Global crisis or not, everyone knows that marketing trends are changing at the speed of light. With the emergence of new statistics, technologies and techniques on a daily basis, the way we attract, connect and market to our audience is constantly evolving. So much so that sometimes it can be difficult to follow!
To be successful in this fast-paced industry, you need to do more than follow marketing trends - you need to stay ahead.
As we approach the end of one of the most unpredictable years in history, important and exciting new marketing trends have started to emerge.
1. Seasonal Marketing
Seasonal marketing is going to be huge in 2021 and it is extremely important for affiliate marketers to work on a strategy for the same.
Whatever products or services you offer, all businesses can benefit from seasonal marketing. Throughout the year, brands must adjust their marketing campaigns to events, holidays and other vacations in order to take full advantage of the inherent opportunities. Consumer behavior and their state of mind vary depending on the time of year and brands too must change their strategies to stay competitive.
Advertising spending by advertisers in India amounts to more than 85,000 crores, so it goes without saying that the success of a campaign in the (very) busy advertising space in India lies in the ability to reach the right audience at the right time.
2. Native Advertising
Native advertising is a modern form of infomercial. Instead of interrupting the user with advertising content clearly identified as such, they are shown a message that blends into the context of their experience.
If the user is looking at a Facebook feed, the native ad will simply be a post or status with the mention 'sponsored link'. If he is reading a blog, the native ad will take the form of a regular post, with some light markup that says it's an ad. On Twitter, it will simply be a sponsored link. On a news site, it will be a sponsored article. And so on.
Native advertising, like a chameleon, adapts perfectly to its medium to blend into the decor. It offers two advantages. A perception of increased credibility of its content and the consequence: higher click-through rates.
As various studies conducted in 2019 have shown, native ads are preferred over display ads by a majority of consumers and this trend is expected to continue in 2021 as well. Hence, it is imperative for marketers to add native advertising to their affiliate marketing plan.
3. Influencer Marketing
One of the few ways for advertisers to authentically connect with their audience is through social media. As a result, influencer marketing will experience significant growth next year.
According to HypeAuditor estimates, the global Instagram influencer marketing market will grow 15 percent in 2021, to reach $5.86 billion, as compared to an estimated $5.095 billion at the end of 2020.
The phenomenon of micro-influencers or nano-influencers will continue to develop at a rapid pace.
"As various studies conducted in 2019 have shown, native ads are preferred over display ads by a majority of consumers and this trend is expected to continue in 2021 as well"
With a limited but a more targeted audience, and thanks to their level of engagement often higher than influencers with a larger number of followers, microphones or nano-influencers are ultimately more influential.
On the other hand, because these influencers create their own content and directly manage their accounts, they are able to convey a more personal and authentic tone, which resonates with their followers. It's also easier for brands to get in touch with them.
In 2020, 46.4 percent of brand mentions with the hashtag #ad were posted by Instagram accounts with between 1,000 and 20,000 followers (classified as micro-influencers).
In 2021, HypeAuditor predicts that more brands will collaborate with micro-influencers, and the paid placement share featuring #ad will increase to 50 percent.
4. Marketing Automation
A marketer's worst enemy are tedious and repetitive tasks that prevent you from focusing on the big picture and long-term strategy. Increasingly accessible, this technique saves precious hours and quickly improves the user experience and the customer relationship of your brand.
Even though it has been around for quite some time now, marketing automation in 2021 is going to be a whole new ball game. According to Salesforce, 67 percent of marketers already rely on marketing automation, and 21 percent are working on it for the coming year.
5. Social Commerce
It's no secret that social media is now the most important and beneficial platform for online marketing. With the introduction of Facebook stores, Instagram stores, and Pinterest Shopping ads and catalogs, social commerce is poised to become one of the biggest marketing and e-Commerce trends of the coming 2021!
While 55 percent of online shoppers now make purchases through social media channels such as Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest, and 71 percent of consumers turn to social media for purchase inspiration, it is now more important than ever to making your brand, products and services accessible on social media - especially as more companies go digital to adapt to the COVID-19 crisis.
Conclusion
Over the past ten years, affiliate marketing has evolved more than ever. The possibilities are endless, and affiliate marketers will always be looking for innovative ways to make their brand stand out. But what matters is finding the solution that best meets your needs, not just going for novelty and shine.