The Biggest Marketing Take-Aways From 2020, And What's Next For 2021

As we start the New Year and put an end to the previous one, in this case, the end of a decade and hopefully the pandemic. Now is one of the best times to reflect on the past and ultimately plan for the future.

Recent history is exceptionally valuable to the marketing field because it gives us data to analyse that will predict a lot of what the future holds. That being said, sometimes, despite all the best efforts, certain events or trends can't be anticipated. In the case of the unexpected, we are given an opportunity to learn and adapt, and that is one of the huge takeaways many people have from 2020.

Planning for the New Normal

The start of a new year is perfect for planning and preparing for the months to come. From a business perspective, it's the best time to plan out your annual strategy, and evaluate the previous year in terms of key performance indicators and goals met.

With 2020 in the rear-view mirror we also can begin planning for the new normal as the world continues to cope with the pandemic. This massive shift we have experienced over the last year particularly will have implications for how business is done in 2021.

The change in consumer habits will also affect the way we prepare for this coming year in terms of advertising and marketing strategy. Many businesses have already addressed challenges facing them through the pandemic and have adapted to meet the needs of consumers and employees alike amid lockdowns and global health concerns.

With a new year and potential relief on the horizon, however, it will continue to be a while before we get back to how things were. Even further, once this is all over, and we get back to normal, consumers will remember the businesses that remained creative and innovative during the pandemic.

Embracing the new normal, at least for the next while will help you stay a competitive force throughout these unprecedented and difficult times. It will also build brand loyalty and position you to be viewed and remembered fondly when life is more recognisable.

The Key Marketing Trends for 2021

While 2021 should see the end of some of the stress and disruption caused by 2020, there are a few things it looks like are here to stay, specifically digital marketing.

Digital Experience

Insights from the June CMO Survey show that the digital experience is not going away; customers actually have an increased value in the digital experience.

Personalised, Relevant Engagement

Consumers also expect more personalised engagement and value out of marketing content than ever before. As marketers, the goal must be to deliver messages that resonate with consumers needs and unique expectations. With content marketing, specifically, the need for something that consumers view as valuable is crucial if you want to reach your customers.

Trust and Social Proof

The CMO Survey also showed that trust has become one of the customers top priorities when it comes to brands and businesses. This is a great opportunity to evaluate your brand perception and see how your ideal customers view your business.

Social proof is critical with brands and as we move into 2021 as consumers rely on reviews and peer-based or influencer based advice more than ever before when making a purchase.

Mobile-First Indexing

Finally, mobile marketing and social media marketing will be massive in 2021. Google has been preparing for the shift to mobile-based marketing efforts for years as the trend to mobile browsing, buying and searching has been growing, but in 2021 mobile first-indexing will begin to take effect.

Mobile-first indexing will impact search engine optimisation as desktop sites will no longer be archived. In addition to SEO this change will have a significant impact on how websites are built and the efficacy of keyword research.

With online mobile sites being indexed, information that is present on mobile websites only will count toward what is found when a search is run through google. If information is on your desktop website and not your mobile website as well, then you could miss out on organic traffic and leads.

What Worked in 2020?

Innovation was the keyword of 2020 in the marketing sphere. Presented with challenges that have never been seen or experienced by many in this lifetime, the stress was on to connect people in a distanced world. Some brilliant marketers rose to the occasion and gave us some business pivots in 2020 that may end up being permanent changes to the industry.

Virtual Events

From the Travis Scott Fortnite concert to the NBA restart, virtual events took the world by storm. The popularity is growing, and even as the height of the pandemic becomes a recent memory, it seems as though virtual events are here to stay.

This medium offers a valuable digital experience to users and allows your audience and consumer base to connect with you outside of traditional advertising avenues. These are the kinds of unique offerings that will be remembered long after things are back to normal. If you haven't had an opportunity to make a virtual impact yet, that's not a problem as it seems this trend doesn't seem to be going anywhere anytime soon.

Social Media as a Purchase Channel

Another great evolution from 2020 that seems to be a concrete addition to the marketing sphere is social media purchasing. Both Facebook and Instagram have created seamless paths from discovery to purchase through their platforms. This makes social media marketing more important than ever. Not only can a customer see your ad and decide they are interested, but they can also complete the entire purchase without ever leaving the app.

Final Thoughts

2020 has brought many challenges and many innovations, and a lot of these exciting new advertising avenues will persist through the coming year. To maximise your success, reflect on your last year and the data you've collected to plan for 2021. Embrace the digital experience and offer value to your customers in the form of relevant, helpful content, trust or innovative engagement and 2021 will be an amazing year with a high ROI.

Scott Jones is the CEO of 123 Internet Group, a full service digital marketing agency with a head office in Milton Keynes and further locations in Northampton and London we support a national audience with web design and development, search engine marketing, social media management, hosting and email services.

For more information about our services or advice on how to improve your online marketing activities please reach out and connect with us via our website or our social media channels.