – download the full document “HUBSPOT'S ANNUAL STATE OF MARKETING REPORT”
Inbound marketing requires a killer brand strategy to really make it work. If you need help creating or executing your brand strategy - contact us for more information.
For more marketing advice, browse our other blogs.
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