2020 was unpredictable and chaotic in more ways than one. From health, income, lockdowns to the fear and stress about the disease, the year is sure to stick out for generations to come.
But now that the eventful year is finally over and things are starting to look up for the world, it is time for brands to get back to their drawing boards and build a digital strategy that could work in the post-COVID world.
The pandemic has impacted consumer habits in a way that it has become essential for brands to create strategies that meet their changed expectations and needs. So, what are the digital trends brands should focus upon this year? Here’s a list of top 3-
1. Time to Get Social
As lockdowns forced people to remain indoors, social networking platforms came to the rescue. According to a report on Statista, the average amount of time a user spent on social media in India reached 4 hours 46 minutes in the last week of April 2020.
From communications, entertainment, shopping to accessing the latest news updates, platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram witnessed a drastic rise in the amount of time people spent on the platforms. While the usage stabilized in the following months, brands can no longer ignore social platforms when working on their digital strategies.
Focusing on platforms that are most relevant to the brand and its target audience will help marketers expand their reach. Brands need to communicate with their followers, post useful content regularly, and look for unique ways to engage with people to build and improve their market reputation.
2. Audience Segmentation to the Fore
Be it social media or paid ads, brands can no longer work on a single extensive market campaign and aim to target a larger audience base. Instead, it can be more effective if there are multiple smaller campaigns with different metrics targeting a specific audience group.
Customization is one thing that has become all the more important for consumers. Be it an online advertisement, social media post, or website content, consumers are more attracted if your approach is customized.
Fortunately, customization has been a trending topic in the digital ecosystem for a long time. Almost every popular digital platform now offers highly effective audience segmentation tools that can allow marketers to segment their audience based on their demographics, interests, and behaviours. Take advantage of these tools to customize your digital endeavours.
3. Be Socially Responsible and Let People Know
Growing awareness about climate change, the environment, and the events that transpired last year have encouraged many consumers to care about society and be part of initiatives that can benefit the greater good. They expect the same from the brand they deal with.
According to a report by Capgemini Research Institute available on Economic Times, an increasing number of consumers in India now examine brands on how socially responsible, environment-friendly, and inclusive they are.
Using sustainable ingredients or raw materials, community volunteering, charitable giving, and corporate policies that help the employees and environment are some ways in which brands can meet consumer expectations. Brands can use social platforms to inform followers about such brand initiatives and communicate with them about matters close to their hearts.
Digital Marketing in 2021
While it is impossible to predict the future, we can at least hope that 2021 is not as unpredictable as 2020 was. The number of internet users is rapidly rising in India, and this can be an excellent time for brands to push the accelerator and focus on their digital growth.
But as digital consumption is rising, so is the competition. Only brands that adapt themselves as per the changing consumer expectations and demands can flourish in the future.
If you are hoping to achieve your digital objectives in 2021, these are 3 trends that you should watch out for.
