What is the primary approach to marketing in 2021
Thoughts from Hubspot’s Not Another State of Marketing Report 2021
“In 2021, marketing strategy is changing. The number one way that companies are approaching marketing is social media, suggesting that personalized marketing and conversational marketing is the preferred approach,” says Yamini Rangan, Chief Customer Officer, Hubspot.
“Customer experience is the number one driver of growth in 2021 and beyond. This has been happening for a while, but 2020 really accelerated trends in digital transformation and buyer-seller relationships and there is no going back.”
Once again the 2021 Hubspot report mentions that generating more leads remains the top priority for marketers followed by increasing customer satisfaction and brand awareness.
However still not surprised that customer retention finds a place at the end of the top five marketing priorities in the next 12 months.
Surprisingly brand awareness remains the primary goal for running marketing campaigns followed by increased sales and engagement.
Didn’t we just read that generating leads was the topmost priority for marketers?
Campaigns are now being associated with social media and influencer marketing, rather than just ebooks, events, or downloadable content.
On the channels used for marketing - social media takes the top place followed by website and email marketing. As you can see, owned medium finds a greater percentage when it comes to the choice of mediums.
Social Media Marketing Strategy
The report says that 8 in 10 companies are investing in social media marketing in 2021, and 39% plan to invest this year.
Over the past year, companies have had to rethink their entire strategy — many hired chief customer officers to support the customer experience. Marketing and leadership teams turned the mic over to their customers, listening to how prospects and clients feel about their interactions with the brand.
In 2021, the primary tactic for social media marketing is social listening (62%) and 46% have used it for Live Video. One of the reasons why the Facebook family of apps(Instagram and Facebook) are at the top when it comes to the preferred choice of social media platforms.
No TikTok in the list when its growth is not stopping. Also, it is not getting banned in the US.
However, when it comes to finding ROI on social media platforms Facebook remains the clear winner followed by Instagram. Check how LinkedIn has jumped to the third spot when ROI is being considered. It is still a platform that provides organic reach.
Content Marketing Strategy
Marketers are investing in content marketing more than they ever have before. 82% report actively using content marketing, up from 70% last year. But — 44% of those not investing in the content aren’t sure if they’ll start in 2021.
Just like 2020, Video is the primary form of marketing media being created in 2021, followed by blogs (used by more than half of marketing teams), and infographics.
More than the medium Content Marketing has more or less struggled with the ROI. This year sales and web traffic followed by social engagement are the top three ways marketers are measuring their content marketing efforts.
Search Engine Optimisation Strategy
Optimization is no longer a ‘nice to have’ when it comes to marketing strategy. In 2020, HubSpot SEO wiz and VP of Marketing Matthew Howells-Barby said he’d like to see the number of marketers actively investing in SEO go up.
Optimization is becoming more and more about creating the best possible tailored experience for users of your website and who interact with you online.
The majority of marketers find that SEO and an optimized website help them achieve their marketing goals. 71% responded that strategic keywords happen to be their company tactics for SEO followed by 50% localisation and 48% mobile optimisation.
Tools like Google Analytics(72%), Google Search Console(49%) and Keyword Planner(36%) are the preferred SEO tools by marketers.
Measuring SEO success is led by keyword rankings and organic traffic followed by time spent on-page. Bounce rate finds a space in the top five.
This year Hubspot approached 1500 marketers around the world for their thoughts. It happens to be one of my favourite digital marketing report but this year it has been a disappointment. Last year’s report was far more insightful and detailed.