Absolutely nothing could have prepared us for 2020 but despite all the curveballs we, and most importantly our clients have come out on top. If this year has taught us anything – it’s that we need to be prepared: prepared by creating strategic plans, prepared by researching the current and emerging trends and prepared by constantly evolving our skill sets that we are able to adapt and overcome anything that the future may hold for us.
This year was all about pivoting, overcoming and making the most out of a tricky situation. Next year looks a lot different. With the close of 2020 comes the emergence of a few trends that we want you to be aware of so that we can enter the new year prepared and ready to make it our best year yet.
Omnichannel Marketing
Every year the world moves more digital and this year the world was almost gone completely digital. But just because the move to eCommerce has been accelerated it doesn’t mean that it’s the end of brick and mortar. What it does mean is that a new level of innovation and engagement needs to be achieved across real and digital life. Not only to get people through your doors but also to interact with your brand in meaningful ways before and after their visit whether it be online or in person.
Omnichannel marketing strategies allow retailers to personalize their customer service experience across multiple forms. You may already place emphasis on your web store and your social media accounts but now’s the time to take it a step further by bringing things like loyalty programs, personalised styling and wishlists from online into in-store. This looks different from brand to brand but finding your niche and how to bridge the gap between digital and real-life for your audience will get you in front in 2021.
Social Media Shopping
In late July this year, Instagram rolled out a new level of on-platform shopping with Instagram Shop. This feature sits in a prominent position… so prominent it has taken the spot of where notifications used to live. So, it is clear that Instagram will be looking for ways to make the in-app shopping feature huge.
Keeping in line with omnichannel marketing, Instagram users can find their likes and saves, organised neatly in the insta shop tab ready to be purchased. This feature also recommends other products based on your activity which is an extension of the original explore feature that Instagram has for discovering new accounts.
Although this feature is not new, the heights that it will reach will be. It is super important that as an e-commerce business your catalogue is prepared for the rush of on-platform shopping that is going to come through Instagram.
Interactive Content
As our social media platform habits evolved so too has the algorithm and the content that holds our attention. While well-lit photos and popular filters still have their merits, interactive content will definitely continue overtaking centre stage into the new year.
Interactive content helps to build a personalised relationship with your customers by providing you with an opportunity to talk and get to know their needs. This can be as simple as creating polls on your Insta stories and encouraging your followers to interact with your content in ways that are more gratifying than liking and commenting.
QR Codes
Speaking of interactive content, one of the biggest digital players coming out of 2020 are QR Codes. A key element in our journey toward Covid-Normal, QR codes are absolutely everywhere. Shared pens and laminated paper are out as check-ins, menus and important information are now shared through QR Codes. As there is no app needed to engage with QR Codes, this raised awareness on how they operate opens a lot of doors for marketers and business owners.
Some of our favourite emerging QR opportunities include virtual business cards, add upcoming events directly to a calendar, sign up to mailing lists and following social media accounts! But this is just scratching the surface… we’ve got a wealth of ideas waiting for the right client.
Videos, Videos & More Videos
Thanks to the insane popularity that TikTok has had in Australia and the world, videos are now also Instagram and Facebook algorithms preferred type of content. In case your app is late to the upgrade the Reels feed is a separate feed from the newsfeed that has replaced the create a post button on Instagram and it works pretty much exactly like TikTok. This section of Instagram provides brands with an opportunity to get in front of new clients in the same way that TikTok does without the hassle of having to use another platform.
We’ve discussed the opportunities that come with TikTok and believe there is a chance that Reels will work much in the same way through Instagram and this is definitely something that your brand should be incorporating into your social strategy ASAP if you haven’t already.
Let’s look ahead to 2021 together. If you are not sure what your next year looks like or you just want to get ahead, now is the perfect time to get in touch with us.