41 2020 digital marketing trends not to ignore in 2021

2020 Digital Marketing Trends

In a year where business moved from physical to digital contact, there are many lessons from 2020 digital marketing trends to take into 2021.

We have always turned to the internet for ease, convenience, speed, price, and to know we matter. So how did this play out in a year where these benefits were really put to the test?

Here are 41 2020 digital marketing trends not to ignore in 2021.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

1. 500% increase in “near me” mobile searches that contain “can I buy” or “to buy.”
2. Over 60% of search results returned by Google are now featured snippets, the selected search results that are featured on top of Google’s organic results below the ads, and in a box.
3. 60% of smartphone users have contacted a business directly using the search results.
4. 50% of searches will be driven by voice in 2021 (up from 20% in 2020 according to Google).

Pay Per Click (PPC)

1. Using a Maximize Conversions bid strategy on Google Ads can improve Cost-Per-Click (CPC) by 426% vs. manual configuration.
2. 84% of marketers report that machine learning is speeding up their PPC work.
3. Responsive Search Ads on Google Ads create a 53% increase in conversion rate.
4.  86% of digital display ads in the U.S. are now programmatic.

Social Media 2020 Digital Marketing Trends

1. 85% of viewers watch a Facebook video without sound.
2. Between 46% and 51 percent of U.S. adults use social media more since the outbreak began according to a Harris poll,
3. Instagram usage is up by 40% and Instagram Live usage is up 70%.
4. 27% increase in average daily Facebook traffic as a result of COVID-19 according to the New York Times.
5. In Q1 2020, there were 100+ million downloads of the Instagram mobile app and 300+ million downloads of Tik Tok. The latter is spurred on by Gen Z and Millennials.
6. 500 million accounts use Instagram Stories every day.

Paid Social

1. 90% of Instagram accounts follow a business.
2. 87% of people say influencers have inspired them to make a purchase
3. Likes on sponsored posts on Instagram are up by 76% since the pandemic.
4. 35% of marketers use Facebook Live to advertise.
5. Video creative optimized for mobile is 27% more likely to drive brand lift and 23% more likely to driving message association.

Customer Service, Chatbots, Conversational Marketing and User Experience

1. For every $1 invested in UX, you get $100 in return.
2. 90% of marketers say personalization “significantly contributes to business profitability.”
3. 90% of consumers claim they find personalization appealing.
4. Chatbots power 85% of customer service in 2020. 80% of businesses want chatbots in 2020.
5. 84% of customers consider “being treated like a person” important to earn their patronage.
6. When consumers have a question, 82% want an “immediate” response.
7. 80% say they are more likely to do business with a company if it offers personalized experiences.
8. 73% of people say that customer experience is an important factor in their buying decisions. But currently, only 49% of US consumers say that today’s companies provide a good experience.
9. 63% of respondents prefer messaging an online chatbot to communicate with a business or brand.
10. 61% of 25–64-year-olds who use a voice device intend to use it more in the future.
11. 52% of consumers say watching product videos makes them more confident in online purchase decisions.
12. By 2022, chatbots will help businesses save over $8 billion per year.
13. Small businesses with blogs generate 126% more leads than those without blogs.

Events and Video Conferencing 2020 Digital Marketing Trends

1. 87% have canceled live events as a result of COVID-19; 66% have postponed an event
2. 70% of marketers have moved face-to-face events to a virtual platform (“many don’t see that as a short-term fix during the pandemic but something that will continue alongside in-person events going forward”).
3. 48% believe people will be hesitant to travel moving forward
4. Zoom saw a 30x increase in usage in April 2020, more than 300 million daily participants at its peak and is expected to reach $1.8 billion in sales for 2020.

Email Marketing

1. 65% of marketers think personalization is the best way to improve email marketing effectiveness.
2. 38% decrease in unsubscribe rates since the pandemic began.
3. 22% increase in click rates.
4. 19% increase in open rates during COVID-19.

Data and Privacy

1. 91% of people are concerned about the data companies can collect on them.
2. By 2023, more than 30 percent of all “brand public relations disasters” will be caused by data ethics issues according to Garter.
3. Data and privacy concerns are so pressing that Gartner predicts 80% of marketers will “abandon personalization” by 2025 (Gartner).

Do these 2020 digital marketing trends have an impression on you? Which ones will you apply in 2021 to your business?