In Part I of this blog post, we discussed the adaptation we have all had to accept as the COVID-19 pandemic has upended all of our lives, both personally and professionally. Here are the additional 7 ways in which the Clarity Quest professionals believe marketing will be different in 2021.
1. Webinar programs will be key.
“We’ve found virtual event success is mixed. Webinars provide many opportunities and, compared to virtual events, allow for a targeted message to a dedicated audience. Hopefully, in 2020, you fine-tuned your messaging for an improved webinar experience. No one likes a boring webinar.
Use webinars for success stories, product demos, and industry insights to become the leader in your vertical. Once the messaging and a content funnel are fully developed, consider a monthly webinar series.
Need help building out a registration database? Apply the event budget to a partner webinar program to build awareness and generate a more extensive registration list.
Regardless of the budget, fill the seats with email campaigns and a LinkedIn sponsored advertising program. Our med device client Relievant Medsystems has had great success with webinar registrations from LinkedIn sponsored ads.
Be sure to develop a post-webinar workflow for sales follow-up workflow and an on-demand webinar campaign.”
– Marla Sokolowski, Sr. Marketing Project Manager
2. It’s time to improve our at-home offices.
“Better equipment is needed for an effective Zoom-ready office. Extra monitors, elevated camera, ring light with the tripod, lighting, etc. I attended a webinar recently with the hosts speaking from their dark, busy home offices.”
– Marla Sokolowski, Sr. Marketing Project Manager
3. Leverage B2B influencer opportunities.
“With the demise of in-person events, there’s finally a business case for the B2B influencer. Paid influencers have been common in consumer marketing, not so much in the B2B space.
We’re at a convergence point where there’s no longer a speaking circuit (so these thought leaders are looking for new gigs), and brands are desperately seeking to host online events and engage with people on social to stand out from the competition.”
– Melanie Hilliard, Senior Marketing Consultant
4. Exciting innovations to come.
“I’m looking forward to the martech innovations that will likely pop-up next year as we get closer to the end of Google third-party cookies, the ever-increasing consumer demand for digital privacy, and the reality that most people are accessing websites from their homes. Remarketing technologies are ripe for new ideas.”
– Melanie Hilliard, Senior Marketing Consultant
5. More values-based brand messaging.
“After the rough year we’ve had, I expect more B2B brands, even small and mid-sized ones, are going to lead with values-based brand messaging. While this certainly isn’t a new idea, I think there’s a renewed awareness that buyers want to do business with transparent companies about their company values. Even in B2B, buyers are seeking companies whose values align with their own.”
– Melanie Hilliard, Senior Marketing Consultant
6. Zoom Fatigue? Death by PPT?
“We’re all thinking about it. Now that we have adjusted to the new normal, companies need to think about the experiences they are delivering virtually. I believe virtual experiences may plateau/decline as we become choosier about what we sit through due to this fatigue.
Not to mention the fact that there is an overwhelming amount of virtual content to consume, and it only continues to grow, forcing us to choose where we Zoom carefully. Therefore it puts more pressure on the overall experience and recognizing it is just as important as the content being delivered.
We need to up our game and broaden our definition of “events,” treating more external meetings such as project kickoffs, product implementations, and deliverable reveals as events. What do I mean by this:
– Investing and more regularly using event software to run these meetings
– Being more thoughtful and creative around overall meeting structure, logistics, and agendas.
– Brushing up/improving presentation skills.
– Spend money on designed PPT presentations.”
– Lindsay Groth, Senior Marketing Consultant
7. Rebrand! Refresh! Renew!
“Finding yourself with a little extra time and budget? When was the last time you looked at your brand strategy, positioning, or messaging? What a better time to revisit your organization’s branding. Here are some components of your brand that likely need a health check:
- Corporate and Product Messaging – does your website and social channels deliver a cohesive and consistent message?
- Brand Architecture – has your business gone through an M&A where you need to rethink your brand structure or company name. Or maybe you need to name a new product.
- Brand Personality – are you speaking in a consistent tone and voice.
- Target Audience – when is the last time you have updated your personas?
- Design – maybe it’s time for a logo refresh or a new creative concept and style guide.”
– Lindsay Groth, Senior Marketing Consultant
