So far in 2021, we’ve had the return of the Euros, a new U.S president inaugurated and the rollout of the Covid19 vaccine.
The way we all created, shared and accessed information changed last year as the majority of the UK worked from home for the first time and tried to get to grips with new technology.
Now, as content teams up and down the country continue to re-evaluate and update their marketing strategies, we’ve taken a look at seven trends that will have a significant influence on the rest of 2021 and beyond.
Trend 1: Mobile-first websites
We’ve talked about it previously, but since March this year, mobile-first websites are now considered as more than just a trend if you want to be in Google’s good books.
The search engine giant is switching to mobile-first indexing for all websites next year and if your site is only mobile-friendly, you could see a dip in performance and traffic. With Google having the highest share of organic mobile search traffic (54%), it’s vital you include making your website mobile-first in your strategy today.
Trend 2: Interactive content
Interactive content should add value to your visitors’ experience. But it can also provide the opportunity to gather visitor data and encourage viewers to engage more with your brand.
As a creative agency, we encourage the creation of interactive content, be it through games, surveys, videos and interactive maps.
Trend 3: Local SEO
Search engine optimisation (SEO) continues to be a major trend for 2021. But after a year where many of us have chosen to support businesses nearby, local SEO will be more important than ever.
Google My Business listing provides visitors with a valuable source of information and it’s important to keep this up to date – especially in a fluctuating Covid-19 market. Look to focus on creating content relevant to your local audience through the use of tailored, geographically-defined keywords.
Trend 4: Automated Google Adword bidding
Although Google Ads automated bidding isn’t something new (after arriving on the scene in 2016), it’s continuous improvements means we think we’re going to see more of it in 2021.
Automated bidding is a Google Ads strategy, designed to adjust your bid in real-time to maximise results based on your campaign goals. Once in place, it allows your marketing team to focus on other aspects of PPC performance.
Trend 5: Employee engagement
Motivated employees are happy employees. You’ll see improved communication, productivity and positive customer feedback if there’s a sense of community amongst your team despite working remotely.
Working from home is a trend that’s likely to carry on well into the latter half of 2021 and the following year so ensure your team is comfortable and clear with working together towards the same common goal.
At Rawww, our team relies on live sharing tools when working away from the studio, such as Google Docs, interactive whiteboards, project management platforms and Google Meet for our morning stand-ups and virtual meetings.
Trend 6: AI powered content
We think AI powered content is going to take off as it becomes more widely available with tools such as API GPT-3 and Contentyze.
Artificial intelligence can gather and interpret vast amounts of data in seconds, allowing marketers to build better content marketing strategies. The more data you have about your audience, the easier it will be to create the types of content they actually want to read.
Trend 7: Micro Influencer Marketing
Influence marketing has been a widely used marketing tactic for years.
However, approaching celebrities or influencers who have accumulated more than a million followers can often be very expensive as they can ask for big sums of money per post.
In 2021 especially, we have seen a new layer of this select group of professionals coming to the fore: the micro influencers.
These smaller influencers often have a more specific niche. This way, it is easier to impact audiences who are really interested in your products or services. This also increases the chances of conversion.
Want to know more about any of these marketing trends for 2021 or need help implementing them into your own content strategy? Contact Rawww, we’d be happy to help.
