New Digital Marketing Rules in 2021
The different aspects of digital marketing change, whether it’s graphic design, SEO, copywriting or PPC. Today we’re talking about some of the recent digital marketing trends and changes that brands like you should probably know to maximise your digital marketing efforts. We at SOY, a digital marketing agency with teams across Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines, share what we’ve learned (and relearned) so you can guide your business in this changing digital marketing landscape.
Evolving Platforms
The social media platforms today aren’t what they were two years ago – that may be good or bad news to some. Facebook, for example, which was known to be the number one social media platform for the better part of the last decade, has lost its lustre and its younger user base to Instagram and TikTok. What this essentially means is that people use these social media apps differently now, and brands need to be more conscientious of how they use social media to reach their audiences.
Since the pandemic, shopping has also been closely intertwined with social media. With most of the world on lockdown, businesses have adapted through eCommerce on their different social media platforms, which has helped them scale effectively.
Brands are also marketing through AR or augmented reality. Immersive photo and video filters in apps like Instagram and Snapchat have become popular and are shared in and out of these networks, attracting a lot of attention for these brands.
The Best Kinds of Posts
Many of these social media platforms have developed into video-based, or at least video-preferred platforms, so Facebook and Instagram continue to push for video content from creators. Whilst they may have their own marketing agenda, they also make sense – people appreciate snackable content, which more often than not come in the form of engaging videos than a long post. If you want to use videos in your marketing, keep them short, paced well, with the right amount of visuals and copy to keep your viewers engaged.
But don’t restrict yourself to just video posts – depending on the kind of product, service, or even advocacy you’re communicating, perhaps it could be more effective as a static image. An informative infographic or a simple photo with a witty line can be just as engaging and effective in communicating as a video post.
What about the best times to post? In our years as a digital marketing agency in Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines, this has also changed. There are social media scheduling tools you can use to create social media posts in advance and automate posting schedules. But even with that, the algorithms in social media sites don’t serve up your posts at the exact time you schedule them. Generally, there are two windows that are popular to consumers for checking social media – 7 am to 12 noon, and 8 pm to midnight. We recommend businesses to post at around 10 am to give their posts enough time to gain traction throughout these two windows throughout the day.
Authenticity is Key
The COVID-19 pandemic has really helped rewrite the rules on digital marketing. Now brands are expected to reach their audiences in a different voice – one that is less salesy, but is more thoughtful and more human. As the world goes through difficult experiences, consumers are less receptive to sales talk, which can be very alienating during challenging times, and can appear extremely tone-deaf to a lot of consumers.
Authenticity is the new way of building a brand on social media. It’s no longer about how many posts you can put out every week, but the quality of your post’s message. Your tone has to change too – don’t be afraid to talk more openly, share more human stories that show your company and business values. Consumers also want their brands to be more transparent. This way, you can build more trust with your audience base by connecting with them through more honest conversations instead of canned responses.
Digital marketing in 2021
Digital marketing has changed in the past year, reflecting the mood, mental space and immediate preferences of audiences all over the world, and we can only expect to see more changes in the coming months and years. It’s important to keep an eye out on the trends that crop up every now and then, and the logic behind them, so you can make better marketing decisions for your business. SOY, a digital marketing agency with teams in Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines, is with you in this learning journey to contribute to a more meaningful digital marketing landscape. Stay tuned to our blog for more updates and read our past articles for more information.