Just as looking back on the past year’s digital marketing trends is essential for reflection and growth, looking forward is essential to learning and innovating.
While 2020 taught us nothing is predictable, we took the time to analyze some of this year’s emerging trends, to try our hand at predicting what’s to come.
That meant researching trends ranging from privacy and data protection to minimalism and a growing love for plants!
We narrowed down our list to the 5 ultimate predictions for 2021.
The Top 5 Emerging Trends of 2021
Privacy and Data Protection
We already dubbed privacy one of the key trends of 2020, but we anticipate this battle is not ending any time soon.
In the final few months of 2020, Apple began rolling out its new restrictive privacy policy and TikTok entered several new lawsuits over its data collection.
The public’s demand for better privacy and data usage is not expected to go away any time soon.
Speed
As 5G continues to grow throughout the world, speed and ease of use is at the top of customer demands.
In 2020, Google announced a new SEO consideration, Core Web Vitals. This development means your website speed could impact your search engine ranking.
Ultimately, customers are now prioritizing quick and easy digital experiences more than ever before.
Authenticity and Transparency
While influencer marketing has seen unprecedented growth in the past several years, we are predicting that it will soon be on the decline.
The public is craving authenticity and transparency and an influencer’s recommendation is no longer going to cut it. Customers want to hear from real clients!
We predict that user-generated content will be the next big thing for creating honest and authentic customer experiences.
Social Commerce
Companies like Google, Instagram, and even LinkedIn began laying the groundwork for this trend throughout 2020 by strengthening their shopping features.
We anticipate these in-app or platform exclusive shopping experiences to continue to grow and popularize throughout 2021.
This ties into the speed and ease of use that customers are seeking. People already turn to social platforms for product recommendations and inspiration. Now they can complete the consumer cycle without ever leaving the app.
Activism
This is a side-effect of the desire for authenticty and trasparency. In 2021, people will expect brands to stand for something.
Gone are the days of creating a vague mission statement that exclusively serves as an internal guidepost. Today’s customers demand businesses walk the walk and talk the talk.
We predict there will be a huge influx of “content for good” and brand activism in 2021. Our suggestion is to pick a social mission or belief and make public strides benefitting that mission.
That’s just the beginning.
These are a few of the top trends we believe will emerge or grow in the year 2021.
If we’ve said it once, we’ve said it a million times, the digital world is always growing and changing.
We challenge you to watch the digital marketing industry carefully this year and pay attention to what changes take place.