With the global pandemic boosting digital consumerism to new heights, it’s important to tailor your marketing efforts for the year ahead.
2020 saw a significant rise in social media engagement, AI-driven customer service, and eCommerce activity due to the economic impact of COVID-19. As the world works toward recovery, we break down our top tips for bolstering your marketing tactics and adapting to the new business landscape in 2021 below.
Online social media content is a must
Now that the majority of the population is spending their days in quarantine, online activity and communication have never been more prevalent. Social media spending experienced a boost in the second quarter of 2020, accounting for 24% of US marketing budgets, a 13% increase from the previous winter. This extra focus on online content and social media engagement should continue well into the months ahead, so it’s important to prepare accordingly.
Take the time to refine your social media strategy, designing new, creative ways of engaging and retaining both new and long-time customers. You’ll want to keep your followers up to date on the latest products, services, and company happenings — many customers expect to learn more about your business through your social media feed.
Of course, consistency is key, so be sure to have a regular content schedule to maintain an active presence and connection with your followers.
Level up your eCommerce experience
2020 saw a massive surge in eCommerce activity, with online spending comprising 18.6% of total retail sales in the first two quarters of the year. Online shopping has never been more in fashion, with customers adopting the practice to ensure their physical safety.
As we venture into the year ahead, be sure to review your current business strategies, ensuring their flexibility to meet growing eCommerce demands. The previous year has seen plenty of companies suffer due to reliance on in-store purchases, so focusing more on your online strategies for 2021 will be imperative to business growth.
Additionally, make sure to diversify your customer journeys. Gone are the days where customers view a single brand ad, prompting them to visit your website, store, or social media channels. Instead, companies are now encouraged to use a combination of various advertisements, including digital marketing tactics, offline ads, and even radio advertisements. Harness the power of a nonlinear customer journey, and you’re bound to see profits skyrocket.
Use automation
On a limited time and budget, automating specific marketing routines can be beneficial for your business. Using social media management platforms is an already common practice, helping companies prepare and plan content ahead of time, and automate their posts on a predetermined schedule. Such software also offers managers with key online insights and options to further simplify their content workflows and team communication. Email marketing tools are also available to help streamline and automate one’s email campaigns.
Automation can also be used in one’s customer service strategies, with many businesses now relegating customer support to chatbots or self-service options. In fact, most consumers prefer automated self-service apps to simplify their online experiences.
The right tools and software can help you simplify routine operations while re-focusing your time and energy on more demanding business activities.
Include voice searches in your SEO strategy
Finally, with more consumers relying on voice technology to perform online searches, it may help to include this trend in your current SEO strategy. Experts recommend optimizing your digital content specifically for voice, applying a more direct or conversational tone to accurately match common search queries.
Achieving this requires research on popular voice keywords, incorporating longtail keywords, and potentially creating more FAQ-related content. However, be sure to also analyze your audience insights, and whether voice search technology is commonly used among your customer demographics.
Additionally, ensure that you optimize your website’s loading times, as the average page takes 4.6 seconds to load through voice search.
Boost your marketing plans with better technology!
Whatever your 2021 marketing plans may be, investing in the right tech can help bolster your efforts. Founders Technology Group offers all businesses with a wide range of IT solutions, including outsourced managed services and cybersecurity. With the right digital tools and equipment, you’ll step up your marketing game with greater ease and efficiency.
Get the tech solutions you need for the new year by contacting us today.