COVID-19 rocked our world. It shook, pushed and rattled on every door, crumbling some businesses while sky rocketing others up and into new opportunities. Raise your hands if last year made you feel like a rug was pulled out from under you? You’re not alone and with multiple industries scrambling to keep up with the massive global changes 2020 brought in consumer behaviour, it’s hard to imagine what 2021 has in store. Now, at the beginning of a new year, it’s time to reevaluate what Digital Marketing will look like in 2021 and beyond.
SEO: With an algorithm that is constantly evolving, it’s important to focus on user and search intent and how to use the information gained to better benefit your business. With Google launching it’s new algorithm in 2019, the world of SEO has become more conversational rather than directional. With the massive Google update being put to the test in and amidst COVID with a huge success rate, it’s now important to remember that the content you create will be over analysed by Google. Now, a user’s search will not only be interpreted by the words typed out, but by location, previous search, online activity data and by a personalised language Google has specifically created for that particular user.
Social Media: With global user count on social media increasing by 450 million (+12%) in the last 12 months, it’s now more important to start your business correctly on the social media front. With a flooded market on both Facebook and Instagram, it’s crucial to optimise your pages. Following in Facebook’s steps, Instagram has now released new search engine functions, meaning it will search it’s entire data base to match searches by viewing captions, bios and location tags. If you haven’t already, it’s time to release up to date content in a cohesive, interactive format, staying active and reaching new audiences with the power of ads.
Web: With the over 50% of the web being accessed by mobile devices, we can’t stress enough the fact that your website MUST be mobile friendly. Even that is not enough, so make sure your site is cohesive with your branding, social media and ads. A clean, professional website will drive traffic to your site and keep them long enough to make a sale.
Flexibility: Yes, this isn’t a Digital Marketing service, but the impact of COVID-19 on businesses has made it a point worth mentioning. In ads, SEO, social media, branding, web and beyond, it’s critical to stay relevant and on top of the game. Alongside being relevant, it’s important to be flexible and aware that the next few years are unpredictable. Instead of the 5-10 year plans you’d usually be making at this point, create a contingency plan and start listing goals with enough flexibility to adapt to whatever may come.
For the Digital Marketing wizards who were quick on their feet, COVID-19 brought a year of new business and prosperity with the majority of the world living online for months at a time. We look forward to many more years that are just as succesful, while understanding that the nature of the future is tenuous. With SEO that adapts to new algorithms, optimised social medias, websites that stay relevant and flexible contingency plans in place, we look forward rocketing up and onto the opportunities 2021 brings.