Digital Marketing: All You Need to Know for 2021-2022
The digital marketing landscape has evolved significantly over the past decade. With more and more people turning to digital channels for information, it’s important that you keep up with new strategies in order to stay relevant and successful. Digital marketing is evolving at a rapid pace. In 2021, digital will account for 40% of all global marketing spend and 84% of adults around the world are expected to be digital content consumers (McKinsey). For marketers who haven’t started optimizing their digital footprint yet, now’s the time!
At first glance it may seem like an overwhelming task to keep track of what’s going on in 2021 – 2022 digital marketing. But it’s really not that hard to stay on top of this ever-evolving industry if we break things down into their most basic components and then look at the trends, challenges and expectations.
What is digital marketing?
Digital marketing is defined as the use of digital technologies to reach customers, build brands, and sell products. Digital marketing includes social media advertising such as Facebook ads or Twitter posts; search engine optimization (SEO) for websites like Google searches; email campaigns through services like MailChimp or Constant Contact; content creation on YouTube or Medium accounts with videos and articles about your business’s latest products/services.
There are three ways to use digital marketing – as an inbound channel, outbound channel, or both. Inbound marketing is the process of attracting visitors to your site. Outbound marketing refers, generally, to advertising and is sometimes called print or traditional marketing as opposed to inbound digital marketing.
Companies can use an outbound approach if they have a well-known brand that’s been around for many years; this type of strategy works best for companies who are looking at long-term digital relationships with customers and prospects. In contrast, an inbound approach focuses on creating content that attracts people from outside the company website by providing information about their products/services and then promoting those items through different channels over time. The most successful digital campaigns typically combine aspects of both inbound and outbound strategies so that potential consumers know when it’s time to buy.
The goal of digital marketing is to get people interested in what you have to offer them so they can become your customer. There are many different digital marketing channels, such as social media advertising, paid search engine optimization (SEO), email marketing campaigns and mobile ads. The best strategy for your business will depend on the type of products/services you offer and where you want to reach potential customers.
When choosing a digital marketing campaign it’s important to consider how much time is needed per week or month; what resources exist in terms of people, budgets etc.; which demographics would be most likely interested in their product/service offering – this can vary depending on industry or location but generally those who have disposable income with little interest in traditional advertising may get more value from digital marketing.
Digital marketing funnel
A digital marketing funnel is a framework that shows how people go through the process of considering, evaluating, and finally purchasing your product or service. There are four main phases: Awareness, Engagement, Conversion and Retention.
Awareness refers to getting people interested in your site/offerings; this requires visibility on social media networks such as Facebook and Twitter. You need to have an eye-catching headline which will catch attention immediately – then you might want to include some video content after that (if appropriate).
Engagement means how well visitors engage with what they see once they arrive at your site/page; if someone lands on your website but does not scroll down to see what’s below the fold, they’re considered “bounce traffic.” Engagement is a metric that many analytics programs track.
Conversion means how well someone converts from one stage of digital marketing to another – for example, someone may find you on social media and then come back later when there are new posts or offers; however, if this person has never been on your website before at all but just found out about it through Facebook/Twitter ads (for instance), they would be more likely to convert than the first visitor because they already knew who you were and had expressed interest in your product. It’s important that people feel like their time browsing your site was worth it so that conversion rates will remain high.
Retention is another metric that many analytics programs track. Retention is a measure of how well you are able to keep visitors on your website for an extended period of time and the likelihood they will return in the future.
Call to action
The call-to-action is a button, link or other element on your website that tells the visitor they should take an action. It could be clicking to buy something, hitting “Subscribe” for digital marketing updates, signing up to download content in exchange for their email address… Whatever you want them to do next! A good call-to-action will make it clear what people are supposed to do without any confusion. If someone can’t quickly figure out what’s expected of them when reading your CTA copy and viewing the accompanying design elements, then it may not work as effectively.
Where to start?
Developing a digital marketing strategy is not easy, but it’s worth spending time on if you want your business to succeed online. The first step is to assess the current digital marketing presence, and see where improvement could be made.
Secondly, decide what type of campaign will fit with your business goals. Is it more about driving traffic or conversions? Do you need something that creates awareness for your product/service and builds trust in potential customers? Having a clear idea of how you want to use digital marketing can help identify strategies which would work best for you.
Lastly, set up key performance indicators (KPI) so that progress towards targets can be measured; this way it’s easy to tell if new tactics are working well enough – even though digital marketing changes all the time! It may take some time but once these three steps have been completed an effective digital marketing strategy should be in place to help you grow your business.
Will my business benefit from digital marketing?
The answer is yes.
Digital marketing is a constant and the best way to make sure that your brand stays relevant, especially in this day and age of digital-first consumers. Just as how you would not conduct any advertising or branding campaigns without keeping an eye on traditional media channels such as television, radio or print newspapers—digital should be included in your mix too.
What’s the biggest mistake digital marketers make?
A digital marketer may fail to create a cohesive strategy that connects all the different marketing channels. It’s important to understand which channels are most effective in marketing your product, and how they can work together.
A successful digital marketing campaign should be able to effectively reach customers on any device (desktop, laptop, tablet or mobile) through content such as blogs posts and videos with soundtracks that resonate with viewers’ tastes.
Omnichannel
Combining digital marketing to create a more seamless customer experience across devices and channels. For example, using an app on your phone for easy ordering at the restaurant where you can order online via their website or mobile device.
Benefits of omnichannel:
Brand awareness: omnichannel promotes interactivity and customer service through digital means, which strengthens the bond of a company with its customers. This makes it easier for consumers to become loyal fans.
Better sales conversion rates: In 2016, 53% of retailers had an increase in online revenue thanks to their omnichannel efforts. Online orders are also more likely to be completed when companies use multichannel approaches. Omnichannel increases purchase intent by 22%. Furthermore, research predicts that retail ecommerce will grow at 17% annually through 2022 .
Increased customer satisfaction: omnichannel is more than a mere trend. It has been proven that it enhances the buying experience and increases customer loyalty, leading to improved conversion rates for retailers who implement this strategy. For example, 77% of customers are likely to recommend brands they’ve shopped with because of their digital interactions with these companies
There are many advantages to an omnichannel strategy from increased sales conversions rates and brand awareness all the way up through higher levels of customer satisfaction. Omnichannel takes advantage of digital technology while considering other channels like in-store shopping as well so that consumers can complete transactions using whichever platform makes them most comfortable or convenient without compromising on quality or service.
Digital marketers need an understanding of not just what their company offers but also the needs of consumers—such as finding out about trends like blockchain or augmented reality before it becomes mainstream knowledge so you can anticipate changes in consumer behaviors. This is key for staying ahead of competition.
Fields of digital marketing
1.Social media marketing
Social media marketing is a digital strategy for promoting your business through social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Posting content to these networks can drive traffic back to the company’s website.
Companies use this type of digital marketing because it’s low-cost in terms of money spent on advertisements as well as time investment from employees. It also offers high reach potential since people are constantly checking their social network feeds throughout the day. Brands that want to establish an online presence will find success with this form of digital marketing by choosing channels they’re most comfortable using such as YouTube or LinkedIn instead of trying to cover all the bases at once (although there is some merit in doing so).
How often should I post a blog or post on social media?
If you’re posting on social media, it’s good to post at least once a day. You can use scheduling tools like Hootsuite or Buffer for this so that you don’t have to worry about remembering each time to post.
For blog posts, we recommend one per week of new content but there is no hard and fast rule here as long as the quality and relevance are high. Also be sure not to overwhelm your followers with too many posts from any one account in a short span of time (this applies more to Twitter). It’s better if they get a smaller amount but higher-quality content than an overwhelming number of mediocre pieces.
Some of the most used social media platforms:
Facebook is the world’s largest social network. In 2021 , Facebook will be 17 years old and have more than two billion monthly active users. Users can post status updates, photos, videos or links to their personal profile page which are available for others to see.
It’s the best social media platform for advertisers because it has a wide reach of people with different demographics such as age groups, gender and geographical location. Brands must use caution when advertising on this site because consumers may feel bombarded by ads from companies they’ve never heard of before.
Facebook also has an advertising platform called Ad manager that makes it easy for businesses to create and manage their Facebook ads. Ad managers have a few pros and cons.
Pro: it’s easy to use because Facebook provides templates for the most popular types of ads in their library.
Con: it can be pricey if you need an ad that is more customized or specific than what they offer as template options.
LinkedIn is a social networking site designed specifically for professionals. It offers many more features than Facebook, such as job listings and access to corporate digital marketing campaigns. Despite its professional nature, LinkedIn has over 500 million monthly active users making it an attractive option for digital marketing in 2021 when our lives become even busier because of technology.
Pro: LinkedIn offers a more professional networking experience than Facebook or Twitter which could be useful come 2021 when we might be even busier due to tech advancements.
Con: The design and functions are not intuitive so marketing professionals may need some time to get used to the platform before they can effectively use it for their purposes.
YouTube
YouTube is another digital marketing platform that offers a variety of features for digital professionals. It has over one billion active users, making it the second largest social media site after Facebook. In 2021 people will be looking to build their brand and YouTube could provide an attractive option because videos can easily showcase creativity.
Pro: Videos offer a good way to show off creative elements like visuals and audio that make them an attractive option come 2021 when business will increase due to tech advancements.
Con: Video content takes up more time than text or photo content so this may not work well with busy individuals in 2021 who are looking for quick marketing solutions online.
Twitter has more than 330 million active users, which means it’s one of the largest platforms on which to reach your target audience. It offers many ways you can share content depending on what type of message you want to send out and how much time you have available.
Pro: You don’t need any specialized skills or knowledge about design, coding, etc. in order to create an account and use this tool successfully for your business.
Con: You need to be highly engaged in Twitter if you want your tweets to get noticed. This means that every tweet needs a good, catchy title and content people will retweet or like.
Instagram is a social media platform that has grown immensely in recent years. It’s one of the most popular apps on smartphones, ranking only below Facebook and WhatsApp. And with good reason: it connects people to each other through photos at any time of day or night – no matter where they are in the world! Only founded eight years ago, Instagram now boasts over 800 million monthly active users worldwide.
Pro: The low barrier to entry for Instagram is a pro. Literally anyone can create an account on the app and post photos with friends, family or other people they meet along their journey.
Con: However, those who are not marketing savvy may find this information difficult to digest and act upon as there isn’t much guidance available in terms of how best to use it. If you do need help managing your Instagram account as a business, you can always get help from Instagram marketing companies.
TikTok
TikTok is an app that allows users to share videos with each other. It was launched in 2016 and has since exploded in popularity among teens and young adults aged 13 to 24, as well as grown more than 20% year over year for its first three quarters on the market.
TikTok’s success stems from how entertaining it can be – there is a never ending supply of creative content being produced by others. This means you no longer need high production values or expensive equipment because all you have to do is bring your creativity! For brands looking for new ways to reach younger audiences without hefty marketing budgets this could be a perfect opportunity: inexpensively promote your business with clever, creative videos.
Pro: it’s free and easy to use; you don’t need any equipment or skill.
Con: TikTok is mostly used for entertainment rather than to sell products or services. Brands may have trouble competing with the funny videos kids are watching on their phones.
2.Search engine optimization (SEO)
Search engine optimization is a set of practices to either increase or maintain the visibility in search engines. This usually involves using SEO techniques such as keywords, metadata and title tags on web pages in order to make them rank higher for specific phrases relevant to their business or websites. The goal is often not only promotion but conversion, meaning that companies want people who see them online via Google searches to also visit their website so they can purchase items from there.
Offsite vs Onsite
The types of SEO are divided into two categories: onsite and offsite. Onsite SEO is when the website owner has a direct impact in terms of optimizing their site for search engines, whereas Offsite SEO involves using external sources such as social media to improve rankings. A combination of both strategies will help digital marketing efforts rank higher online – but it takes time and effort to make sure this happens well.
There are also two important distinctions between off-page and on-line optimization methods: off-page refers to all activities that do not take place “on” the actual web page itself (i.e., links from other sites), while on-pages refer only to those items that happen directly “on” the page itself (e.g., meta tags, keyword density).
In digital marketing 2021-2022 it is important to find a balance between off-page and on-page optimization methods in order to rank higher online – but we must also keep in mind that finding this balance takes time and effort.
How to use SEO to rank higher in search engines?
- Use search engine friendly URLs.
- Include keywords in the title and content of your post.
- Make sure titles are under 55 characters because anything over that will be truncated. This is a best practice for web page optimization, but it also applies to blog posts too.
- Create an XML sitemap which describes all the pages on your site.
- Include keywords in your meta description.
- Include a relevant image with every blog post.
- Link to related posts on the same topic, or posts you have written before. This will show Google that this is a recurring theme and can help them understand what your site is about.
- Write long form content (over 2000 words) because people are more likely to read it than short articles (<1000 words).
- Make sure the content is engaging.
- Write in a way that your readers are more likely to share with other people because word of mouth marketing is one of the most effective types of digital marketing.
- Create blog posts around industry trends or events like conferences, conventions or webinars.
- Join social media communities related to your niche as this could provide valuable insight into upcoming changes in SEO best practices and give you access to useful contacts within industries such as digital marketers and advertisers who may be able to help you with your business.
- Keep an eye out for updates from major search engines such as Google, Bing or Yahoo because these companies will always be innovating. It’s important to stay informed about their changes to ensure that your website remains at the top of SERPs.
The importance of keywords
Keywords are the words and phrases that a search engine user types into a search box to find information. Keyword research is essential for digital marketing 2021-2022 because it allows you to identify what potential customers want and need, as well as their language, preferences, likes/dislikes. Furthermore by using keywords in your content you will be able to better leverage SEO opportunities which can result in driving more traffic from organic or natural searches on Google.
How can I find the keywords that people are searching for to find businesses like mine?
You can use a keyword tool to find out what’s being searched. You will need to know the types of keywords you want, such as “sports marketing” or “home security.” The most popular tools are KeywordTool.io and Google Adwords’ Keyword Planner Tool (the latter is more expensive).
3.Email marketing
Email marketing is a digital marketing tactic that includes the sending of emails to an advertising list. The goal of email marketing is to attract new customers and retain existing ones by providing them with information about their products, services or company. This type of direct mail delivers ads in the form of newsletters, branded offers, special discounts, event notifications and more directly into inboxes.
Email marketing is also one of the most effective channels for generating sales leads across all industries – over 20% higher conversion rates than traditional direct mail techniques! With data indicating success rates up by 30%, chances are you’ll want to start including this channel into your marketing strategy.
Email marketing is also cheaper and easier than before. It costs less money per click, for example, which makes it much better at driving conversions when compared with other digital channels such as PPC (pay per click).
It is becoming more popular due to how easy digital design tools have made it to create emails without having any technical knowledge or skills whatsoever. A company called Mailchimp has led the charge here by making their software available so anyone can start using them today even if they’re not a seasoned web designer.
Lastly, email marketing is a lot more forgiving than other digital channels when it comes to deliverability and the success of campaigns in general. It’s easy for someone with little to no knowledge about how anything digital works to still send out an effective campaign through their own mailing list that they built themselves or bought from somebody else.
Is email marketing still effective?
The answer is a definite yes. As long as you’re not doing something that’s going to get flagged by spam filters or blacklisted for being an unsolicited email, then your campaign will be able to reach the inbox of anybody who signed up and gave their permission in advance. This makes it a lot easier than other digital channels like social media where getting past gatekeepers such as Facebook or Twitter can prove difficult if they decide someone isn’t fit for whatever reason. Email marketing can also be more effective when used alongside these two channels because there are so many different ways people use technology nowadays which means it won’t always work well enough on its own.
4.Content marketing
Content marketing is a digital marketing strategy that involves the creation and sharing of content in order to attract, engage, and retain customers. The most common types are blogging, social media posts, videos (think YouTube), infographics or any other type of visual content for your blog or website.
It starts with understanding what content marketing actually means before diving into specifics about how you can successfully do this job as a marketer or designer. Content Marketing is one of digital marketing’s most confusing and difficult tasks but it also has its own set of benefits that make continued pursuit a good idea.
Below are three benefits to consider when developing your content marketing strategy:
– Content Marketing is one of the most effective ways to attract and retain customers in an increasingly digital world.
– It provides a way for marketers and designers alike, not only to provide value but also share information with their audience on what it’s like to be an expert in that field.
– It can help you build relationships with influencers who will then promote your work or refer new leads to you since they trust you more than if they had just been receiving promotional messages from unknown sources.
What are the steps to developing a content marketing strategy?
The first step is to understand the client’s business and customer personas. This will help define who your content marketing audience is and what kind of messaging you should be using. Once that has been established, it’s time to come up with an editorial calendar for each persona or segmentation in order to stay organized in developing a pipeline of content ideas tailored specifically to them.
Now comes the hard part: setting goals and KPIs! You need to know how many pieces of marketing collateral are appropriate for this year and month-to-month so that you can follow up on consistent engagement throughout all stages of their product lifecycle -from new customer acquisition through advocacy – as well as set deadlines for yourself so you don’t get overwhelmed by the scope of the project.
What is interactive content?
In the digital marketing world, interactive content refers to any type of digital marketing that is not a simple static ad. Interactive ads can be videos or social media posts with buttons for users to click on and take them somewhere else online. They could also be landing pages where they have questions (engagement bait) like: “Would you rather go hiking or swimming?” Wherever people click will link them back to your site in order to convert them into leads.
Interactive content has been proven again and again as an effective way of increasing engagement rates because it’s more engaging than reading text-heavy articles or watching long videos. And while this may seem like a no-brainer, there are still plenty of marketers out there who haven’t yet gotten on board with interactive content.
5.Pay-per-click Advertising (PPC)
Pay-per-click advertising, or PPC ads as they are more commonly called, is a marketing tactic in which advertisers pay for each time someone clicks on their ad. In digital marketing, these ads show up almost exclusively at the top of search engine results pages and in social media feeds. They often appear higher than organic content and have an ‘Ad’ icon next to them so that people know what it is before clicking.
Advertisers can choose from keywords relevant to their products (those words will be highlighted) or write new text based on previously successful campaigns. This means you could target a specific audience by selecting interests like ‘digital photography’ or geographical locations such as Canada if your product doesn’t ship internationally.
You don’t need a marketing team or many resources to launch and maintain your campaign which means you can spend less, limit risk and grow at the pace that best suits you.
PPC may be more expensive than other forms of digital marketing in some cases but it also has a higher ROI because just one click could lead to an instant sale or conversion.
You’re not going to get results overnight when using PPC advertising so think about this as an investment rather than a short term purchase. You will see steadily increasing returns on your ad spending over time (assuming there are no changes made) with minimal maintenance from you if any at all! In 2021, we predict that 59% of our clients’ new business will come through their PPC campaigns.
Why is my cost-per-click increasing?
When you create a campaign the bidding can start at your maximum bid. That’s because the AdWords system will look to find other advertisers who are willing to pay more for that particular keyword or search term than what you’re currently paying and then adjust accordingly. The higher bids could be coming from businesses with less competition, which means there is an opportunity for conversion!
A decrease in quality score also means that your cost-per-click will increase. This is because the ads with the lower quality scorings are less relevant to searchers and therefore, provide a worse user experience for users.
6.Mobile Marketing
Mobile marketing is the process of using digital devices such as smartphones, tablets and laptops to deliver marketing messages in various forms. The most common form of mobile marketing relies on sending short text messages or emails (known as SMS/MMS) containing an advertisement to a user’s phone inbox.
Mobile marketing campaigns are among some of the most cost effective and successful forms of advertising because they give consumers direct access to their brands anytime, anywhere from any device.
With a mobile marketing campaign, you can offer your customers content that will engage them for an extended period of time on various topics such as interactive contests or product demonstrations which builds customer loyalty by providing them with exclusive content that cannot be found elsewhere online.
A survey conducted earlier this year has shown that over 50% of U.S residents rely heavily on smartphones while shopping locally; meaning they use it to compare prices, menu items and more before making a purchase decision while at brick & mortar locations. Businesses with a mobile marketing campaign can take advantage of this by offering customer discounts, special deals or digital coupons that they will have access to via their smartphone.
As smartphones become even smarter, what does the future hold? One thing we know for sure is that marketers will need plenty of bandwidth and creativity in order to “come out on top” and stay ahead of the competition.
What is the biggest concern for mobile focused marketing?
The leading concern for mobile focused marketing is the lack of bandwidth. As more people gravitate towards utilizing their smartphones as their main method of accessing digital content, data networks will continue to get overloaded and slower with each passing day.
Some have complained that they are experiencing widespread latency in using apps on their phones because it takes a few seconds for them to load up; then when you’re done browsing an app or going through your social media feeds, there is nothing else available until another five minutes passes by! It’s becoming increasingly difficult for marketers who want to rely solely on smartphone interaction to make connections and generate conversations with potential customers.
What is conversion rate optimization?
One of the best ways to increase digital marketing success is through conversion rate optimization. Conversion rate optimization (CRO) can be described as a process or set of procedures that are designed to improve your website’s performance in terms of its business objectives by producing more relevant, stimulating, and intuitive content for visitors. This means creating a copy that doesn’t annoy potential customers with jargon-filled sentences and boring paragraphs but instead engages them so you’ll have an opportunity to present what makes your company different from all others out there! CRO helps companies understand how their visitor interacts with their site: from where they land on the webpage, which links they click on, when do they exit the page? The goal is always about understanding how customers react towards certain features or changes on the site and how it affects their buying decision.
A/B testing
A/B testing is a type of experiment that you can use to compare the effectiveness of two versions (or “variants”) of something. For example, if your site has two different homepages and you want to find out which one performs better in terms of conversion rate or customer satisfaction then A/B test will help you do it by showing results as percentage: how many visitors from variant A converted into customers versus those from variant B?
The importance of having a website
With more and more people accessing the internet everyday, having a website is crucial for any business. It will not only establish your company’s presence online but also help you to stay connected with potential customers. In the short-term it can improve sales while in the long term it may even affect customer retention which leads to an increase of interest from possible new clients. Moreover, creating a site allows presenting all information about your product or service in one place so that visitors could easily find whatever they need without going back and forth between different pages on search engines like Google.
A digital marketing agency offers services such as website creation, content writing and SEO management. All these factors are important because if you don’t have them then there’s no way that you can be successful online.
How much does a new website cost?
There is no clear answer to that question. A number of factors come into play, such as the complexity of the website and how many pages are needed. General industry average for a new site is around $5000-$10000 but this is just an estimate.
A portfolio website can be done in about two weeks or less if you’ve got solid skills and resources to back up what it needs on your side like content creation, digital marketing knowledge with SEO tools etc., then it might cost something between $500 -$2500 depending on where you get your hosting from because some providers offer free domains with their service (highly recommended).
Google ads vs Facebook ads
What are Google ads?
Google search advertising is a form of digital marketing. They enable advertisers to promote their products and services, in order to drive more web traffic or sales leads for the advertiser’s business. These ads can be found by scrolling through search engine results pages on Google Search, YouTube videos, Gmail messages, Blogger blogs and other websites that use AdSense ad networks.
What are Facebook ads?
Facebook ads are a form of digital marketing. They enable advertisers to promote their products and services, in order to drive more web traffic or sales leads for the advertiser’s business. These ads can be found by scrolling through news feed on Facebook, Instagram, Messenger apps etc., as well as other websites that use ad networks from Facebook (such as Audience Network).
Which to choose?
– Google ads can be more cost effective in the long term, but Facebook has a wider reach and is better at targeting specific demographics.
– A good strategy for digital marketing 2021 would be to use both platforms to get the best of both worlds: higher quality traffic through Google’s SEO optimization as well as reaching a wide audience on Facebook.
– If you are just starting out it is best to advertise on both Google and Facebook, as the ROI for digital marketing 2021 can be seen quickly.
– If you are a well established company, Google is the better option as it will generate more qualified leads.
– It’s important to know that Facebook ads can’t be changed once they’re published and that there is no way to track how many people see your post on Facebook.
– You should also keep in mind that digital marketing 2021 may require personalisation for each audience: different campaigns or even special offers might need tailored messages.
– It is also a good idea to target your ads geographically, because digital marketing 2021 can be cost prohibitive at times.
Why do I need to focus on so many different digital marketing strategies?
The answer is simple: digital marketing strategies are intertwined. What you do for one purpose has an effect on the others, and what you might not even be aware of can affect your digital marketing efforts in a big way. That’s why it pays to have someone who knows about all aspects of digital marketing working with you as soon as possible.
Next to that, online presence is still increasing. More and more people are accessing the brands via the internet, so it’s necessary to have a digital marketing strategy that will help you get the best out of this.
Traditional vs digital advertising
Traditional advertising has been around for decades and is still an effective method of marketing. However, digital advertising now dominates the world and it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. Traditional methods are great but they come with a cost that can be prohibitive to many businesses, especially startups or small companies without deep pockets who don’t have access to major media outlets. It’s also difficult tracking the effectiveness of traditional ads because there are so many variables involved in determining whether someone will buy a product after seeing an ad on television or reading about it in their local newspaper. Digital advertising offers more certainty since much of what happens online is measurable through Google Analytics or Facebook’s Ads Manager that shows them who has visited their website, what pages these visitors viewed on the site and what links were clicked by those visitors. This information helps digital marketers determine which ads are most effective at driving conversions (i.e., purchases).
Traditional advertising is difficult for small companies because it can be prohibitively expensive depending on the media outlet used or if you need an ad company that has connections with these major outlets.
Digital advertising is cost-effective for small companies because it is cheaper and you don’t need to have an advertising company with connections.
Skills needed for success in this ever-changing industry
In the digital age, marketing has undergone a huge transformation. Digital skills are essential to survival in this new business landscape and can never be replaced or outdated because of how quickly technology is advancing.
The first digital skill needed for success is flexibility with change: understanding that trends come and go and you need to evolve as well; being able to pivot when necessary from one strategy to another; and changing course periodically to maintain relevance within your niche market or customer base. This includes both taking risks (but not too many) and maintaining an open mind about what’s out there now rather than clinging onto old methods simply because they used them before.
Second, marketers must have data-driven decision-making skills. This can be achieved through strong analytical and quantitative skill sets, but also includes making sure that any data you use is of the highest quality possible (e.g., ensuring customer feedback surveys are completed properly to avoid bias). Data collected from digital marketing sources such as social media or web traffic should always be backed up with other forms of evidence like customer purchases or sales metrics in order for it to have true meaning within your company’s strategic plan.
Third, marketers must understand how customers think – what they want; why they make their purchase decisions; and where else they get information about products before deciding on a final choice. To do this well, it requires building real empathy for people by understanding their psychology and motivations.
Finally, digital marketing requires us to be creative and innovative in how we use technology as well as new ways of thinking about it. This will allow marketers to stay ahead of issues like data privacy or cybersecurity challenges that could arise from the increasing number of connected devices around the world.
Skills needed to compete in 2022 will be very different from those that helped us succeed through 2018. This means we’ll have to adapt quickly because SEO can no longer rely on old-school tricks like keyword stuffing or link building schemes to get ahead. Instead, these strategies have given way as marketers now need new tools not just to execute directly but also explore more complex data science problems such as machine learning (ML), artificial intelligence (AI) and natural language processing (NLP).
The rise of artificial intelligence (AI)
What is it?
AI is the broad term for any machine or computer program that has a capability of understanding, perceiving and learning from its environment. When AI is applied to marketing it can be used in many ways which include customer segmentation, digital advertising and predictive analytics.
One of the ways AI has been used in marketing is for digital advertising. With this type of marketing, marketers can use data to find out what ads are most effective based on how they’re engaging with audiences. This analysis will allow marketers to modify and tweak their content as needed so that it resonates more strongly with its potential customers.
Digital marketers also will be able to use AI for better targeting of their ads. In fact, the digital marketing world is expected to see an increase in targeted advertising thanks to artificial intelligence and machine learning which are already transforming digital marketing today.
AI can also be applied through predictive analytics which uses past customer behavior and trends to predict future outcomes. Predictive analytics helps marketers make decisions about pricing, product features or other elements that have an impact on success of a business. That’s why today many companies rely heavily on these algorithms when making strategic choices such as where new stores should open up or whether there should be layoffs due to budget cuts.
AI is also increasingly used for content marketing. The algorithms are used to produce content that is not only engaging and shareable but also relevant to the audience for more effective marketing campaigns in a digital world where customers have unprecedented access to information and brands communicate with them across many channels.
AI is expected to become even more pervasive in digital marketing in 2022 which will change the way people interact with technology altogether because we will be able to communicate with machines in a more human way – this means we’ll get smarter about integrating these advanced technologies into our daily lives.
What’s the most popular programming language used in AI?
The most popular programming language used in AI is Python. It was designed by a Dutch programmer, named Guido van Rossum and first released to the public on February 18th 1991.
Python has become very popular for data science because of its ease-of-use and accessibility. It is also one of the best languages for artificial intelligence because it can be applied without as much difficulty compared with other languages.
Some other popular languages for AI include JavaScript and Java.
What are common misconceptions about AI?
Some common misconceptions about AI include the idea that it is just a science fiction fantasy. However, there are many examples of artificial intelligence in our world today from voice-activated digital assistants to self-driving cars.
The other big misconception is that people believe we will reach an age when robots can do everything better than humans and then humanity will no longer be needed on Earth. This fear may not have as much weight considering how fast technology advances these days and because most advanced technologies still require human input for optimal performance (i.e., machine learning requires large amounts of data).
Trends in digital marketing 2021
1.Personalization
Personalization is the new buzzword for the digital marketing industry and it is expected to reach its peak in 2021. Personalization will be achieved not just through presenting content that has been tailored based on a user’s personal preferences but also through adapting the design of an experience according to how a person interacts with it, such as adjusting graphics depending on whether someone prefers minimal or rich visuals.
Examples:
Google offers personalized search results based on your browsing history.
Netflix has a “Smart TV” interface that is tailored to each user’s preferences.
YouTube will recommend videos for you, depending on how much time you spend watching certain types of content.
2.Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence is widely used in digital marketing. It consists of a range of technologies, such as machine learning and natural language processing that have the potential to change how digital marketers operate their businesses.
Examples:
Google uses AI to find out what you might be looking for on YouTube based on your browsing history on other sites.
Netflix employs algorithms to create personalized TV show recommendations by leveraging data about user viewing habits and behaviors.
Amazon has developed Alexa skills (programs) where people can interact with it using voice commands instead of mouse clicks or keyboard inputs.
3.Voice Search
Voice search is a form of digital marketing and e-commerce that allows you to use your voice instead of typing in words on the screen. It is used by many people because it’s easier than using touch screens, keyboards or mouses for navigation and inputting data. The benefits are clear: consumers can do their research while cooking or doing chores without having to tap, swipe or type anything at all!
Examples:
Google Assistant – built into Android devices like smartphones and tablets.
Siri – Apple’s personal assistant software found on iPhones, iPads, Macbooks etc.
4.Video Content
Video content is an important form of digital marketing because it can convey a message more effectively than other forms of media. It’s not just for big companies anymore, either; video marketing has become popular among small businesses as well. This type of advertising will only continue to grow in popularity and importance over the next few years due to its effectiveness at reaching customers.
Examples:
Youtube – a website where people upload videos (free) that are then made available on YouTube’s ad network (paid). These ads help you reach millions or billions of viewers with your product/service information.
Instagram Stories – live stories created by users every day which disappear after 24 hours.
Facebook Live – live video streaming service owned by Facebook.
5.Influencer marketing
Influencer marketing is a form of digital marketing in which you pay someone with an established online following to promote your product or service. It’s different from regular advertising because influencers typically specialize in one area and have the trust of their followers, so they can be more effective than traditional ads without having to spend as much money.
Examples of brands that use influencer marketing successfully include Nike, Adidas, and Pepsi.
In the future influencers will have a key role in digital marketing because of their ability to engage with customers on social media platforms such as Instagram or Snapchat where they can interact more closely with followers who want authentic content from them rather than standard advertising messages.
6.Content: inclusivity and sustainability
People are more aware of the impact they have on their surroundings than ever before. They want to know that what they buy and do is not harming the environment, and that it’s fair for all people regardless of where you live in the world.
One way brands are addressing this is by incorporating sustainability into their digital marketing strategy alongside content which includes a variety of voices speaking from different perspectives.
Examples:
Nike created a campaign to celebrate the 30-year anniversary of Jordan’s first game for the Bulls with an ad featuring his daughter Jasmine on Instagram instead of him.
The Body Shop is one brand that has been promoting inclusivity and sustainability by exposing things like beauty standards or how sexism affects women around the world through social media campaigns sharing stories about what people have gone through as they try to live their lives while being judged because of who they are.
While there’s more work to be done, these brands are showing us what digital marketing will look like: inclusive but also sustainable, celebrating our differences without fearfulness, showcasing diversity rather than catering towards a homogenous audience.
Gen Z influence on marketing
Digital is a leading force in the future. The fact that Generation Z, those born from 1995 to 2010, are now surpassing Baby Boomers as consumers will only further this idea into 2020 and beyond. As these millennials continue to grow up with technology at their fingertips, many of them may not be so eager or even willing to give it up for anything else. These days there are more tools available for advertising that allow brands to target specific audiences using data like gender identification or browsing history on social media platforms such as Facebook and YouTube.
As these trends continue into 2021-2022, millennials will increasingly be outnumbered by Gen Z: this means their buying power and preferences will become more influential in digital marketing.
Gen Z are digital natives and understand the power of social media
Gen Z is the first generation that was born digital and have grown up with technology. They are experts in social media and understand how it can be used to their advantage. They use Snapchat, Instagram or Facebook for personal communication purposes but also as a tool to promote themselves and their products.
Gen Z opinions about brands have a greater effect on purchase decisions
This generation is very critical about brands which makes them an important target group for marketing campaigns in 2021-2022. They care about transparency and authenticity when interacting with brands, so they are more likely to buy a product from an organization if they feel that the brand’s values align with theirs.
This generation has not only digital skills but also emotional intelligence. They can tell if a company is being genuine and they will use their power to speak for themselves, boycott or promote products accordingly
The key in 2021-2022 is to create authentic relationships that add value without compromising morals and values. This means there needs to be an understanding of ethics which requires some soul searching within organizations before marketing plans are executed. In order for marketing strategies to succeed, “content” must continue providing proactive advice, and digital literacy must be built into curriculums.
Gen Z represent an increasing percentage of the population
In 2021 – 2022 gen Z represents an increasing percentage of the population as compared to millennials who will continue aging into retirement age demographic groups while gen z continues to increase their representation in the population. This means that marketers will need to be aware of how these changes affect their strategies moving forward.
Digital marketing: what to expect in 2022?
Digital marketing is changing all the time. With every new update, app or piece of technology comes a shift in how we can market our business and products online. So what do marketers need to know for 2021-2022?
Social Media Advertising: social media advertising is currently one of the most effective ways to reach your target audience and promote products. However, with recent changes in Facebook’s News Feed algorithm – which favours posts from friends or family over brands and celebrities – it may be time for marketers to switch their focus onto other channels such as Instagram.
Voice Search Optimization: voice search has now surpassed typed search on mobile phones by a wide margin (for example, Siri handles three times more requests than Google queries) so find out how you can optimize your content accordingly. It also makes sense to consider what impact this will have on SEO strategies; if people are searching for business listings on Google Maps, will those businesses need to invest in SEO to improve their ranking?
Social Media Optimization: with an increase of social media platforms and a decrease in time spent per platform, it is becoming increasingly important that marketers are able to maintain consistency across multiple networks. This means finding out which strategy works best (e.g. Facebook vs Twitter) before committing too heavily on any one network
Backlinks: the importance of backlinks has decreased over recent years as people rely more and more on search engines rather than browsing directories manually; however this could be about to change if new technology such as voice searches become commonplace – ensuring your site ranks well via good quality links may be crucial for future success
Mobile Marketing: with an increase in mobile usage, marketers will be faced with the challenge of finding ways to create optimised content for different devices
Virtual Reality Content Creation: VR technology allows viewers a chance to experience places or events as if they were there first hand – it’s not yet been proven how this could change digital marketing but many are predicting it’ll have huge implications on our entertainment industry where pop ups can both provide immersive experiences and generate revenue through virtual goods sales. There are ethical implications to consider too – it’s important for brands to acknowledge the responsibility they have in their marketing and make sure any VR experience is appropriate, targeted appropriately.
Artificial Intelligence Marketing: AI has become commonplace throughout digital marketing; everything from customer service chatbots to predictive analytics is using artificial intelligence. It’s predicted that by 2021 half of all Google searches will be carried out without any human interaction.
Content Creation: content creation remains a key part of digital marketing with increased competition between brands meaning attention spans are shortening so more emphasis is being put on creating high quality video content or quick paced gifs which can capture someone’s interest quickly enough to warrant them staying online longer
Video Content Management: making use of new technology such as live streaming and 360 video is becoming more popular, with an increased use of virtual reality in marketing campaigns.
Challenges for digital marketing in 2022
There are many challenges digital marketing will face in 2022. The first is the issue of fake news and how to deal with it. Google has recently announced a new tool for combating this, which includes an update to its search algorithm that helps surface more reliable content by rewarding sites that produce well-sourced, factual information. Secondly there is also the challenge of data privacy protection as laws change across different countries on what personal data can be collected or shared without consent
Our advice:
– use artificial intelligence in your website design – look at trends from 2021 where half of all google searches will be carried out without human interaction.
– spend time creating high quality video content or quick paced gifs. Video marketing is on the rise and will account for 90% of digital ad spend by 2021.
– marketers need to know about blockchain technology which can be used in many different ways including data protection, tracking distribution channels and digital payments.
– marketers must also consider how they plan to stay relevant with emerging technologies that are changing society such as AI or automation. It’s important to note that these things do not replace human interaction but rather make it more efficient or effective.
– use your creativity when developing a marketing strategy for tomorrow’s trends instead of following what others have already done.
– use data analytics to make better marketing decisions. Data is the new oil, and it’s important for marketers to understand how they can apply this information effectively in their digital strategy.
– anticipate changes that may occur due to international markets or legislation as a result of Brexit – such as trade tariffs and government policy which could hinder free movement of goods and services across borders.
So what does all of this mean? Well, if you’re an agency then you need to be looking into blockchain technology because it has the potential to really change your business model (maybe even disrupt). If not, figure out where your company stands on AI/automation since these technologies are changing society at rapid rates. It sounds like we’ll be seeing some interesting changes to marketing as a result of these technologies so make sure you’re prepared.
Digital marketing statistics and facts 2021
- The global digital market is predicted to be worth 5$ trillion in 2021.
- Marketing agencies are expected to increase their spend on digital media channels in 2021 and 2023 in order to reach new audiences online.
- There is an increasing number of marketers switching from traditional methods such as TV adverts into digital campaigns because they find it more effective than before.
- Digital marketing is becoming more personal than ever, with marketers now targeting people based on their location and preferences.
- Mobile devices are the number one way people access social media and online content
- Within the next five years, digital marketing is predicted to account for more than 75% of all global advertising spend.
- A whopping 98% of marketers use some form of social media in their digital campaigns and 47% are using blogs as a content creation tool.
- There has been a significant increase in AI adoption by marketers over 2018 with 25%. This number is set to grow exponentially over 2021, reaching 81%.
Whether you’re a new business considering your first steps into digital marketing or an established company that is looking for ways to improve, this post should have provided some valuable insights and tips. However, digital marketing is an industry that has seen a lot of change in the past few years. And with new technologies on the horizon, digital marketers need to stay up-to-date with all these changes and be aware of what they have to offer their clients. In 2021-2022, AI adoption will grow exponentially so it’s important for digital marketers to get educated about how this technology can help them do their job better. If you want more help figuring out how your business can get ahead online, we are here to assist!
