THE TOP TECH AND MARKETING TRENDS OF 2021

By Adam Chandler, Eulerity

Over the past year, businesses have had to leverage new technology — here are some of the trends that were effective and lasting.

One of the biggest outcomes of the past year has been the exponential growth we’ve seen in technology, as well as the rapid adoption of new marketing strategies and efforts. The COVID-19 pandemic caused businesses to pivot to leveraging technology for their brand and customer communications almost instantly. Brand services that had always been in-person had to suddenly be communicated to customers at home.

With this sudden shift and adoption of new technologies, there were quite a few trends in 2021 that left a lasting mark — and don’t seem to be going away any time soon. The following are a few of the biggest trends that businesses and customers show to be effective and lasting.

Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)

It’s no surprise that software is shaping the world via data, workload, and industry clout. The Softwareas-a-Service (SaaS) subscription model is one of the easiest ways to make your CFO happy. Why? Well, it’s fixed flat rate is highly valuable and no matter what you spend on media, your rate is the same. Compared to agency management fees, SaaS pricing will operationalize your marketing all while staying the same price.

Managing fees and percentages of media usually eat up most of the spend, which isn’t ideal for a small business owner. This modern and scalable technology can maintain a consistent balance in your marketing strategy. It also simplifies the complexities of enterprise technology for your customer, which further provides device independence, with a lower cost of service. Easy to use automated software provides many of the answers customers want in a marketing solution in the palm of their hands.

A recent report done by McKinsey & Company shows that, “technology industry analysts predict further growth in the software as a service market, and expect to see the market for SaaS products near $200 billion by 2024.” That amount of growth in such a short period of time is a testament to the benefits SaaS models bring brands.

Online Learning

From online conferences to lunch and learn workshops, the biggest way employees were able to learn, network, and even mingle (thank you virtual happy hours!) were in formats that quickly became new constants in a brand’s offering. An online course not only offers an easy way for people to come together to learn, but gives them the flexibility to do it from anywhere, so long as they are able to be online and tuned in.

One way we’ve seen this trend in post-pandemic workplace returns has been the increase in pre-recorded, easily accessible, online training courses. With the notion that people have busy schedules and may be more focused independently, brands should think about strengthening or developing their online inventory of training, onboarding, and workshopping videos. Not only is this a great asset to have that your employees can easily access, but it will offer them a flexible way to further their skills with an on-demand service.

Digital Work and Workspaces

While front-line workers risked their lives to continue their jobs in-person during the pandemic, others were fortunate enough to be able to work from home. It’s a guarantee that your business adopted Slack, Google Teams, Zoom, and other online platforms dedicated to workforce communication and collaboration. These systems served as extremely effective and helpful tools in keeping employees alert, focused and, although virtually, still together in some common areas. Many people had to reinvent their work routines and daily habits, forcing room for a home office or station that would allow you to differentiate your job from your bed. As time went on, people now hear the phrase “you’re on mute,” more than “step into my office.” As we start getting our sea legs back post-pandemic, the digital workplace will only continue to grow stronger, more detailed and also more engaging, as many people are now solely working from home.

Marketing Automation

Marketing automation is the process of using software to automate your daily marketing activities for you. While it may sound too good to be true, it’s not, and if it sounds too complicated, it’s more simple than most concepts. Here’s why — make a list of all the tasks your marketing department does in a day, then what amount of time those said tasks take them. These tasks will probably include social media posting, e-mail marketing and sequencing, search engine optimization, ad campaigns and more. Marketing automation software also allows your corporate team to have full transparency into how much your system spends.

By automating these tasks, you’re giving time back to your employees without taking away the personalization that new software and services can bring. Marketing automation — when done right — can amplify your strategy, ad campaigns, lead generation, sales funnel and more. Eulerity’s one of a kind marketing automation is an example of a service that does this full-time, so your brand’s marketing professionals can leverage the results and use them to your advantage.

‘55 percent of CMOs expect AI to have a greater impact on marketing than social media ever had.’”

AI and Machine Learning

AI has quickly taken over the market, with daily use coming in the forms of your Google Home and Siri, or with online recommendations, including Netflix, Hulu and Amazon. It is estimated that, “55 percent of CMOs expect AI to have a greater impact on marketing than social media ever had.” This is because it allows higher value work for your teams, such as campaign development and strategy, while simultaneously driving more returns for your business. AI and machine learning offer you and your team the digital tools you need to have the best marketing strategy — then apply it for you automatically.

With half of 2021 already under our belts, these are only a few of the many marketing and technology trends we’ve seen take center stage in the post-pandemic production that brands have been churning out. As we continue to navigate back out into the world, these important concepts can help you strengthen your brand’s presence, engagement and awareness.

Adam Chandler is the chief operating officer and co-founder of Eulerity, a SaaS technology company specializing in marketing automation. To learn more about International Franchise Association (IFA) supplier member Eulerity, visit franchise.org/suppliers/eulerity-inc.