Digital marketing evolves by the day as more and more folks conduct online searches for products and services. Before COVID-19 began, traction was already building for people exploring the internet and using apps. We saw an amazing uptick of consumers using the internet to shop, order food, check news updates, and socialize. Yet, internet pursuits and consistent usage have skyrocketed to unprecedented rates since the pandemic.
And consequently, this well-known fact has also kept today’s marketers on their toes. So, for example, they’re constantly making necessary adjustments and finding clever ways to stay uniquely connected to casual visitors, leads, prospects, and customers. So, preparing and conveying the right message to attract your target audience is paramount to business growth through digital marketing.
This article discusses our FIVE most favorite digital marketing trends that are proven to help companies and small businesses grow.
The bottom line is this – digital marketing helps build business growth and sustainability. And if you’re not utilizing it, your company is well over-due for an upgrade. So, freely start this article by skipping to your favorite trends below or continue reading.
- Grow your brand with inbound marketing
- Don’t forget to apply mobile optimization
- Use SEO to validate search traffic
- Make social media marketing a MUST
- Prioritize social responsibility efforts
1. Savvy businesses can count on growing their brands with inbound marketing best practices.
Although inbound marketing has existed for nearly 20 years, most small businesses still don’t know how to leverage its full power. However, roughly 27% of today’s company marketers plan to utilize inbound marketing in the coming years. And about a third of those marketers reported that it will be their largest investment yet.
During this age of digital evolution, those who consider incorporating inbound marketing to grow their brand would be making a genius move. Why? Well, when it comes to reaching potential leads and prospects today, outbound tactics have continued to lose effectiveness since the pandemic, while inbound strategy effectiveness increased.
So, inbound best practices for sure-fire growth will include strategic email marketing automation, building trusted brand awareness and offering relevant content.
2. Incorporating mobile optimization for doing business and providing full online access is another vital tool for growth.
Undoubtedly, consumers are spending more time online and using their smartphones and mobile devices to do it. According to HubSpot, website traffic searches from mobile devices and tablets still account for more than half the annual online traffic.
Therefore, small businesses must ensure their company information and websites are mobile responsive. Roughly 64 percent of SEO strategists claim mobile responsiveness is an efficient investment. Optimization is essential for sustaining business growth while catering to search convenience, demands, and customer needs.
3. Companies continue to utilize on-site SEO as it remains correlational to digital marketing search traffic.
As such, marketers constantly ensure that company websites and content messaging stay as ascertainable and intriguing as possible. This fact is especially true for Google search engines as they can offer short and long-term traffic returns. And though most of us are familiar with SEO, its strategies are becoming more innovative and effective with today’s digital marketing techniques.
With the need and demand for SEO strategies growing, so have search opportunities. And with Google algorithms advancing each year, SEO has also evolved into something more than just answering search queries. Today’s SEO experts are helping company brands develop search reports, demographic insights, and even optimization through multimedia platforms.
4. Businesses mustn’t forget about utilizing the latest trends in social media.
Did you know that nearly 80 percent of the people in the U.S. have at least one social media account? Simply put, that stat equates to close to 4 billion social media users worldwide. Thus, a valid reason why social media marketing1 remains vital to any digital marketing growth campaign.
Social media marketing is highly effective because of its ability to instantly connect companies to customers and clients. In addition, these connections are more on a personal level, helping businesses humanize their brands and solidify customer relations. Since the pandemic, it’s become even more clear that people continue to search for relevant and genuine content that speaks to their needs and provides answers.
Social media platforms provide opportunities for companies to communicate relatable content that connects, enlightens, and helps solve problems through products and services. Also, through SMM, brands can utilize videos, chatbots, chat rooms, digital ads, and resourceful downloads that keep customers engaged. So, when organizations choose 3-5 specific social media platforms most suitable to their industry and target audience, they can experience heightened sustainable growth and campaign success.
5. Our last digital marketing trend deals with businesses prioritizing social responsibility.
With everything our world has experienced over the past 24 months, we’ve come to understand why ethics, transparency, and corporate social responsibility still matter to today’s consumers. That’s why almost one in two companies plan to invest in socially-conscious causes in the years to come. And depending on the industry, many marketers deem social responsibility as an effective digital marketing tactic for genuinely connecting with their customers and the world.
Before the Coronavirus Epidemic, consumers began to show interest in buying “American-made” products and purchasing foods and environmentally-safe merchandise. However, amid the pandemic chaos and social unrest, the interest in buying products from socially responsible brands peaked astronomically.
Even with the heightened pains and frustrations employees experienced in the workplace, these issues left companies scrambling to show their heartfelt concern for employees and customers alike. Therefore, many businesses began leveraging social media strategies to focus on the issues and problems that mattered most to their customers and employees. And although social responsibility campaigns won’t increase company revenues for everyone, they DO offer consumers positive experiences with corporate brands.
It’s time to get ready, set, GROW!
We’ve discussed our five favorite digital marketing trends to help your business grow. And though 2020 and 2021 were difficult2, leaving some of us feeling like we came out of a whirlwind, this next move is up to you!
Let’s meet to discuss your specific marketing needs and see how BUILDINGBLOCKS can help! We believe in educating, empowering, and employing innovative online marketing tools and strategies that bring results. Overall, we want to see you gain a significant return on your investment.
If you’re ready to GROW, call us at 281-203-0529 or contact us online at your convenience.
References
- Social media business marketing concept by Austin Distel.
- Business growth concept by Hello I’m Nik.
