#12. Predicting 2021
Happy 2021!
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Heyyy there!
It's my first newsletter of the new year, and really excited to get things going. Looking forward to trying out new things this year, and getting more of YOUR input for the content via polls and guest interviews.
But to get right into it, it's time to do the usual start-of-the-year thing. Talk about trends and predictions.
You’d think we all would’ve learned from 2020 not to bother with trying to predict the future. But I’ve gotta admit, I love an opportunity to roll the dice and place my bets. (Still wish I'd invested in Zoom or Amazon or Tesla or Tupperware or any number of hot 2020 companies at the start of last year!)
To help me create a view of what’s ahead for 2021 marketing trends, I asked a few top business and social media leaders for their opinions.
Here’s a roundup of their thoughts and insights to help you prepare for what's ahead.
Plus make sure to follow all these incredible thought leaders! They're constantly publishing really smart content that I've learned from throughout 2020.
(By the way, I really recommend you read this on my website instead of as an email. I had to cut out some content and the formatting isn't as good as on my site. Totally up to you, though!)
Read this complete post as a web page instead.
My prediction for 2021 in the field of social media marketing:
Video content will boom
Stories will be used to improve on the engagement
Rise of AI in SEO and paid analytics for improved results
Rise in the number of people working on their Personal Brand
More micro-influencer campaigns
Jerry Jose, Senior Digital Marketing Associate, ZS
We're entering into a new world that puts emphasis on personal values over traditional views. More than ever, people are considering WFH, diversity in the workplace and discovering new passions. These trends are impacting our society, which will require startups and companies alike to focus on building products that make a positive impact on society.
We're doing this at @AvvinueHQ through our relocation software by encompassing cultural immersion training and a peer-to-peer matching community to close the cultural gap.
If you want to make an impact in marketing or business, then build something that makes a difference for a better tomorrow.
Nicole Caba, Founder & CEO, Avvinue
In 2021, I think you can expect marketing teams to build groups of advocates for their brand. Whether it be their employees, customers, or influencers, nothing builds trust more than word of mouth. This is the modern word of mouth.
Pat Timmons, Social Media, Drift
Online living will only increase in 2021 and I suspect that async Slack groups and Zoom happy hours will be complemented by an increase in localized social audio circles. This is not only great for Marketers who want to network within their world but also great for community managers looking to continue momentum within community engagement.
Within Growth Marketing, I predict we're going to see less influence from SEO focused-content and much more of a focus on unique content (via Substack/Medium/Twitter) leading the way for inbound. Attention is scarce and content creators are scrambling less for ways to rank and more ways to break the mold. Also predict that we'll see a larger focus on TikTok and tools like Giphy for inbound.
Kushaan Shah, Senior Growth Marketing Associate, Lifecycle and Retention, Teladoc Health
2021 will be hyper focused on creating content and brands becoming people. Storytelling is making a huge comeback. Customers are more empathetic to small businesses since COVID so telling the origin story of your brand will be super important in 2021.
Vivian Kaye, Founder & CEO, KinkyCurlyYaki; Business empowerment coach & Shopify expert.
My prediction is that once we feel like COVID is no longer a huge risk, after we do a bit of partying, we'll revert to the mean in most ways. Most people will come back to offices in person, and we'll get back to normal life pretty quickly, but there will be some single-digits % lasting change in usage of online collaboration tools and out-of-city migration.
Lenny Rachitsky, writer, advisor, founder, investor, and creator of Lenny's Newsletter
2021 will see the return of big ideas with big budgets. The pendulum will swing back to the type of ads that have mass appeal, wide reach, and budgets to support them. Niche ads might work for clicks, but general ads work for building a brand. And brands will optimize more for their brand than they will for campaign performance.
Matthew Kobach, Head of Content, Fast
Community and empathy will be major drivers for success as we try to face 2021 with more hope. The change in administration for the FCC will make net neutrality once again a topic. We will also need to keep an eye on the Biden administration and the potential for social media platform regulation. I would keep an eye on the FTC lawsuit and what things if any, Facebook does to self regulate.
Christina Garnett, Senior Insights Strategist, VIZIT
But wait, there's more!
Check out the FULL LIST of 2021 predictions of what's next in marketing, content, social media, and brand on my website. Click the button below to check it out!
So appreciative of everyone who took time to share thoughts with me! And still collecting any insights you might have to share about 2021 to keep adding here.
Next week I'll be coming back at your inbox with a list of the best books we read in 2020. Got any recommendations? Share them with me via Twitter or LinkedIn!
Until we meet again!
C
P.S. As a heads up, I'll be testing out different formats and practices for my newsletter over the next few months. Expect to see some variances, and let me know if you really like (or hate) anything you see!
Bonus: Stuff That Caught My Eye This Week
Never done an annual review before? It’s a great way to assess your personal and professional progress, as well as start thinking about your plans for the year ahead. I came across two templates you can use. Here's one from Kevin Lee on Notion and another from Fadeke Adegbuyi on the Doist blog. Both great options to get you started!
Conversion optimization specialist Talia Wolf released a free email marketing guide to improve your conversions. You can sign up and get lessons delivered to your inbox.
What's the best cold email you've ever gotten? Do you think the below is the best cold email of 2020?
From potato warehouse worker with a broken down truck to the biggest social media success story of 2020. Here’s a great recap of the Nathan Apodaca - Ocean Spray - TikTok phenomenon.
Creative Director Ryan Wallman presented an illustrated version of his 'Lessons From 2020' that was pretty cleverly presented! You can view it here.
This Disney Storybooks playlist on Spotify could be a lifesaver if you're still sheltering-in-place with little ones.
Speaking of Disney, how did a running gag among TikTok users turn into a full-fledged virtual Broadway production of ‘Ratatouille: The Musical?' Here's a complete look at that cool 2020 story.
An incredible content distribution plan that you can use to help maximize your content marketing in 2021.
This new helpline is open for any founders or entrepreneurs to reach out for help. You can ask questions about a range of topics and get expert responses. Get more information about it.
What are your thoughts on livestream shopping? Do you think it'll be the next trend to make the jump from Asia to the US?
Awesome graphic here showing 2020 from the perspective of Google Trends.
Will this be the year my newsletter really gains traction? I don't know, but I'd love to have you join me on the journey. If you found this useful or entertaining at all, I'd really appreciate your help in getting the word out to others by clicking the share icons below or just forwarding it to others!