As the first month of the New Year comes to a close. Here at EC, we’re looking ahead to what can help you and your business grow in the next year. Digital marketing is an essential tool for all businesses, big and small, to get notices by potential customers. Without digital marketing under your belt, you’re potentially limiting the reach of your brand. It all boils down to what consumers are into, and where they are being exposed to the brands they love. Below are 5 digital marketing tips for 2021 to help you and your start-up hit the ground running in Q1.
Oh, and P.S. for more tips and tricks to get the most from your digital marketing budget in 2021, check out our workshop on it as part of Entrepreneurs Collective’s Springboard 2021!
Make Your Content Interactive
This technique/trend has been around for a long time, but its only just been recognized as a best practice. By promoting engagement and improving, the enjoyment felt by users on your platform or social media. This increases the positive association with your brand, and allows consumers to feel involved with you and your story. Utilising quizzes, polls, surveys, contests etc. is a surefire way to improve your brand image for customers. Primarily it’s fun for users, and, more importantly, for marketing purposes. Customers are increasing the length of engagement time, improving your standing in searches and feeds (thanks to the pesky algorithm!). The functionality for this is available on most social media sites, and other software lies Google Forms. This also allows the creation of quizzes and feedback forms. Interactive content is shifting trends towards improved personalisation, users feel involved with the company process. They are answering questions and having their voices heard. Creating a strong bond between consumer and brand is essential. And, making content interactive is one of the best ways to accomplish it.
“Going viral is a combination of all your classic digital marketing tools, working together with a piece of out the box and weird content which is then shared with millions.”
Go Viral (easier said than done, of course!)
I was questioning whether to put this in, as going viral is essentially the pinnacle of digital marketing. It’s also very much a hypothetical dreamland scenario, there are no real “rules” to going viral. Sometimes it happens for the right reasons, and often it happens for the wrong reasons. Going viral is every companies dream, as long as it happens for the right reasons. As a startup, there’s no better way to create a strong buzz about your brand. Creating content that goes viral can make your business an overnight success. Going viral is a combination of all your classic digital marketing tools, working together with a piece of out the box and weird content which is then shared with millions. It’s one of the best PR strategies that will scale your business Think of the outright bonkers Old Spice adverts, they’re a perfect example of a viral marketing strategy, utilising humorous and out-of-the-box advertising with classic marketing techniques. It’s sure to cause a major surge in the traffic to your website for a certain period of time. But remember, that’s only half the job done, you’ve then got to convert the traffic into customers! We’ll leave that advice for another blog!!
Customer Segmentation
Another trend that’s not new but rather newly popular is customer segmentation. So, instead of running a small number of large marketing campaigns targeting general audiences. It’s better to run a large number of small marketing campaigns targeting specific audiences. You group your target audience by traits and behaviours, such as demographics or shopping habits. This allows you to more accurately tailor your content to suit their preferences. And sending different newsletters to each that feature different products. This strategy works best for personalization and customer engagement, as your followers receive content hand-picked for them. Beyond email lists, you can apply customer segmentation to specialized ads on different sites. Especially, categories of blog content and social media content for multiple communities.
“Things to avoid include over-promotion, making promises you can’t fulfil and having a convoluted brand image. Be transparent with consumers, stick to your brand ton and reap the rewards.”
Targetting Gen Z
Last year saw the eldest of Gen Z now turning 18 and entering the workforce en masse. Some sources even claim Generation Z made up around 40% of all consumers in 2020. Looking towards this year and beyond, it will only increase. Taking up such a large percentage means it may be essential for you to be targeting them in your digital marketing strategy. If Gen Z is one of your top markets, there are several values they hold dear. That you need to keep in mind:
Authenticity
In the era of misinformation, Gen Z is more informed than ever on what is fake and what is not. Things to avoid include over-promotion, making promises you can’t fulfil and having a convoluted brand image. Be transparent with consumers, stick to your brand tone and reap the rewards.
Social Impact
Linked to Gen Z marketing is the importance of showing off the social impact your startup is having. Firstly, remember, be authentic, if you’re company isn’t having any impact, don’t make it up. But work hard and strive to have a positive social impact you can boast about. Secondly, 81% of consumers feel companies should help improve the environment. And 41% of consumers shifted away from businesses that don’t reflect the importance of diversity and identity. So, have a positive social impact and welcome new business!
Humour
Absurdism, memes, sarcasm. This is the triple threat when creating your content if you’re targeting Gen Z. Their humour is rooted in the three. It might even be worth hiring some Gen Z’s (but please do not to oversee your social media) making sure your content ticks all the right sarcastic boxes!
“Enabling chatbots, or ensuring you’re on it with answering consumers questions in real-time is an essential way. To build relationships, grow trust and solve issues fast.”
Conversational Marketing
Modern marketing is becoming more conventional. Firstly, people want it that way, it feels more authentic and less like advertising. Secondly, you have to react to what people want. Thirdly, when consumers have a question over 80% want an immediate response. Lastly, conversational marketing and the use of chat bots can help you do that.
With all that talk about chatbots, the reality of modern marketing becomes clear: it’s more conversational. People want it that way, and so brands are reacting. When consumers have a question, 82% want an “immediate” response! Enabling chatbots to answer consumers questions in real-time is an essential way. To build relationships, grow trust and solve issues fast. In turn, you’ll be recommended as a personable company who is on-side with its customers. This feedback-driven model fosters higher engagement and greater loyalty. High Engagement + Loyalty = Growth!