Six Marketing Musts for 2021

This article was originally published at Forbes.com.

Everyone I know wants to happily turn the page on 2020 and set their sights on making up lost ground in 2021. But let's consider a few lessons from this year that will make our comeback even stronger in the year ahead.

2. Prepare for virtual trade shows, too.

Maybe your organization is not holding an event, but you are preparing for more virtual trade shows. Here's how to stand out:

• Add multimedia elements to your virtual booth specific to the event. Short videos targeted to the show audience are best.
• Use sponsorship opportunities to elevate your visibility and don’t be afraid to ask for a format or placement that doesn't currently exist.
• Give a reason to stop by your virtual booth (like a giveaway) and provide a high-value exchange to build your email database.
• Drive traffic through direct marketing ahead of the event. Use the event list or sponsor existing outbound communications.

4. Update your Google Ads.

Google Ads' most recent release uses artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to improve the relevance of your search ads. They've even added "Ad strength," a feedback tool that critiques your ad elements as you create them. Update your ads to this new format and take advantage of more efficient uses of your search budget.

5. Engage in hyper-targeted retargeting.

Marketing automation platforms, such as SharpSpring, can retarget banners to users in their system. While this is not a volume play, it is as specific as you can get when reaching an individual. The CRM side of the platform then attributes interactions with the retargeting to that user, which is another important data point for your sales team to understand when they follow up with a call.