Gone are the days when a business would thrive without a comprehensive online marketing strategy. In fact, when the term digital marketing came to prominence in the early 2000s, it took more than ten years until business began to seriously consider the importance of a digital strategy in developing and growing as a business. 

The events of 2020 and the ongoing global pandemic have only increased the rate at which digital adoption is occurring in small to large businesses across the country. However, with so many channels on offer, how do you choose the right medium for your business to accelerate and grow online in 2021? To make the process a bit easier, we have compiled a list of the four most popular and most effective digital marketing channels that you should be investing in for 2021.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

SEO is the process of optimising your website to appear at the top of the Google organic search results. In fact, it is related to appearing at the top of all organic search results, however, because Google occupies roughly 91% of all organic search traffic, the process usually refers to optimising for Google search visibility. 

According to one leading SEO Adelaide company, the industry is experiencing a period of extreme growth. They reported that more than 57% of businesses that were already investing in SEO prior to 2020 increased the money that they were allocating towards search engine optimization during the pandemic.

Social Media Marketing

The latest data shows that an enormous 73% of professional marketers believe that social media is essential in growing a brand online. Furthermore, the same study found that a whopping 54% of consumers admitted to purchasing a product or service on social media in the last twelve months. There are obviously a wide range of social channels on offer, however, the most popular and profitable in 2021 were Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. The channel you choose to pursue will depend entirely on your target market and demographic. 

Email Marketing

Email marketing Is not dead. Far from it. A study from LYFE magazine found that companies that invested in email marketing saw up to 3800% return on investment. Email marketing continues to be a highly effective top of the funnel marketing channel to attract users and increase return customer sales and enquiries. Be sure to keep your email list updated and compliant with your relevant government legislation around email marketing to ensure your company stays in clear water. 

Conclusion

The customer journey has changed and evolved immensely over the last five years. As a result, the way that companies interact with new and existing customers has to change to keep up. The above three digital marketing channels are a great place to start for companies that are looking to step up their online presence in 2021.