Although last year was one we’d rather forget, this year we are seeing an uptick for many in the B2B space. Many of our new leads and current client requests have similar fundamentals.
We are going to share some of what we’ve seen, heard, and expect over the next few months.
Growth in e-commerce for manufacturers
We are seeing more manufacturers look at options of selling online. It is no surprise that the global pandemic has shifted the way business is done, but the degree to which this has changed things for good remains unseen. However, e-commerce remains an ever-growing juggernaut in the industry, and experts at IBM predict that the effects of COVID have pushed the industry about 5 years forward in time, when it comes to digital implementation. Physical stores will always be a necessity, but more and more people are getting used to and preferring the convenience of “buy online and pickup in store.”
According to the US Census, e-commerce accounted for 16.1% of total retail sales in Q2 of 2020. This included a 31.9% growth in the sector from the previous quarter, and a 44.5% growth year-over-year. Have you prepared an effective and sustainable e-commerce solution for your business?
Diversified marketing is more important than ever
Spread it out to see what works for your business. What worked well a few years ago, but not work as well for you now. In a fairly recent blog post, “Developing Your Marketing Stack,” we touched on the idea of brand awareness and positioning, engagement, interaction, and measurement with your website existing at the central hub of your marketing initiatives. In 2021, we do not see this changing. The importance of not putting all your proverbial eggs in one basket is advice that transcends a trend but is no less useful.
Google Ads is still a great way to attract
We’ve been getting a bit more requests, primarily in the B2B area for Google Ads. This makes sense, being a great way to understand how businesses are finding you as well as setting up the metrics for us to track those businesses and leads. Few marketing tactics are set-it and forget-it, and we are seeing more businesses use Google Ads in a mature manner. They are focusing on optimizing their Ads, running multiple campaigns, and integrating with shopping.
Privacy takes center stage
Privacy and security have become central issues of social media platforms. On December 15th, Jeremy Wright, the digital secretary of the UK, said “The era of self-regulation for online companies is over.” This change in perspective brought about, in part, by the recent election and misinformation on social platforms, has re-ignited pressure for governments to begin to regulate the amount of information these platforms have, and how they use that information. Facebook on Jan. 6 stated that the company put “emergency measures in place since before the US elections like not recommending civic groups for people to join.”
It is unclear how and if this will affect the digital marketing space, but what is clear is that certain avenues such as SEO and SEM remain unobstructed.
Werkbot is here for you
Just as in 2020, Werkbot is here for all your digital marketing needs. As a full-service agency, we excel in keeping our ear to the ground for all digital trends so that you don’t have to, and can focus on what you do best – running your business.