Although the past year and a half has been full of unpredictable events, marketing professionals have been thriving because their industry is full of the unknown. Will this post thrive? How is this new Instagram feature going to play a role in digital marketing? These are just some of the questions that are asked in agencies every day. It is our job to ride the waves, and not get pounded by them. Each year, marketing trends are changed and altered. This calls for constant re-evaluation. Lucky for you, we have done that deep dive into re-evaluating those trends. I know what you’re thinking…and you’re welcome.
We have highlighted five key trends that we saw as top dogs in the beginning of 2021. We looked at them again, five months later, and expressed how we view these trend developments and if they are here to stay.
1. Virtual Events: Yay or Nay?
The pandemic has introduced us to the world of virtual events. In the beginning, they were hard to navigate, but once companies got the hang of it, they have been extremely successful. One big question coming into 2021 was whether they’ll stick around or if everything will go back to in person events. This is where a new type of event is hitting the market: hybrid events. What does this mean? Well, it is the perfect blend of both in person and virtual events. Hybrid events allow attendees to have the option of tuning in virtually but also attending in person. We see this category of events forming a new trend and continuing for the remainder of 2021 and years to come.
2. Keeping Up with Coworkers
As everyone has realized, communicating with teammates is a little harder when they aren’t sitting at the desk next to you. However, successful companies have developed ways to make this a priority. Whether it has been virtual happy hours or international messaging throughout the workday, we have been re-taught the importance of internal communication. In our opinion, internal communication has been revamped and made a priority in our day again. We like each other though, so we don’t mind this task!
3. Digital Marketing: Why Is It Everywhere?
Digital marketing includes any form of communication that is used to market a product or service through a digital device. Moving from 2019 into 2020, this aspect of marketing was growing and taking over large chunks of companies’ marketing budgets. However, the pandemic caused us to be confined to our homes, forcing companies to resort to almost all digital marketing. The growth of this marketing has been crucial in companies’ successes over the past year, and we think it is here to stay.
4. Social Media Stories: Quick and Easy Brand Awareness
Social media stories have become a quick and fun way for brands to provide more awareness. They have also been a great way to engage followers. Stories have been updated and altered to provide more and more features, such as polls and Q&A’s. They have also allowed followers to share brands in their stories, providing even more exposure.
5. Video Marketing: More Than Just Tik Tok
While Tik Tok has taken off, it has shown us that videos are more appealing than static images. Many social media platforms have developed and adopted their own form of implementing video marketing. For example, Instagram has created IGTV, for long-form videos, and Instagram reels, for the short and quick videos. Instagram reels are gaining more and more popularity and are becoming a trend that many brands are adapting.
There you have it… five trends that dove right into our industry and have made a huge splash. Keep these in mind when developing social content, event planning and when thinking (or not thinking) about your coworkers. Keep up with us on LinkedIn for more info on trends for the second half of 2021!
