If you ask us, nothing beats a little spring cleaning—not just at home or in your workspace, but on your website, too. And let’s face it, we could all benefit from a little Marie Kondo’ing after the hot mess that was 2020.
We’re well into 2021 by now (crazy, right?), so if you haven’t implemented, or at least read up on, the latest digital marketing best practices, now’s the time. Review our top picks below—what to keep, refresh, and do away with entirely in your 2021 digital marketing strategy. You’ll feel far more at peace for it.
2021 Digital Marketing Best Practices
Quick side note before we dive in here: much of digital marketing is about refining your content over time. In other words, if you followed some of these tactics back in 2020, be sure they’re updated for 2021. Even the best techniques could use a good polish now and then.
Create Infographics
What’s not to love about infographics? They capture our short attention spans, make us actively engage with content, and boost UX like nobody’s business. Not to mention they’re a fantastic way to further your brand’s aesthetic. If you have pages on your site that are low on engagement, consider reworking that content into an infographic format. And if doing so sounds intimidating, you can partner with a graphic designer to get the job done.
Optimize Your Contact Page
We can’t tell you how many contact pages we’ve seen that could use a little spring cleaning. Whether that means swapping out novel-length content for minimalist copy or creating more commanding calls to action, effective web design on your contact page works wonders for roping in new customers.
Give Short Video Content a Shot
TikTok has over 1.1 billion monthly active users—that’s nearly 7% of the entire world! That being said, the short video format is worth your attention. It’s certainly a great way to target the Millennial and Gen Z demographic.
Love the short video format, but not sure if TikTok is right for you? Give the all-new YouTube Shorts a look. It’s influencer-friendly and encourages user-generated content, which is huge for anyone looking to revamp their social media game.
Less is More
Don’t get us wrong; you could publish content once every half-hour to keep your brand on people’s radar. But that would also get annoying really fast, and we’re sure your content would weaken as a result. Quality over quantity, as they say.
If you want to create short-but-compelling content, we recommend connecting with an SME. SMEs, or subject matter experts, are authorities in their field. Think of how much more effective a weekly IG Live Q&A with an expert would be than, say, sharing the same unremarkable social media post over and over.
Monitor SEO
Google’s algorithm is nothing if not fickle—which means that SEO trends are constantly changing. Not only should you keep an eye on keywords themselves, but how those keywords are publicized. Will you weave them into Q&As that get their own featured snippets? Will you add metadata to images or optimize your video channel’s name, description, and tags? The possibilities are endless.
2021 Digital Marketing Practices to Avoid
We’d be remiss if we didn’t devote a little time to the worst digital marketing strategies for 2021. If you’ve carried any of these over from 2020, now’s the time to transition away. Far, far away.
Don’t Run Google Ads in Smart Mode
Seems counterintuitive, right? After all, “smart” is right there in the title. But Google has a far superior alternative to Smart Mode called Expert Mode. It’s cost-effective and has many more targeting options. If you need help making the transition, check out our tutorial on how to turn off Smart Mode in Google Ads.
Don’t Ramble On
This goes hand in hand with our “less is more” philosophy. Providing detail in blog and social media posts is good, yes, but get too wordy and you’ll see an uptick in bounce rates. Instead, focus on hitting all the right SEO keywords while still creating flawless, engaging copy.
Don’t Sleep on Google Screened
Google Screened is a lot like being verified on Twitter or the ’Gram, but for businesses. Especially if you’re small and local, getting screened is enormous for building credibility in your community. We know that verification and background checks don’t exactly have “fun” written all over them. But we promise they’re more straightforward than they sound and, above all, worth it.
Does Your Marketing Strategy Spark Joy? If Not, It’s Time to Get Cleaning.
Every business can benefit from a little bit of spring cleaning now and then. Let’s work together to confirm what your company does well and what tactics can be left behind for 2021. Schedule a conversation today, and let us help you tidy up!