“Content is the Future”: Ryan McAweeney Identifies Trends For Digital Marketing In 2021

Ryan McAweeney started out in direct marketing in 1992 and continues to be a leader in the field today. With the advent of the internet and its disruption of traditional marketing techniques, he immediately focused his efforts online and continues to see digital marketing as the future of commerce. After surveying marketing trends in the past year, Ryan has identified the most important digital marketing trends for 2021 below.

A Rise in Influencer Content and Livestreams

As a result of the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns, consumers were staying at home in the past year and were unable to attend live events, let alone socialize. This means that more people are turning to online content, particularly videos such as a live video from a celebrity, an online workshop, or branded content. On Facebook, views of live streams rose by 50% during lockdown periods, while on Instagram, they surged by 70%. This is a trend that is likely to continue in 2021, particularly since consumers prefer human-driven content like that provided by Instagram influencers, who tend to be trusted and can produce ‘of-the-moment’ content. Shoppable live streams are likely to be increasingly popular in 2021.

Honesty and Goodwill Efforts from Brands

Ryan thinks that the smartest brands in the coming year will understand how they connect with their consumer’s lives and emphasize their integrity as they do so. Consumers don’t want to spend their money with ‘shady’ or dishonest brands. Where a brand can show it is committed to contributing to the community, such as by helping the medical staff during the pandemic, it gives the consumer another reason to spend with them.

Customer Experience and User Generated Content

Consumers that have satisfying and enjoyable experiences with brands will return to them, especially if they were particularly memorable or fun, according to Ryan McAweeney. Consumers also want to be reassured; they are making the right choice when purchasing, and comments and other user-generated content are key to this. It also builds user communities that contain relatable and uplifting content while allowing brands to meet their customers on the sites where they congregate. There is no better way of providing social proof than this, and there is likely to be much more content like this generated as users are confined to their homes. Brands need to focus on this in 2021.

An Emphasis on the Environment and Sustainability

According to a recent survey, over 80% of consumers want companies to help improve the environment by using sustainable sourcing and production methods. There has been a noticeable shift in the past few years of brands emphasizing their sustainable credentials – whether through fair trade source materials, packaging, production methods, or some other method. Consumers will continue to seek out brands that are environmentally conscious and that emphasize this as part of their purpose in the coming year.

Voice Search will Continue to Grow

Voice-activated search tools, such as Alexa, are increasingly used by consumers, and this will only grow as these devices continue to penetrate the market. This technology is already widely available, with one in four homes in America having some type of voice-controlled device. This means that particular attention will need to be paid to the way that marketers use keywords so that they match the way people speak on these devices, according to Ryan, who also estimates that early adopters of support for voice search could see an increase of 30% in their digital sales.

Easy to Consume Content

Content that is easy to consume, such as podcasts that can be listened to anywhere or newsletters that arrive in a person’s Inbox, will continue to rise in popularity. Ryan McAweeney says that with the increasing amount of information out there and people having less time to consume it, ease of consumption will be key. Easy to find and consume content will let brands connect with their consumers in a more personal way and will, therefore, be more effective.