With less than half of the year left, it’s easy to give up on 2021. We can start planning for 2023, right? 

You can, but you’d be missing out. Less than 10 percent of marketers aren’t treating digital PR as a priority. But you want to. Or you wouldn’t be reading this post.

So jump on the biggest digital marketing trends of the year to finish 2021 on a high. Read on to learn which trends you need to follow. 

Think Wider than Social Media

Many brands think marketing means social media. But in the digital landscape, it means many marketing channels.

Keep using social media. Use chatbots to keep the conversation going in Messenger. Post extra content on Instagram or Facebook Stories. Run live video to chat with followers in real-time.

But widen the net further. SMS marketing is an option through platforms like WhatsApp. Appear on podcasts to help show your authority in your industry. Host offline events where your followers or potential customers can meet you.

Even direct mail is coming back. What better way to stand out than to use a less competitive marketing channel? 

Why does any of this matter?

70 percent of customers research future purchases across three channels. Appearing on a range of channels lets them find consistent content to help them choose you.

Machine Learning Goes Mainstream

A lot of what we call ‘artificial intelligence’ is actually machine learning. Simply put, feed data into an algorithm and get the results.

A human could do such interpretation and comparisons. But machine learning works a lot faster. We’re already using machine learning and AI with chatbots. And we’ve used it for years whenever we’ve worked with the Google algorithm.

Using AI is a good way to handle basic marketing tasks to automated systems. Which frees you up to work on the more interesting projects. AI even works on many advertising platforms. Right now, advertisers use targeting algorithms to buy advertising space.

It works in real-time – think Facebook or Amazon ads. Which gives the advertiser much more power to guide campaigns in progress. Research predicts advertisers will place over 86 percent of digital ads in this way by 2020.

Brands Building Relationships with Customers

Brand-building has always rested in the minds of the customers. One way to guide that process is through engaging with these buyers. Personalization is a growing tactic to make customers feel appreciated. 40 percent of customers say they spent more after a personalized experience.

You can use it in email marketing to send messages based on past purchases. Think of Netflix or Amazon and their recommendations. Design innovative loyalty programs that give personalized awards, not generic points.

Any digital marketing company must build personalization into their brand experiences. It’s the best way to differentiate yourself from your competition.

Which Digital Marketing Trends Will You Follow?

Now you know some of the key digital marketing trends of 2019. You can see how they combine to form powerful marketing strategies. Pick one and try it out. Give it a few weeks to gain traction and measure your results. If it works? Double down on it! 

If it doesn’t, try something else. Focus on what works with your target audience.