Wakefly BlogPPC Trends You Need to Know for 2021

2020 was an unpredictable year, to say the least! As the calendar turns to the year 2021, let’s take our best guess as to what the future holds for PPC marketing. Making predictions like this is never an easy task, but we are going to give it a try anyway.

1. Machine Learning and Automation: This has been a topic of discussion for a few years now and it’s only going to continue ramping up. Many experts expect Google to continue making it harder and harder for PPC managers to get access to the data necessary to make decisions and form campaign strategies on their own. They’ll continue pushing users towards automated bidding strategies with less transparency in order to boost their own revenues. Unfortunately, since Google is the biggest search engine, a presence on their SERP is necessary for a successful business, we’ll need to continue adjusting to this new reality.

2. Continued Diversification Into Alternative Advertising Platforms: Google Ads is the cornerstone of any good PPC strategy. However, as Google continues to take control away from individual advertisers, it makes sense that those advertisers will start to pull budget away and reallocate it into other advertising platforms where they have more control over their messaging. You can expect an increase in businesses flocking to Microsoft Ads. On top of that, new advertising platforms seem to pop up every year. It’s crucial to be where your customers are. What new platform will be the TikTok of 2021?

3. Increased Emphasis On Big Picture Strategy: With machine learning taking over many laborious tasks, inventory costs increasing and the desire to diversify marketing platform mix grows, big picture strategy formulation will become more important. You need to know which levers to pull and which ones to push. In 2021 you’ll have to take a step back from the intense data analysis and continue to focus on where and how you can solve the problems of your potential customers at a higher level.

4. Adjusted Ad Scheduling: The circumstances of 2020 have led to more and more people working from home. As a result, traditional business hours are becoming a thing of the past. Going into the office provided a clear cut separation of work and home. Most people put in their time and then rushed home to get things done like making dinner. In this new environment, work tends to bleed into personal hours and personal time can replace some work hours. This could affect how we typically look at the ad scheduling options of our campaigns. If you’ve already cut your ad scheduling down to the “old business hours” consider opening up to some additional hours again. If you are looking to optimize the ad schedule moving forward, be sure to analyze the data. Don’t just assume you know when your customers are searching.

If you want to stay competitive, your marketing strategies need to evolve, too. Make sure you are always at the forefront of new technologies and best practices. Just because something worked for you last year doesn’t mean it will have as good results in the next.

2020 was an unprecedented year. Here’s to hoping 2021 is a better one!