For small businesses, the next few years will be different than anything we’ve seen before. That’s why you need to revise your marketing strategies for 2021 to reach your customer base.
We outline nine strategies for the next year and how companies can prepare for them.
1. Review your current strategy
In the marketing world, there is always a review process required. To adapt to the trends in content marketing in 2021, it is important that you take a look at what you have right now.
Break down each segment of your content strategy: SEO content, blogs, social media, email marketing, paid advertising, and websites.
Read the top blogging tips and compare them to your current content. Your blog posts may need to be edited or restructured to be relevant to a new audience.
Source: Venngage
Analyze your social media posts to understand when the best posts are being posted and what type of content is getting the most attention.
You should also review the metrics that you have established for marketing. The 2020 targets may no longer be relevant for the next year.
The review process will help define the micro-moments companies should prioritize in the customer journey in 2021.
2. Switch to e-commerce
The pandemic has brought businesses online faster than any other event in the past. This has resulted in a surge in ecommerce sales that directly impacted content marketing in 2021.
Focus on creating content that is targeted with the buyer’s intent. Use tools like Ahrefs, Google Trends, and Google Keyword Planner to search for keywords and implement them.
Pick topics that are geared towards your target audience and encourage them to engage with your brand in meaningful ways, resulting in active buying and promoting your brand.
Check out ecommerce opportunities that go beyond Shopify or your website. Instagram shoppable posts or the Facebook marketplace are now options for marketing and selling your products.
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Brands need to be where their customers are and for the foreseeable future customers will be online.
3. Look at Marketing Automation
Most marketers lack the time and resources to implement the strategies they have planned. Marketers are busy people, and with so much happening online now, they will be even busier.
One of the most important marketing strategies for 2021 that we will see is pushing for marketing automation, which can make the job of marketers easier.
These tools can be programmed to release content at specific times and respond to customers even when the team is unavailable.
Google now offers a variety of free tools to help you improve your content marketing in 2021, no matter the size of your business.
We already mentioned Google’s trends and keyword planning features. Retail businesses will want to create Google My Business accounts as they expand online.
This feature allows brands to create and review their profile so that they appear in Google Search and Google Maps.
Optimizing your own profile for SEO is essential to get the most out of this type of account. You want potential customers to find your business based on your brand name and keywords.
This also allows potential customers to read reviews of your brand. So encourage customers to exchange positive reviews.
5. Humanize content
2020 showed the importance of being human, even if you are a brand. Customers need to know that there are people behind the company to connect with.
2021 is the year in which you can change your marketing strategies personally. Bring your employees into the spotlight on your social media content by showcasing them in interviews or behind the scenes videos.
Avoid using jargon in your content – keep your language simple and easy to understand so that you don’t alienate your audience.
Comment on a topic that is close to your audience and show how your company is working to make the world a better place, like Ben & Jerry’s did.
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Build connections with your audience in 2021 – this will make your brand more accessible to customers.
6. Prioritize customer service
Customer service has always been important, but with the pandemic and the move to digital marketing, it became an even bigger content marketing trend in 2021.
Assess your current customer service team and update training as needed. Use tools like chatbots, live chat, and messenger bots to ensure customers get instant responses.
Chatbots can be programmed to respond to customer inquiries, make recommendations, or provide automated services, as is the case with the Bank of America app.
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Regardless of the industry, there is tough competition online for the same customer groups. Keeping customers happy is the best way to retain them and attract new acquisitions.
7. Network online
Networking has been a great way to understand the industry and the needs of your audience. But when conferences and trade fairs are not on the menu, companies have to get creative.
There are a few different ways you can incorporate online networks into your 2021 influencer marketing strategy.
Create and maintain groups on Facebook and LinkedIn. This is a great way to build a community and keep in touch with customers on a regular basis, like The Mary Sue does with his group.
Another way to network online is to comment on blog posts on topics in your industry. But remember, this is not a self-promotion tool, it is a relationship building tool.
8. Visualize the content
There is so much content available online that it is becoming increasingly difficult to get noticed. Therefore, your 2021 marketing strategy must include visual content.
Blog posts and newsletters should contain selected images. Add graphics to your social content, even if it’s a GIF or popular meme.
Create original graphics that are branded and reflect your company’s ethos. Use tools to create a timeline infographic that illustrates statistics like the following example.
Source: Venngage
Strong graphics make your content stand out in the crowded online world. We’ll see more companies make it a priority in 2021.
9. Encourage user reviews
We’ve already mentioned user reviews, but it’s worth saying how important they will be in the future and why they are important to your 2021 marketing strategy.
Customers review reviews before making purchasing decisions – they need evidence that people like you have given the product the thumbs up.
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This social proof is necessary because people have become suspicious of brands and marketing tactics.
User reviews also act as influencer marketing – they control decisions, which is why they are so necessary. They will also help you increase your net promoter score and attract more customers.
Encourage users to leave reviews and thank them when they do. If you get negative reviews, don’t ignore them. Move them to a private area and discuss the problem there.
The next few years will be very different from 2020 and companies will need to align their marketing strategy accordingly.
Here are the 2021 marketing strategies businesses can focus on:
- Check the current strategies
- Switch to ecommerce
- Take a look at Marketing Automation
- Use Google’s free tools
- Humanize content
- Prioritize customer service
- Network online
- Visualize content
- Encourage user reviews
By following these strategies, companies can grow their customer base and retain more customers.
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