As with every industry, the digital marketing landscape in Ireland is always changing. So, here at SPB Media, it is our job to stay ahead of the curve. Here are some of our key digital marketing trends to look out for in Ireland in 2021.
Live Streams & Virtual Events
Needless to say, the onset of the coronavirus pandemic has brought with it a huge shift in how we live our lives. With many of us now working from home and some of us even attending college lectures at home, there has also been a huge shift in how we socialize, attend events, and even market our businesses. The forced cancellation and postponement of in-person events meant that many industries had to quickly adapt to the new landscape they found themselves in. What resulted was that many of these events shifted online. However, due to the success and potential return on investment from these events, many companies are expected to continue to opt for online or virtual events.
The results of this from a digital marketing perspective are that it is now possible for companies to reach an entirely new, engaged global audience from anywhere in the world, without the need for additional costs. In the past these costs included travel expenses and accommodation expenses among other expenses associated with travelling to and from events. Now a company representative can give a speech or performance at an event from the comfort of their own home, without losing any promotional or marketing value. There are countless ways in which your business can benefit from online events, such as hosting webinars, ticketed events or even offering online workshops or classes.
Increase in Voice Searching
The covid-19 pandemic has also seen a huge increase in popularity for smart speakers such as Alexa and Sonos. This has changed the way in which we search online. Potentially, this is an area of digital marketing which could see huge growth in 2021 as companies attempt to optimize their voice search strategy. Over the past few years, Google has increased the accuracy of its voice recognition to over 90%. In much the same way as digital marketing agencies optimize their clients’ sites for SEO (search engine optimization), there is also a growing demand for voice search optimization. However, the good news is that there is a positive relationship between SEO and voice search optimization. This means that if your site has strong SEO, you stand a good chance of also being well ranked higher for voice searching through Google.
Consumers Purchasing Through Social Media
Social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram are continuing to make it easier for consumers to purchase products online. Instead of simply discovering new products, social media platforms are now allowing users to purchase products and services directly from them. As a result, we can expect to see a continuous increase in social media commerce this year. This comes as a slight shift from social media purely being used as a vehicle to be used to spread awareness of your brand to new audiences.
Video Content
Over the past 12 months, video content has emerged as the most important medium when it comes to digital marketing. The public appetite for video content has never been stronger, with apps such as TikTok rising in popularity at stratospheric speeds. As a digital marketing agency, we can only view this as a positive. Video content can be short, long, humorous, sad, as well as anything else in between. This versatility means that creating and publishing relevant and exciting video content online has never been more important from a marketing standpoint. By creating content that reflects the personality of your brand, you have never been in a better position to not only grow the status of your brand, but also to engage with your customers on an ongoing basis.
To find out how SPB Media can help your expand your business in 2021, feel free to get in touch today!
