It is always good to be ahead of the curve so to help you on your way Brand Culture has compiled a list of marketing considerations for 2021.
BE CONTENT SAVVY
When it comes to marketing and in particular digital marketing, content is everything. It is one of the most effective ways to engage an audience and increase web traffic. Having a clear content marketing strategy will ensure that your business is getting the most out of the material it has created.
Blogs are now recognised as one of the top most effective forms of media. Many businesses are investing in blogs and including them as a key part of their overall content strategies. It is important that blogs are included alongside other forms of content including video and infographics.
Have a range of content types in your amour such as opinion, technical, Q&A, lists and news and remember that you are communicating with more than just one audience segment.
BE SOCIAL
The influencing power of social media is exponential and cannot be avoided. Whatever your views are on social media, it needs to be a major part of your communication strategy. Social content is maturing beyond just text posts. Messages are now animated, interactive and video based. The online social scene is much more focused than it was a few years ago and has earned its place as an essential business tool. Understanding how to use social media for your business is key – and don’t forget social platforms are great for research and inspiration!
BE RELEVANT
Relevancy is vital. With so much information available how you capture your audience is central. Do not be afraid to humanise your business. Be transparent, authentic and vulnerable. Your audience will trust you more, believe in you more and support you more. Remember the old saying…’people buy from people’, it remains true today and your business will be most relevant to your audience through getting to know you and your team.
BE READY FOR GOOGLE
From May, Google will introduce a page experience raking algorithm. It will have a significant impact on rankings, so you need to start getting your website ready now. Website security, content and mobile friendliness will still be key ranking factors – do not ignore these.
When it comes to web development, you’ve probably heard the term UX be used a lot in recent years – this refers specifically to user experience and focuses on loading performance, speed, site interactivity and stability. UX web development is essentially what will keep your website ranking well.
Simply put, if your web content is poor and users are not able to easily navigate or interact and end up having a bad experience on your website, it is likely that Google will penalise the site and downgrade it.
BE VOCAL
Voice search and audio availability is on the rise so it is important to pay attention to language used within content to allow it to be easily optimised for voice services such as Google Assist.
Being vocal should also extend to encouraging user-generated content (UGC), which is typically generated through reviews on video and social media posts. Adopting a UGC strategy presents brand confidence and delivers relatable, believable content to an even broader audience.
FINALLY… BE THE BEST YOU CAN BE
Be ready to present your business in the best way possible. To do this you need to be prepared with a good strategy. One that covers short, medium and long term company objectives and synergistically addresses business processes and user journeys. Integrate your marketing activities with one another. Although this is a slightly cliché notion nowadays, integrated marketing remains highly effective!
Be assertive with your messages and act with conviction.