Agile Digital Marketing Trends for 2021 and Beyond

by Kim Garmon Hummel, on Apr 14, 2021 12:00:00 AM

It’s a whole new world we live in.

Each year it’s important to step back, analyze trends, and align strategy. Understanding where marketing comes from and where it’s going ensures your time in the victory circle. 2020 brought unprecedented changes to the world we live in. Now more than ever, your marketing strategies need to work with you, not against you.

2021 is a flashpoint moment for us. Will you rise to the top of the hill? Stay ahead of the curve by understanding today’s digital marketing trends and what tomorrow brings. Here are five 2021 marketing trends fit to scale with the times.

Remix your content

Use existing marketing content, like video and blogs, and convert them into new, equally relevant content for your marketing channels. Maybe this sounds a bit lazy, but I promise, it’s not. Instead of doing the same work two or three times, remixing content offers the chance to build upon an existing framework and strategy. It’s essentially a do-over. Remixing content is the next wave of content marketing, and you’ll be riding it to successful marketing campaigns.

Invest in a SaaS or DAM

Software as a service, or SaaS, is a centralized digital platform that allows data to be accessed from any device with an internet connection. Essentially, a SaaS speeds up your sales process, fully integrates your business operations, and streamlines productivity. As of 2021, a whopping 89% of businesses vouched for SaaS services. If you’re struggling to get things done, a SaaS might be for you.

Some examples of SaaS include:

Digital asset management software, or DAM, is a system that stores, shares, and organizes digital assets in a central location. What exactly does that mean? Like a SaaS, a DAM automates workflows with powerful tagging and collaboration tools. Spend more time creating and less time optimizing internal storage options. If you struggle to organize your work, a DAM might be for you.

Some examples of DAM software include:

Be mobile and accessible

People with disabilities need to use your website too. They follow, like, and engage with your content the same as any person without disabilities. Treat them as such. Consider color blindness, vision impairment, and spacing as you craft marketing strategies and content.

Billions of people own pocket supercomputers capable of moon landings. Everything you do needs to be mobile. As of 2021, mobile access accounts for over half of total internet use.

The phone is the dominant form of online engagement. For instance, I spent 10 hours on my phone last Sunday. Why? What the heck was I doing?

Your advertising, content strategy needs to be where your personas are. For most personas, that’s phones, tablets, and so on. So go mobile. And stay mobile. Your bottom line thanks you in advance.

Be ephemeral

I removed Instagram and Snapchat from my phone’s home screen due to how much time I’d spend watching stories. They’re addictive! Ephemeral content, or content that quickly expires, is the hottest sauce around. Short, addictive, and engaging, ephemeral content needs to be part of your marketing strategy.

According to Instagram, over 500 million users watch stories every single day. That’s a lot of eyes—and even more fingers! Everyone’s just itching to spend a few more minutes swiping down the rabbit hole. Give ‘em something to enjoy now and then.

Streaming is here

Live streaming is more accessible than ever before. The big tech companies everyone loves to hate, Amazon and Google, lead the market with their live streaming efforts through Twitch and YouTube, respectively. Full disclosure: before the pandemic, I didn’t care for live-streamed content. I treated it the same as live cable broadcasts. If it’s not on-demand, then why bother?

Do you remember the magic of gathering around and watching the night’s new episode? It’s an exclusive, potent feeling. You had to be there. That’s what live streaming is all about.

Whether you’re creating or just chatting, live streaming is a creative, engaging way to develop long-standing relationships with loyal customers, showcase company products or services, and stay passionate about the work you love to do. Twitch or YouTube isn’t just for gamers—it’s for people. Join in. Examples of live streaming opportunities include:

Creating your product to demonstrate authority and knowledge
Reacting to news and information as an industry leader
General broadcast of workspace or duties
Company-wide meetings, presentations for internal and external stakeholders

Sauce Agency is a Growth Agency

Digital marketing is a fickle beast. These trends are five of many to understand and adapt to your marketing strategies. Saving time, staying organized, and engaging with audiences in new ways generate the leads you need. Handling all of this on your own can be a lot of work. That’s why Team Sauce is here!

At Sauce Agency, we’re always learning and growing with new, helpful marketing tools and trends. We know how to leverage marketing trends into results for you and your business.

Schedule a call to talk to a growth strategist today.