Last year was a huge turning point for many businesses and advertisers alike, and if we have all learned one thing is that we should always keep our guards up and have the necessary resources and mindset to tackle and bounce back from anything coming our way. 2021 and beyond are expected to be years of transformation and re-birth for many advertisers, as a direct effect of the changing behaviors of consumers, the fresh elimination of cookies from third parties, and other similar changes that have taken place list recently.
Let’s take a look at some of the most interesting digital advertising trends we can expect to witness growing in 2021.
6 Out of 10 People Go Online – Greet Them Properly!![advertising trends 2021]()
According to statista.com, more than 4.66 billion internet users were actively engaged in online activities as of January 2021. This represents close to 60 percent of the entire population of the planet. As for the devices used to go online, the battle between mobile devices and desktop devices seems to have been won by the smart handheld mini-computers we all carry in our pockets 24/7.
As of May 2021, mobile devices had taken the lead with 55% of the market share, while desktops taking up 42%, leaving 3% to tablets, which, while still considered mobile devices, are not used as frequently compared to smartphones. Also, there is a heated debate whether today’s last generation ultra-laptops laptops that weigh no more than 2.2 lbs should be considered mobile devices or included in the desktop computer category. Many gamers prefer these top laptops for gaming to the detriment of bulky desktop computers they cannot carry around because of their amazingly powerful processors and top-notch graphics for flawless experiences.
However, these devices along with the rest of the mobile devices that are part of our lives are used for checking emails, scrolling down social media feeds, getting news updates, watching shows online, or shopping. Thus, the need for digital advertisers to figure out how to successfully reach this huge market while they are completing their daily routines online, and persuade them to initiate a love relationship with the brands they are representing. Here is how.
Embrace Programmatic Advertising
The main goal of good advertising practices is to eventually deliver the advertisement to the right audience. So far, this used to be done with the help of manually inserted ads, at the end of long negotiations with advertising networks. In 2021, programmatic advertising could completely change the way this is done.
This type of advertising relies on AI in order to transform the process of buying ads into a completely automated one. We can expect more brands to start selecting their preferred markets, while setting their own budget and getting involved in direct communication with their publishers. The latter will rely on supply-side platforms that will allow them to place the ads in the perfect ad space. This can be done through real-time bidding, programmatic direct, as well as private marketplaces.
Collaborating with the right advertising experts means coming across the most suitable channels that would best match your audience, budget size, and ultimate marketing campaign goals, whether you are looking for ad space across mobile devices, smart TVs connected to the Internet, or desktop computers.
No More Cookies
The so-called cookieless advertising has become a reality in 2021. While the tiny pieces of data collected and stored by online websites are great at targeting the right audiences, customizing users’ experiences based on their clicks, and measuring the impact of ads in general, they also violate the privacy of users given the large amounts of data they collect. The privacy breaches have caused the CCPA to ask brands to display clear disclosures on their sites, letting visitors know what are their rights and what are their intentions regarding the use of these cookies. A large part of the web has already turned free of cookies, after the big announcement made by Google in 2020, and the complete eradication of all cookies is expected to be completed by 2022.
What does this mean for advertisers? They need to find new ways to obtain the data they need, and first-party cookies or platform-based target audiences are good solutions. We can expect to see more of these in 2021 and beyond, as well as more collaborations between experts with published ads.
More Trends To Keep An Eye On
- Connected TV advertising is another hot trend in 2021 that will enable advertisers to reach their targeted audiences and demographics while they are busy watching their favorite TV shows.
- Mixed together with programmatic advertising, audiences can be better targeted via the type of device they use, zip codes, or household income.
- Advertising on Amazon using sponsored product ads, sponsored brands, or product ad display practices can help grow a business, since the huge platform is continuously expanding and dominating the world of retail e-commerce.