With 2021 just around the corner, it’s quite daunting, to say the least. 2020 has been a wild roller coaster for many industries across the globe, and with our economy at stake due to the continuing fight against the COVID-19 virus, many companies have struggled this year to keep their business afloat. This has led to many Toronto marketing firms to amp up their marketing strategies in order to keep up with the world’s current situation and how it affects other brands and businesses. Despite the many adversities this year, Toronto marketing agencies are staying optimistic on hitting new milestones in the next year as they continue to reach their goals. Here’s a brief guide on some digital trends you can expect to see more of next year from Toronto marketing agencies.
2021 Digital Trends from Toronto Marketing Firms
1. Boosting Your Social Media Game
As all of us are constantly on our phones browsing on social media platforms, you would think that we have the whole social media game worked out. However, it has been predicted that 2021 will see even more brands and corporations invest and dedicate more resources towards social media marketing than ever before. This definitely has to do with the COVID-19 situation we all faced in 2020, which forced many businesses to offer their services mainly online. In the next year, more companies will dedicate more efforts and labour into social media marketing, as the global pandemic continues to affect industries. Social media is a service offered by many Toronto marketing firms, so you can definitely expect brands to become even more active with their online presence on social media platforms.
2. Google My Business with Toronto Marketing Firms
With the COVID-19 pandemic being dealt with this year along with social movements such as Black Lives Matter, the Google My Business feature has seen a significant increase this year in terms of marketing for businesses, particularly for small businesses. As the pandemic has caused many job losses all over the world, many have come together to bring resources to help those in need. This mainly consists of encouraging the act of purchasing from small, local-owned stores and restaurants as opposed to stores that belonged to larger corporations. According to Google Map’s data, more than 5 billion people use Google Maps every month which prompted the corporation to release new features for Google My Business as a way to help businesses and brands market their services. Next year, Toronto marketing firms can expect to implement the Google My Business feature for many of their clients’ work in order to increase reach.
3. Toronto Marketing Firms Using Voice Search
If you own devices such as your Alexa or Google Home, then you know just how much voice search is used nowadays. In recent years, the rise in popularity of voice search has made its way in creating a whole new meaning for AI, which Toronto marketing agencies have taken note of. No longer do we have to plug in our iPod to an external speaker in order to listen to music; instead, you can simply state a command to your smart home device and it automatically does it for you, with no effort needed. Toronto marketing agencies will have more focus on SEO and take into consideration of implementing voice search components, as there will most likely be more people turning to that medium. Content should be accessible and optimized for voice so that it can sync with search queries, leading to a boost in traffic and relevancy to consumers.
4. More Interactive Content From Toronto Marketing Agencies
In marketing, we all know the importance of interactivity in order to truly connect with audiences. As 2020 has been the year of social distancing and isolation, this has led to many services and experiences to be taken online virtually. This has been a challenge for many businesses who aren’t used to having their content be presented online, which can negatively affect the experience if the medium wasn’t made to be presented virtually. Toronto marketing agencies will focus on producing more interactive content next year, which we anticipate will be more advanced than the current content you come across in many marketing strategies. A few examples of interactive content we might see from Toronto marketing firms:
- More focus on AI and virtual reality
- Voice recognition and command
- Streamlined shopping experience (eg. shopping through social media platforms such as Instagram)
- More use of mobile functionality (eg. ordering curbside delivery, paying through mobile, etc.)
5. Toronto Marketing Firms Implementing More AI Chatbots
With many businesses being forced to take their brand and services online, this leads to more traffic on the brand’s social media platforms. As more consumers view services online, their experience will likely lead to them having questions. Aside from visiting the FAQ pages, consumers can have an experience similar to as if they were there in-person by speaking with an actual employee in live-time. This can make the customer journey more personal and authentic, as they will feel valued by being able to communicate with an AI chatbot rather than having to search for an answer from the general directory. With Toronto marketing firms being no stranger to AI and customer service, companies can expect this feature to be fulfilled for their own brand.
Conclusion
While there are certainly many more other digital trends coming in 2021, it’s safe to say that these trends won’t be going anywhere anytime soon and will only continue to become more advanced in the near future. Despite the challenges that many brands and businesses have faced this year due to the current global situation, this has also provided the opportunity for many industries to step up their game in developing more innovative methods to expand their brand with the use today’s modern technology. All Toronto marketing agencies will be one step ahead of these digital trends as they continue to help businesses grow and reach out to audiences with digital success.
