The global pandemic of 2020 caused economic volatility all over the world and impacted businesses big and small. Businesses in every vertical faced budget cuts and difficult decisions, some of which affected digital advertising.
The beginning of 2021 represents a new year and a fresh start, but the pandemic and the uncertainty surrounding it aren’t over. Vaccines are finally being rolled out but are having a sluggish start. How do you plan for digital advertising growth and improvement in the coming year?
A Confident Mindset
Making the best of a challenging situation starts with mindset. Despite the challenges of the past and the ones still to come, it’s important to remain confident and focused. Even though you’d probably like to ignore the news and what’s going on around you, you need to keep tabs on your industry and what’s happening with the economy. For an effective strategy, you need to be fully aware of things like:
- What areas are still in lockdown?
- Where have vaccines been successfully deployed?
This information has an impact on location targeting. Consider whether your target audience is primarily at home and what economic factors may be affecting their decisions.
Predicting Future Trends
What are the trends that may impact your business going forward? Your decision-making process needs to include predictions of what’s to come. While predictions are just educated guesses, they’re your best bet for choosing a direction on your next move.
There’s no doubt that uncertainty and unpredictability are going to continue well into 2021. For some help with predicting future trends, pay attention to thought leaders and experts in the field of digital marketing by following or connecting on Twitter and LinkedIn. Some hashtags that can help you hear what’s being said on social media that may impact your digital advertising strategy include #marketingtwitter and #ppcchat.
Testing and Tracking
Whatever actions you take in the world of digital advertising, it’s imperative to track what’s working and what’s not. Things are continually evolving, and strategies that worked in the past may not work in the future.
You’ll need to experiment with testing new methods of building audience information. Some new things you can try include:
- Behavior targeting features such as LinkedIn Profile Targeting
- Use responsive search ads to show more relevant information to your audience.
- Experiment with new channels such as Microsoft Advertising Network.
- See what’s new in available ad extensions such as Form Extensions in Google Ads.
Audit your digital advertising and evaluate whether your brand identity is building trust and including diversity in messages and values. Evaluate your big picture and your individual campaigns and see where there’s room for improvement.
Need Help with Your Digital Advertising Plan?
The challenges being faced by those in the world of digital advertising are legitimate, but they don’t mean that improvement and growth are out of reach. Test new ideas and features and continue to nurture a successful mindset.
If you need guidance on making improvements to your digital advertising plan, contact Softline Solutions. We have more than 15 years’ experience creating and growing profitable marketing campaigns for businesses of all sizes. We can help you bring your business to the next level.
