Top 5 Marketing Trends for 2021 and Beyond

There are no two ways about it – marketing trends move at the speed of light. With new technologies and techniques emerging on a daily basis, the way we attract and connect with our audiences is constantly changing.

This is why you must keep up with the latest trends in marketing to stay ahead of the game.

To help you cruise ahead in 2021, we’ve put together the top 5 marketing trends to easily navigate the year ahead and work your marketing magic.

1. Content Marketing

With our move into 2021, content still holds the crown and marketers are rethinking the way they tailor content. You need to focus on building content that people trust and keep returning to, which, in turn, can help you develop deeper connections and increase brand loyalty. To delight your customers, you can add a dash of interactive content to increase consumer interactions and engagements. You can do this by creating interactive content like quizzes, infographics, or you can even use animated charts and design elements to information-heavy content pieces like white papers to make them interesting and snackable.

2. Virtual Events

In 2020, virtual events like webinars, online summits, virtual expos, online conferences, etc, became the instantaneous replacement for in-person events. According to a survey, 93% of event marketers plan to invest in virtual events moving forward. So, we can agree that in 2021 the need for virtual events would only be multiplied.

Apart from this, in 2021, you can expect the evolution of virtual events to become more hybrid, i.e, it will be a mix of both in-person and virtual events. In fact, 97% of marketers state that we will see more hybrid events in 2021.

To ace your virtual or hybrid events, you need to provide a unique experience to your audience throughout the event and post-event as well. To create the perfect virtual event for your audience, you can make the most of the data in your marketing automation platform and CRM, which would enable you to develop better event ideas and content.

3. Video Marketing

85% of businesses have used video marketing in one way or another in 2020 and 2021 will be no different. According to a report, it is estimated that by 2022, 82% of the global internet traffic will come from video streaming. Another report suggests that videos help SEO and it is 53 times easier to rank a video in Google’s search results than other content. In fact, video marketers received 66% more qualified leads per year and witnessed a 54% increase in brand awareness.

To create effective videos, it is important to focus on your target audience’s needs and pain points. You can combine different forms of videos into your marketing strategy:

• Explainers
• Testimonials
• Interviews
• Presentations
• Product reviews
• Demos
• Video ads

Videos are even more compelling in the case of live feeds where businesses get to engage with their customers on a more personal level. For instance, Zendesk is a B2B company that expresses its brand personality well through its unique and educational video content.

Videos evoke emotions and are the perfect way to talk to your video-hooked target market.

4. AI and Chatbots

According to a report, nearly two-thirds of B2B marketers are now planning, evaluating, or implementing AI for their 2021 marketing and sales initiatives. Marketers use the power of AI to gather useful insights and create prediction models to enhance every step of the customer journey.

The chatbot market size is projected to grow to 9.4 billion by 2024. With chatbots, you can reduce costs, improve customer service, and enable your support agents to spend their time solving more important issues.

You can use chatbots on pages like:

• Demo sign-ups
• Sales-related pages
• Event pages
• Product
• Pricing pages

Level up personalization in chatbot conversation by offering personalized shopping advice based on the customer’s purchase history, queries, and preferences.

5. Micro-Influencers

In 2020, influencer marketing took over the B2B world as well and it is only growing. So, B2B marketers must not shy away from it in 2021. Micro-influencers are trending in the B2B space, which is mainly due to high engagement, authenticity, and lower-costs.

Although micro-influencers have a smaller following, it doesn’t limit their influence. They have their finger on the pulse of what kind of content their audience is. By associating your brand with your industry’s micro-influencers, you’ll gain credibility, increase your brand awareness, bolster your lead generation efforts, and ultimately contribute to your bottom line. All you have to do is to get started by searching on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Slack groups for experts.

For instance, LinkedIn has created a handy 48-page resource called, “The Sophisticated Marketer’s Guide to LinkedIn” by collaborating with various B2B influencers. Each chapter has an ‘Ask the Expert’ section that contains Q&As with these influencers.

Use these trends in the right way and be sure to keep a digital and agile approach in 2021 to stay ahead of the marketing curve.

To take your marketing efforts up a notch in 2021, talk to us!