As we start to venture out into another ‘new normal’, we thought it would be interesting to look back at 2021 so far. What people are consuming tells us a little about what matters to you this year. So, read on to discover our top 5 marketing articles of 2021 so far.
The trends of 2021
Well, what do you think the trends of 2021 are? We had visions of social media and some of our longer articles about digital marketing. But is that what marketers were truly interested in during 2021?
With a year comprising of lockdowns, restrictions and gradual reopening, we really hoped that planning and research would come out on top. Why? Because with so much change and the success of the vaccination programme, planning ahead matters.
Additionally, researching new markets and launching new products is always sensible. Learning was a huge feature of 2020 with furlough and time at home but less so in 2021.
Our top 5 marketing articles
So, without further ado, here are our top 5 marketing articles of 2021 so far:
A crushing victory for The 5 Forces
Yep, we didn’t expect this either. But should it surprise us? With so much change and competitive pressure, this is good practice. Carve a niche for competitive advantage or protect what you have, that is the question. Boardrooms up and down the land looked to protect jobs and shareholder returns in choppy waters. Ultimately, this is one of the best-known models for assessing your competitive situation.
A marketing article about planning
Any article about trends should help to inform your planning process. Adaptability is crucial in marketing and never more so than since March 2020. Furthermore, marketers were looking to educate themselves to inform budget requests. Yes, that’s right, it has been just that little bit harder to pry marketing funds from the finance team or business owners.
Myopic so far as we can see
Terrible puns excluded, there was a lot of opportunity during the pandemic. Some businesses were caught short and struggled for survival, which is a grave travesty. Others have accelerated rapidly and gone from bit players to guaranteed regulars. Yes, we are looking at you Zoom, Peloton, Slack, Disney+ et al. But this doesn’t include those who rearranged their resources to capitalise on new opportunities. From distilleries making hand sanitiser to fashion houses making PPE, these businesses capitalised. Others floundered such as the gaming industry exposed for a lack of co-op games and ecommerce experiences that were less than agile.
Lead the way, somebody
During so much upheaval, how many people stuck their virtual hand up to take the top job? Anybody? Well, counter-intuitively, marketing bosses reached for self-help and absolution after chastening cuts, furlough and job losses. If that wasn’t bad enough, you can bet it was worse for ambitious staff who saw reduced opportunity to progress. From zero-based marketing to measuring return on investment, marketing is in the spotlight. That requires a different set of skills to deal with finance, transformation and scrutiny.
Top up my funnel, but what is the target?
Yes, it is tempting to simply plough more activity into the top of the funnel and see what sticks. But when economic activity slows down, that surge becomes a trickle. Marketing is no longer the bestower of qualified leads upon sales. So, how do marketing and sales work out what their target should be? Enter the reverse funnel, which inverts your funnel to work out what is achievable as a sales target. Many B2B marketers have wrestled with frustration in sales and sales agonised over their shrinking pipeline.
More top marketing articles to come in 2021
In conclusion, you have seen what our readers cared about most in 2021. Our top 5 marketing articles so far tell us a lot about the pulse of marketing right now. As a result, we promise to continue to deliver compelling and informative content that supports your business and career. Watch for some exciting new content on post-Covid strategies, B2B v B2C and brand positioning.
If you would like to discuss your marketing with our friendly team, simply call 01565 632206.
Alternatively, why not drop us a quick email to sales@think-beyond.co.uk or fill-in our handy form for a call back.
Finally, there are lots of interesting topics across marketing if you would like to find out more.