As the Internet continues to revolutionise, so does the way we output and consume digital media. New user trends and technologies are always applying change in the online world, however the implications of COVID 19 have reimagined digital media faster than ever before.
Supported by ground-breaking facts, here are our top predictions for digital media in 2021, which we expect to remain throughout the pandemic and beyond.
The rise of virtual events
With travel bans, strict social distancing measures and ample safety issues, virtual events have become an absolute essential to businesses through the pandemic. While in-person events are expected to resume when its safe to do so, virtual events are here to stay and, in some cases, will replace in-person formats for years to come.
There are several reasons why virtual event platforms are proving super attractive to businesses, money being one of them. Attending an in-person event can often be an expensive affair, with travel fees, hotel stays and food expenses for the employer often mounting up. The beauty of virtual sessions is that these costs are immediately erased and as businesses become more frugal through COVID 19, it seems a no brainer to cut-save where possible.
The accessibility of online events is also hugely popular amongst businesses. Due to the overall costing and time out of the office, only a select few of employees from a company will usually attend an in-person conference or event. However, with many virtual events offering an unlimited flexi-pass to welcome as many co-workers as possible, employees who wouldn’t usually get the opportunity to visit the traditional in-person format now can attend.
While there is no denying there are copious benefits of in-person events, having online sessions available at the click of a button will make the appetite for virtual offerings remain in 2021 and the future, ultimately shaping a ‘new normal’ for the event world.
An increase in interactive
As digital media continues to evolve, so do the methods utilised to keep website and social media visitors immersed in the brand. The secret of maintaining engagement is to give web-users a subtle break from absorbing the information on your webpage, with interactive content an evolutionary mechanism in doing this.
Interactive content not only adds value to the user’s visit, but also teaches them more about the brand in an entertaining format and in turn, will ultimately increase visitor dwell time on the page. We expect to see quizzes, games, polls, user-led video and surveys to become more prominent in 2021. The beauty is that they are super easy and inexpensive to produce, and can be tailored to just about any service, product, and platform.
Greater video offerings
Video content continues to flourish as the most integral part of marketing strategies – and the Internet is littered with facts and statistics to support this.
A 2018 survey by Hubspot revealed 78 per cent of marketers find video to be an important part of their marketing strategy, exceptionally increasing to 92 per cent in 2020. With Zenith forecasting the average person will consume 100 minutes of online video daily, by 2021, and with the rise of ground-breaking platforms including IGTV and TikTok, we expect businesses to further harness the demand for video offerings.
Not only can video content add value to guest engagement and influence their decision-making process, it also persists to boost positive ROI for marketers. It can also be a cheap but super effective marketing strategy, proving popular for businesses attempting to save their finances through the pandemic.
While it is a no brainer to incorporate video into your marketing strategy, there are plenty of considerations to make first. These include understanding your user needs, preparing a duration to maximise viewer engagement, optimising video content to maximise its full potential and choosing the right platform to showcase.