3 Important Marketing Strategies You Shouldn't Ignore in 2021 Mervik Haums, the founder of Startup Fortune, along with DigitalRadioTracker founder & CEO Michael Matthews and GoldHeart Productions founder Bruna Rubio, explains how to prepare your brand's marketing strategy for the post-pandemic year

2021 is going to be a year where more people will use the internet for their day-to-day needs. This isn't just because of advancing technology, but mainly because of the pandemic. It has changed the way people live, how business works, and the habits of consumers who are actively shifting their preferences.

For example, in the US, over $8 billion was spent online in November on food delivery and groceries. Shoppers are placing more orders online because of grocery store restrictions, convenience, and familiarity. It is critical for brands and businesses to have the right digital marketing strategies in place. Consumers have shown they are open to new options when these options are clearly communicated.

With all these new, emerging trends and restrictions, entrepreneurs might forget the basics. There is a delicate balance of keeping marketing strategies cutting-edge but simple so they touch on all the fundamental principles.

Here are three strategies you could include in your marketing plan for the upcoming year.

"Always have a good PR strategy" —Mervik Haums, founder of Startup Fortune

For any brand, publicity is absolutely critical. Branding isn't just about having sufficient online visibility but confirming your excellent reputation and media attention. Being creative with your digital marketing can take your business a long way. As Mr Richard Branson says, "A good PR story is infinitely more effective than a front-page ad."

Having a PR and media marketing strategy will uphold your brand's online reputation and displays confidence to your customers and partners. While it's considered an expensive marketing strategy, an entrepreneur could always start low. In fact, one can always start their PR strategy with a decent press release distribution service and build from there.

In the online age, regardless of the industry, trust plays a key role in deciding the growth of a business. Your publicity endeavours should zero in on increasing the credibility within your niche and your company's online reputation management. This is especially important during the challenging times we are collectively facing. Consumers want clear benefits and messaging, not marketing talk. Align your PR strategy to fit this.

"Get innovative" —Michael Matthews, founder and CEO of DigitalRadioTracker.com Inc.

With the overwhelming omnipresence of the internet, many try to promote their brand online; therefore, entrepreneurs need to become creative and innovative when marketing their business. Michael Matthews created a way for entrepreneurs in the music industry to leverage everyone's love of music; information regarding radio airplay is priceless for anyone seeking to build their music brand. Radio airplay tracking is the perfect tool for any individual or company in the music industry to expand and reinforce its audience.

DigitalRadioTracker.com Inc., aka DRT, brings a user-friendly platform which provides music clients with lucrative and creative marketing research initiatives. DRT provides insights that are personally designed to help music-related brands all over the world drive profitable growth and expand to new heights.

As technology becomes more prevalent in our lives, new techniques exploit the opportunities presented. What DRT has accomplished for those in the music industry is a huge step forward. And with the proper utilisation of DRT Reports, you can achieve sustainable growth for your business and develop a clear mission to combat the ultra-competitive marketplace.

"Don't forget to connect to people" — Bruna Rubio, founder of GoldHeart Productions

Connecting to people and networking within your target industry builds long-lasting business relationships with people who actually matter to your business, giving you excellent brand exposure at the same time making it fun.

Even from an early age, Ms. Rubio had started showing interest in art and she would often be involved in the production of the Spanish shows she acted in. This continued even after she moved to the U.S. to pursue her acting career there. "Connecting to people and networking while working as an actress as well as dabbling in production gave me the necessary experience and knowledge to become a producer, and start my own production company."

"To me, success simply means doing what you love and making a decent earning from it. It doesn't have to be a big business or traveling around the world." It was also in the U.S. that Bruna Rubio discovered her love for production and started her own production company in 2013. GoldHeart Productions is in the post-production process of a new featured film Nevaeh. Moreover, her company has signed a deal with Netflix for a Spanish TV series based on Vampiras along with another production company from the country Plano a Plano.

Regardless of your marketing efforts, if you can't deliver and keep your customers happy, it's a whole other story. Ultimately, it's customer satisfaction that will make your business a success. Be sincere and honest with your business. It's best to be realistic with your promises and always do your best. Keeping customers happy pays for itself.