2020 has provided a variety of new digital marketing options like the Spotify, Pandora and Hulu self-serve platforms finally making digital radio and OTT accessible for small and middle-sized businesses. Let’s have a look at a couple of 2021 digital marketing predictions.
Chat Bots
Chat bots already exist, but advances in artificial intelligence and natural language processing will tremendously improve their responsiveness. Most chat bots in the past relied on a limited amount of options to select, but the next generation will be able to come up with more sophisticated responses, including better product recommendations, e-commerce transaction support and troubleshooting. They are ideal for businesses focusing on solving customer requests online instead of relying on call centers. Mastercard has successfully implemented this element and others will follow this path in 2021.
Video Content
Video content will be quasi-mandatory for customer-facing businesses. While it was a desirable addition in the past, ImpactBND reminds us that:
- At least 70% of consumers have shared a brand’s video.
- More than 50% of consumers claim that watching product videos guides their online purchasing decisions.
- 72% of businesses believe video content has improved their conversion rates.
Live streaming especially provides an opportunity for businesses not familiar with professional video production to produce valuable content.
Interactive Content
Marketers already familiar with creating effective video content need to focus on interactive content. There is something for all sorts of businesses:
- Calculators and configurators
- Quizzes, polls, games and surveys
- Multi-touch photos and videos
- Interactive e-books
- Interactive infographics and data visualizations
- Virtual reality and augmented reality overlays
A common example are interactive maps showing election results or the development of COVID-19 cases.
There is so much more to consider for 2021, so check out sources like AdWeek, the Content Marketing Institute and the AMA to get ready.
