Top 5 Local Digital Marketing Trends of 2021

Here we go, a new year (thank goodness) and while things are still challenging for many of us, with hope on the horizon, we're laying out some of the top local digital marketing topics and trends we expect to see in 2021.  

 

1. PLAY OFFENSE NOT DEFENSE 👊

If 2020 taught us anything, it's that small businesses need to be flexible and agile in their strategies and operations to survive tough times. We're all hoping for brighter days in 2021, but that ability to change and adapt will never go out of style. 

Be ready for inevitable disruptions to your ability to do business so you can roll with the punches instead of fighting fires.

TO DO: Make a plan (and a backup plan!) so you have a roadmap to get through whatever lies ahead.  Planning boosts your chances of success and lowers your stress - two amazing reasons to start planning.
 

2. DIGITAL DIVERSIFICATION 🖥

The majority of local businesses made some changes in 2020 that included a larger dependence on online offerings. 

Maybe your classes moved online, or you finally finished that online store on your website. Whatever changes you made are likely to stick around in 2021 and beyond.

TO DO:  Keep that curbside delivery, online class, or e-commerce going.  46% of customers are telling us they're loving the convenience and hope local businesses keep them on the menu.

3. THE PERSON BEHIND THE POST 🙍‍♀️

This year it's all about transparency and humanizing your business.  Customers want to know there are people behind the brand, a person behind the social media post. 

We've had enough isolation in 2020 and are craving that person to person interaction for 2021.  Local businesses that can connect with their communities will see more success.

TO DO: Put yourself out there (ahem, live video anyone?) on social media, on your website, on Google and let people know the faces behind your business and why you love serving your community.

4. GOOGLE GOLDMINE 💰

Local SEO has always meant paying attention to Google but with their continued addition of new tools to help small businesses in 2020, Google's role in local success just keeps growing. From mastering Google My Business to making sure you're mobile-optimized, keeping up with Google in 2021 will spell success.

TO DO: Check in with Google My Business weekly - posting, responding to reviews, and adding new photos and videos.  Be sure your site makes the grade with Google's new website metrics coming in May 2021 to ensure solid search result rankings.
 

5. EMAIL MARKETING EXCELS ✉️
   
   Email marketing continues to be a critical piece of every local business's marketing strategy in 2021.  Especially when we consider the chaos of 2020 and new privacy changes happening now, having an email list is one of the only ways to keep control of your audience. 
   
   Having a robust email list means less dependency on third-party platforms and the freedom to control the timing and content of your message.
   
   TO DO: Continue to build that email list every day.  Make 2021 the year you automate your list building so your potential customer base can grow 24/7 along with your business success.