As the dust settles on arguably one of the most interesting and challenging years to date in the world of eCommerce, our team took a step back to reflect on overarching trends that shaped digital marketing in 2020 and what we’re anticipating in 2021, specifically as it relates to brands selling direct-to-consumer (DTC) online.
Foghorn Labs and our brand partners are entrenched in the outdoor and active lifestyle space. This allows us the opportunity to identify, evaluate, and share trends with our clients that would otherwise take months to be recognized by traditional industry publications.
Below are some of the top digital marketing trends in 2020 by channel followed by what the Foghorn Team believes 2021 will hold. Let’s dive in.
PAID SOCIAL
- Data Privacy & iOS 14 impact. Attribution and reporting changes will have a significant impact on directly attributable conversions and the revenue that comes along with it. However, the lift from paid social campaigns will continue to be felt across all channels.
- Facebook will launch new ad formats for IG Checkout, FB shops, and Reels and will double down on the new shops platform. Investing in content will be key.
- Snapchat, Pinterest, TikTok, and Reddit audiences will continue to grow and launch more conversion-based ad formats.
- Google Smart Shopping saw increased ad impressions at a lower cost than traditional shopping campaigns. This was due to the increased ad inventory available for Smart Shopping as Google and other online advertising platforms continue their shift towards more automated, AI-driven campaign types. These dynamically-generated product ads adjust not only to where they are being served but to the users they are being served to.
- Similarly, Responsive Display ads which mix multiple headlines and images and deliver the top performing variation continue to claim higher impression share at a lower cost than traditional “pixel perfect” banner placements. Similar to Smart Shopping, this format also allows ads to look more native across the web, often adopting the font and other design elements of the web page it is showcased on.
- Branded Search ads have always driven strong ROI for advertisers, but in 2020 we saw increases in branded search volume across all clients. Some of the increased volume can be attributed to the limited availability of products at brick-and-mortar retailers. The most successful branded search ads were ones that focused on unique and intrinsic brand values than ads centered around product specifications and discounting. With inexpensive shipping, ease of returns, and great warranties having become the norm, we are finding that more and more customers want to spend their money with brands that align with their own values.
- Ensure that all images and logos are optimized for dark mode on mobile. Apple’s Dark Mode and Google’s Android theme equivalent are continuing to be a hit. Though official adoption rates are unavailable, Android Authority and an iOS developer-focused survey on Medium showed that ~82% of their readership (presumably power users) have adopted dark themes.
- Ad variations that highlight user-generated content like punchy product reviews and authentic imagery tended to yield higher click-through rates than overly polished brand visuals.
- Sharing brand values and authentic social initiatives has become more important than ever. Focus on brand storytelling that connects your brand’s mission with direct action to engage with your subscribers.
Top digital marketing trends 2020 ✔️ | What should I expect to see in 2021?
2021 is going to be full of new and exciting challenges to overcome as well as opportunities to grasp. With data privacy taking center stage and Google’s new core vitals becoming a key ranking signal, being as agile as possible will allow you to position your brand to take on the big names in your space who may be slower to react.
Below are some 2021 digital marketing trends to keep in mind throughout the year.
PAID SOCIAL CHANNELS
- Data Privacy & iOS 14 impact. Attribution and reporting changes will have a significant impact on directly attributable conversions and the revenue that comes along with it. However, the lift from paid social campaigns will continue to be felt across all channels.
- Facebook will launch new ad formats for IG Checkout, FB shops, and Reels and will double down on the new shops platform. Investing in content will be key.
- Snapchat, Pinterest, TikTok, and Reddit audiences will continue to grow and launch more conversion-based ad formats.
PAY PER CLICK CHANNELS
- Google will continue to expand and prefer smart and machine learning campaign types. Adopt these campaign types early.
- Diversification (into Microsoft Ads and other ppc channels) will become more important with less data transparency.
- YouTube will continue to enhance and expand its ad offerings with more placements and ad types focused on conversions.
SEO
- Landing page development focused on non-brand keywords will become even more important as smart PPC campaigns become the norm.
- Core web vitals & page experience becoming a ranking signal in May. Google may include Good (and Poor) experience tags in search results.
- Page Speed
- Interactivity
- Visual Stability
- Mobile Friendly
- Safe Browsing
- …. And More
ONWARDS AND UPWARDS
2020 was like a long backcountry skiing tour through avalanche-prone terrain in questionable weather conditions. We had to work together as a team to reach our objective in the safest and most efficient way possible, all while navigating obstacles and factors outside our control. Brands that were able to remain agile and focused on their goals, even if those goals changed along the way, reached epic heights in site traffic as well as DTC revenue. 2021 still holds a lot of unknowns, but we can see light at the end of the tunnel, even if it’s still unclear how far away that light is, or how quickly we can get there.
How will you and your brand remain agile in 2021? Learn more about what 2021 digital marketing trends your brand should expect by dropping us a line and connecting.