With 2020 came a heap of unpleasantness and unpredictability that seemed to shake the business world to its core. Retail had to begin implanting streamlined e-commerce as stores across the country were forced to close, hospitality had to adapt to the new restrictions and improve how they delivered food to customers and the aviation industry all but ceased. At the heart of every adaptation by every business was digital marketing, as reaching customers online became incredibly important.
Now, as lockdown restrictions in the UK continue to ease and we creep closer and closer to normality, it is an interesting time for digital marketing as we consider what a new normal could actually look like. Here are some predictions for what digital marketing trends we will see post lockdown.
Small Business Will Continue Working Online
In a report published by Salesforce Research, it was revealed that a third of small businesses have accelerated their digital initiatives since the first lockdown. These initiatives are clearly working too, as in a recent survey by the UN, it confirmed that there has been a large increase in the amount of people shopping online and there is an increased likelihood they will continue to do so, even after lockdown has lifted.
In light of the above, it is incredibly likely that small businesses are going to continue their work online, even once COVID-19 is a distant memory. Using the internet to generate sales can be incredibly effective and as such, it’s no surprise that there are already so many companies who opt to create SEO generated copy as a means to increase their sites visibility. This will be something that small businesses who are less versed in ranking on Google will need to adapt to. Luckily there are organisations who can help, such as Made by Factory SEO Manchester. Businesses across the country are able to use this organisation to help them rank highly on Google and generate sales, regardless of their size.
AI and Machine Learning in Digital Marketing
One of the most influential and major technological developments in recent years has been that of AI. It has been frequently applied in a variety of different appliances, such as our phones, around the house, in games and now in marketing. Marketing automation is now used by more and more businesses and will soon become an incredibly prominent feature used by businesses everywhere. It will be very beneficial as it will allow organisations to frequently communicate and engage with clients in a way that ensures customer retention and also helps answer any questions that customers may have.
Increasing Data Privacy Measures
Big tech companies have been at the heart of a lot of scrutiny in recent years because of the way customers personal data tends to be used. Moving forward, as AI becomes more common in marketing, the way that clients’ data is processed and used will need to be done with absolute transparency. This is already in motion, as recent studies have confirmed that consumers wish to have more control over the way that their personal data is both handled and used.
