2020 has been the year of online shopping. While people have been quarantined at home, more and more of them spend time online, on social media, and shopping. US online sales are estimated to increase by 18% to $710 billion this year. And that trend is likely to continue after the pandemic. If you’re not marketing your business online, then you are missing out on critical business traffic.
Here are the top five digital marketing strategies to try in 2021.
Google Ads Automated Bidding
Automating Google Ads can save you time, money, and help your digital ads be more effective. Google Ads marketers will constantly work to find the best creative assets, for the best bid, on the best sites to maximize your ROI. You set your marketing goals and Google Ads will automatically adjust bidding to best meet your needs.
Voice Search
Since consumers are spending more time at home now, they also are relying more on their voice assistants like Alexa, Siri, and Google Home. Over 3.25 billion people use voice search worldwide.
So, when you’re creating content you also need to think forward about how it will sound on a voice assistant. Currently, Google’s algorithm doesn’t consider voice search queries; however, it’s likely they could in the future. And even if you are ranking on Google results, you may not be ranking on voice search unless you purposely plan content for voice searches.
Visual Search
Besides voice searches, visual searches are also becoming more popular. You should include photos and videos on your site that relate to specific searches online. To help your visuals rank, always include alt text, include keywords in the image file name, and use top-quality images and videos.
Interactive Content
Interactive content can better engage visitors to your site and provide value. For instance, if you are an accountant you could add a tax calculator to your site. This will get visitors engaged and more likely to spend time on your site.
You may want to try any of the following interactive content on your site:
- Assessments
- Games
- Polls
- Surveys
- Contests
- Calculators
Local SEO
For small businesses, local SEO can be even more powerful than general SEO because it connects your business with people in your geographic location who are more likely to interact with your site. You should use Google My Business and claim your business online. You can then update your hours (which is especially important due to COVID-19 restrictions in flux), add photos, and include business contact information.
Pro-tip – you want to make sure your business shows up when people search for your business type and “near me”. For instance, if you’re an accounting firm, when people search “accountants near me” you’ll show up. Do this by including your city as a top keyword on your site.
Conclusion
In 2020, many companies have adapted to new ways of doing business. Consumers are online now more than ever and in 2021 you need to make sure that your business is prepared with these digital marketing strategies.