5 reasons to increase your Digital Marketing spend in 2021

The results are in and we’re officially spending more time online and on social than ever before, an average of 7 hours a day to be exact – double the usage of pre-pandemic levels. And, with the start of 2021 defined by yet another lockdown, the acceleration to a digital world won’t be slowing down anytime soon.

In this new climate, digital marketing is providing businesses with the best chances for competition, survival and business growth, proving not only to be an investment-wise choice but an effective channel to grow your business too.  

At YS, we’ve pulled together a list of five reasons why 2021 is the year to move increasing your digital marketing spend to the very top of your to-do list.

Reason 1: To reach new audiences with targeted content

With Facebook now reaching 70% of UK adults, and with LinkedIn racking up over 27 million UK users, social media hosts a huge field of potential customers. Turning your attention to these audiences, and targeting your content accordingly, will result in a surge of highly targeted traffic to your site. In fact, 80% of customers are more likely to purchase products and services from brands that offer personalised content. As we enter 2021, businesses will be increasingly trying to capitalise on personalisation to create more meaningful interactions for customers, bridging the gap between the endless funnel of choice on offer and the needs of consumers. 

Plus, the benefits don’t end there. These engagement patterns provide your business with invaluable insights and learnings which you can use to inform your future strategy – ensuring survival for your business. 

Reason 2: People are spending more time on their phones than ever before

Spending more time stuck indoors has significantly upped our consumption of online content. Coupled with this, a recent report from Ofcom has discovered that a startling four-fifths of the time we spend online – web browsing and social-media scrolling – now takes place on mobile devices. For businesses devising strategies to raise the profile of their brand, this movement of customers from the laptop to mobile isn’t something to be ignored.

Digital marketing caters to the mobile consumer. Making sure your website and services are not only adapted to the digital marketplace, but also mobile compatible, should therefore be central to your business strategy for 2021.

Reason 3: To create meaningful connections and customer loyalty

With less opportunities for in-person interaction, the pandemic has left just about everyone feeling isolated at points. Harnessing social as a tool for connecting with your audience on a personal level and, in so doing, creating meaningful, lasting connections has never been more important.

Content can be a powerful tool in distilling the voice of your brand, as well as being an excellent way to showcase your particular area of expertise. Getting creative and using digital marketing to sustain a sense of personal connection, providing an experience that feels individually-tailored, is of real value amidst the current climate of separation and uncertainty – and it will ensure your customers return.

Reason 4: It’s measurable

As well as allowing room for customer loyalty, one of digital marketing’s best strengths is undoubtedly it’s measurability. With most platforms offering their own built-in analytics, marketers can easily track consumer behaviours and use these insights to directly inform campaign strategies, measuring the success of campaigns in real-time. Tied with this bonus of added insight, is the ability to test-run campaigns without the fear of significant economic fallout.

Reason 5: Best value for money

When it comes to digital spend a little goes a long way, which is excellent news for small businesses. In fact, content marketing on average costs 3 times less than traditional marketing methods. With a small budget and some digital-marketing know-how, it’s now possible for small businesses to perform well against bigger-budget competitors. Alongside this, it’s also easier to track and quantify the returns of increasing your spend in digital marketing. Unlike the long-game approach of more traditional methods of PR, which rely largely on word-of-mouth, the returns on digital are fast, and so too are the increases in visitor-to-lead conversion rates.

While it may feel as though Covid has forced the hand of businesses that were previously managing just fine, in reality, there has never before been a more perfect time for businesses to invest in digital marketing.

Whether you are a small business considering digital marketing for the first time, or a company wanting to enhance your marketing efforts in the new year, we offer free 45 minute consultancy sessions with one of our experts for whatever you need. We’d love to hear from you.