10 Trends #MarketingTwitter Thinks are the Most Exciting for 2021 and Beyond

The events of 2020 have fundamentally changed everything for marketers. Pivoting was no longer just an option; it was a necessity. But with rapid change also comes rapid innovation. For 2021 and beyond, marketers now play a much more elevated role in shaping the future of the marketing landscape. But don’t just take our word for it. We asked #MarketingTwitter what they’re most excited about and how they feel it is changing the industry. See what they had to say and be sure to check out what trends our Innovators predicted coming into the new year. https://twitter.com/NadineDietz/status/1337446228452278272 Hard Conversations Are Being Had "Love that brands are taking bigger risks when it comes to social and digital now—no more 'but that's how it's always been,' and they're challenged to make digital experiences, which will bring a new wave of campaigns!" —@reisroi https://twitter.com/MissGallo/status/1337522623903719424 "Oh so many things! Creative collaborations across unexpected brands to gain more customer sentiment. Utilizing real consumers and UGC to build large campaigns. Talking about political and social issues to make a large impact on our future!" —@LeahPilcer Showing Up For Social Good "'Cause-based marketing' has been shifting for years towards 'show up or shut up,' but 2020 proved that this isn't a suggestion, it's now mandatory. I'm excited to see what brands actually show up in meaningful ways in the next few years." —@amandadomuracki https://twitter.com/kfreberg/status/1337446646288850944 "I love that people are looking towards brands as civil servants. It's so powerful to see brands moving from being just activists to actually creating the infrastructure needed to make lasting change in our communities." —@yoitsro Embracing the Community "Shift away from growth first / community second mindset. Love the realization that brands can't be built on performance marketing alone." —@AmandaMGoetz "I’m most excited about the increased focus on connecting to an audience/customer vs. just 'selling stuff.' Love that businesses are creating customer advisory boards, advocacy programs, and communities to strengthen their relationship." —@Annemaria_N Shifting Social Media "Brands investing into their digital and content teams! The stories, customer connections, and brand voices are becoming so much more powerful. Digital platforms now can help push the needle and not just direct sales." —@erinnicoleh_ https://twitter.com/JulianGumbo/status/1337447503797481473 "Seeing a drop in formality from brands. Brands are more comfortable becoming identities + voices beyond their products—even to make fun of themselves or comment beyond their brand (cough @steak_umm). Also seeing an uptick in brand collaborations has been [great]." —@yesitsmeck Reassessment of Past Practices "I believe it’s the inclusion of the old and new guard in the discussion of what the industry considers as 'best practice.' I see a lot of division being removed and a lot of sharing of experience and resources and it’s phenomenal." —@ItsKennyatta https://twitter.com/KevinEscalera/status/1337449482259148804 "Two years ago when I’d suggest that it’s better to share your brand goals with influencers and let them ideate the creative for their channels rather than being prescriptive, execs would say, 'so we just pay them money and let them do whatever they want?' Now they nod their heads." —@KarynSpencer "Even the brands who were stuck on the TV-is-all-that-matters model are rethinking their approach. Silver lining to COVID for media is what works—matters more than what’s always been done." —@brhoten Handing off the Helm "The increasing power shift from companies to consumers — people’s voices never mattered more." —@waleed_elgindy https://twitter.com/DevMachette_/status/1337448314451587073 "Marketing is starting to get the recognition it deserves! The companies that will succeed are the ones that don’t consider marketing an afterthought after all the other departments, but ones that bring us on from the beginning to help build/sell the product & create community." —@SoniaBaschez Increase in Representation "More diversity in who is portrayed in campaigns and where those campaigns are run. We still have a long way to go, but it’s a start." —@judysf "Firms are FINALLY seeing the power of having diverse voices at the forefront within marketing teams across industries which can, in turn, have a positive impact on brand and consumer reach." —@101witheliseb Rapid Digital Transformation"I’ve been seeing a lot about AI, and automation processes that will help streamline social media engagement strategies. Super excited to see where the industry heads next year!" —@IGOTsCHUpbach https://twitter.com/MaxDavidSimpson/status/1337449523778527232 "As an industry, we went down this path of divergence - platforms, channels, creatives all discussed in silos. You’re starting to see the convergence of everything again, being data-fueled but driving the intersection of media creativity and technology at the core. Future is bright!" —@vinny_rinaldi3 "Customer Experience Management plus using AI to structure unstructured data equals the present reality for some, the future necessity for all." —@vinny_rinaldi3 Gen Z Getting Noticed "The young talent. Experienced talent creating smaller, interesting things. Ongoing proof that agency scale is not moat-building. Evidence of companies willing to think different in how agencies can help. Client founders that care about the brand. …and that all bets are off." —@MikeDuda "The young generation of TikTok, Instagram and YouTube are going to take over the world. We’re going to see more and more creators (eg. Dobrik) build empires from their own audiences. Also businesses now know there is a world outside of Facebook. That’s really exciting." —@andrewleese89 Resurface of Storytelling "The appetite for storytelling through video to keep employees, consumers and clients engaged is insatiable. It’s transforming how every industry markets to all of their audiences and those who can tell and produce the best stories are going to do very well!" —@PopHealthGuy https://twitter.com/MarketerAditi/status/1337590519044526080