Digital marketing has been one of the hottest industries to get into over the last few years, with there having been an extraordinary rise in the number of avenues to advertise online. But now that everyone is aware of this trend and the potential to make a lot of money in the sector, some have speculated that it may not be the best digital career path for people to follow anymore. On top of that, there are new risks emerging that can threaten the reputation of marketers. Do we need to worry about this industry, or is it still set to flourish in 2021 and beyond?
Digital Marketers Need to be Careful
There is no denying that digital marketers are facing a growing number of risks in 2021. As the industry has grown, it has turned into a place for cybercriminals to target with innovative methods of infiltration. The malvertisement is something that is becoming increasingly common – which is when a hacker manages to place malicious software within an advert. If an unknowing internet user clicks on the ad, they can end up downloading harmful viruses to their computer.
This is bad news for digital marketers. If one of their advertising campaigns is infiltrated by cybercriminals who want to spread the malicious code, it would be the digital marketer’s reputation on the line. That means that steps need to be taken to avoid this happening. The best way to do this is to use malvertising protection platforms that scour ads to ensure that they are safe for the end user.
Flourishing Industry That is Getting Bigger
The fact that there are threats in the digital marketing industry only serves to highlight how huge the industry has become. There are measures that can be taken to avoid malvertising scams, and people interested in getting into digital marketing shouldn’t be deterred by these threats. The industry was worth more than $300 billion in 2019, and that figure has risen steadily since. There is still a lot of money to be made by people who jump in now.
Anyone interested in digital marketing should be aware that some things that worked in the past may change in the future, though. For example, the cost of Google Ads has shot up dramatically in the last three years, and it is not as lucrative as it once was. On top of that, LinkedIn is stricter than ever before, and it now limits the number of connection requests users can send out. This means it is much harder for businesses to network and build referral partnerships.
Jumping on Trends Early Could be Key
The most successful digital marketers to date have been the ones that have adapted to changes in the social media landscape as they have emerged. Facebook is constantly evolving and introducing new features, and digital marketers who hop on them first are setting themselves up for success.
Live video has been the biggest revelation in recent years. Indeed, 52 percent of live streaming is done through social media, highlighting how important it is for these platforms. Facebook encourages people to use it, and those who do will be rewarded by the algorithm in terms of how many people they are able to reach.
User-generated content is something else that will become more important in 2021. This is a word-of-mouth strategy, in which you want your client base to organically promote your products. This can be done through liking and sharing content and encouraging people to leave in-depth reviews in various places. It’s a human approach and can be a strong way to reach people who may be apprehensive of sponsored links. This is for people who don’t like to feel as though they’re being advertised to.
Digital marketing is by no means a dying industry, but it’s one that continues to morph and evolve. Anyone who wants to get involved with it needs to be able to adapt to changes quickly. Discovering trends before they become mainstream is key. Of course, it is crucial to be aware of the security risks involved as well.
