It’s undeniable that 2021 will bring A LOT of change to the digital marketing landscape. Large global shifts in privacy laws, emerging technologies, pandemic impacts and software updates are just a few of the things that will dramatically affect the way we go about digital marketing this year. 

Learn what 5 digital marketing industry experts predict for 2021, including Emily Hirsh, Niel Patel & Lucy McGregor… 

Emily Hirsh – Online Businesses, Courses, & Coaching Will Boom

“Online businesses will continue to boom. I think course sales and coaching services are going to go way up next year as more people are moving online. More people are catching up to where those of us who are established in the digital marketing space have been for years now because of the COVID-19 pandemic. More people are getting on Zoom, exploring remote learning, bringing their businesses online, utilizing Facebook ads, etc. I think a lot of people are going to be investing in courses that are going to help them figure out what they need to do to have success online and create a new reality for themselves. So if you’re able to serve your audience in that way in 2021, I see immense success for your business.”

Niel Patel – Your Email List Won’t Convert As Well; Look for Alternative Communication Channels

“Email; it’s something we all use in the marketing world. But here’s the interesting thing — I’m in a group with a bit over 109 email marketers across different industries in different parts of the world. Can you guess what we are all noticing? Our open rates are staying roughly the same and that’s largely because we all know how to clean and optimizing for deliverability. But our click rates are going down. So far, we have seen our click rates drop by 9.4 percent. That’s crazy, considering as a group, we have over 146 million email addresses. Does this mean email is dead? Of course not! Email is here to stay and will be here for a very long time. However, companies will have to leverage more communication channels.”

Garret Hardy – Apple iOs Update Will Shake Up Facebook Advertising 

“In the coming weeks, Apple will be rolling out an update to its iOS 14 (the latest operating system for iPhones and iPads) that will allow users to control how they share their data, as well as who and what they share their data with.

At the end of the day, you’ll have to get creative. And we are guessing that organic advertising campaigns may suddenly become more popular.

Don’t panic, but be ready to change your approach. Right now, there’s lots of ambiguity that will be cleared up with experience. Once these changes roll out, we can start pivoting. Prepare the best you can… but this is a wait-and-see moment. This is simply a dress rehearsal for what is inevitable. The focus on data sharing and privacy is not going away anytime soon.”

Elise Darma – Reels Ignite Organic Instagram Exposure

“Though there are plenty of fun and fancy features rolling out for marketing on Instagram, the trend is clearly moving towards video—especially short-form video.

The time to embrace short-form video marketing is now. Instagram Reels can be 15 or 30 seconds long and I like to think of them as stories on steroids. Reels don’t have to be intimidating. They can be as easy as talking to your camera, just like stories. What makes reels so engaging is the fact that you can add music and text to keep things interesting.”


Lucy McGregor – Diversification of Traffic will be Essential

In the past, brands have been able to focus on one or two sources of traffic for their marketing, with many relying largely on paid Facebook advertising for their store and website traffic. With the uncertainty of the current paid media landscape in 2021, it’s absolutely paramount that brands make sure they have multiple sources for their paid website traffic. Google ads, Pinterest promoted pins and YouTube advertising are all great options to explore. Be sure to get in touch to talk with us about the various options available for your paid traffic sources for your health and wellness brand!

How are you feeling about 2021? Do you have any predictions of your own? Leave them in the comments section for discussion!

Can’t keep up with all the changes? Let us take care of things – Inquire about our digital marketing services today.


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