Digital Marketing Success in 2021: A Look Back at Trends & Predictions

📖 This post is part of a blog series overview of The Digital Marketer's Almanac 2021, an essential guide for every marketing professional.  We will cover critical topics from this resource to help SaaS, eCommerce, and Lead Generation marketers think strategically about the year ahead.

At the end of last year we predicted some digital marketing trends for 2020, of course none of us could predict the reality that has so unprecedently rocked the globe…or the latest TikTok jingles. 

It’s that time of year to go down memory lane for 2020 and analyze the marketing trends and predictions that really had an impact on the year. 

More People are Using Mobile in 2021

More and more people began to use mobile to access the internet. In fact, ‘more and more’ is a vast understatement. 83% of adults in the United States alone became loyal social media app users and determined that mobile is just that more convenient than desktop. 

This also explains why mobile spend was on a rise this year as well, and how SMS marketing made solid headway as a digital marketing tool to watch. 

Personalization in Marketing Grows in Popularity

There’s a reason why what shows up on your Facebook feed is very different from what your colleague sees, even though you sit in the same office, are roughly the same age, and spend the same amount of time online. 

More and more marketers are relying on data and making good use of those analytics, the depth of which only digital platforms can provide. 

With analytics digital campaigns, we get to pick and choose who we want to talk to and who we don't even if they're in the same geographical location, as well as narrow down what matters to communicate with this audience. With such insight, marketers have been able to personalize their communication and really cut through the clutter when approaching the target market. 

What’s more, it means you invest in the demographic you know is for you with deeply personal messages, and not have to use costly approaches that cast a wide net with vague messages. 

Digital Spend Increased in 2020

Digital advertising spend exceeded conventional media two years ago and in 2020 it showed no signs of stopping. By the end of 2021 it is estimated to increase by 13%. But who was smart enough to get on this bandwagon this year? According to eMarketer stats the retail industry saw almost 22% shift, followed by the ever-evolving automotive industry. 

But that’s not all. 

Search advertising spending skyrocketed as well. These are campaigns with native ads, paid listings, SEO, and sponsored links. Next year their spend is projected to increase by $73.65 billion. 

The biggest thing that 2020 has shown us perhaps is that flexibility, adaptability, and creativity trump all. With businesses tethered to the edge, we noticed that the ones surviving were quick to make changes and implement them with a solution oriented approach. 

Find out more in our Digital Marketer’s Almanac 2021 🔎 

Whether you’re an eCommerce marketing novice, drafting your very first cross channel marketing campaign, or a total digital marketing pro, you’ll find critical information about new strategies and trends for 2021.