January 23, 2021

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7 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.


What’s on deck for influencer marketing in 2021?

From everything we’re seeing, it should be a year filled with demands for creative production and on-point strategy. Here’s what’s on our radar for the upcoming year.

1. Influencer marketing gains importance for ecommerce

Covid-19 has spurred ecommerce to record levels of use. Mega-retailers like Walmart report a 97% increase in ecommerce and this acceptance will trickle down throughout the ecommerce world.

Experts suggest the pandemic has accelerated the shift towards online shopping by about five years. 

Along with traditional retail, social shopping is impacting the retail market. Gen Z shoppers enjoy browsing and shopping from social sites, and 77% of them said they respond best to advertising that shows people in real-life situations.

Influencers already excel at this and they’ll be invaluable for social shopping campaigns

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Given the world-turned-upside-down year we just closed out, it is probably wise to steer clear of making predictions. But it can be hard to resist the temptation in January to submit to this traditional exercise of forecasting the future.

We all know that the pandemic has changed the world of work for the long term, but one aspect of that change that may be underappreciated right now is the number of senior executives who are likely to balk at the idea of going back to the office full time. Once most people have gotten the vaccine, and companies decide that they want their leaders back at headquarters, there is likely to be a test of wills. I’ve heard countless stories from executives this past year who have reconnected with their spouses and kids and are healthier because they have more control over their schedule to build in consistent exercise. Flexible

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Public health & wellness centres saw huge turnout in 2020 compared to a year ago


In 2020, health and wellness centres (HWCs) saw an unprecedented turnout — over three times that in 2018-2019. In some states such as Rajasthan and Maharashtra, footfall went up four to six times. The HWC Budget for FY21 is merely Rs 1,600 crore. The government may need to allocate more this year towards the primary health service.


Government-funded health insurance penetration uneven


After the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), health insurance coverage has improved in many states. But gaps remain and these may cut into the public’s out-of-pocket spending on health. Only a few states — Goa, Maharashtra and Assam are some examples — have been able to bridge the gap. Others that fall behind in coverage need to complement AB-PMJAY, which makes coordination

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The sharp selloff in Bitcoin this week is stoking fresh questions about the sustainability of the cryptocurrency boom.


Prices for the digital asset have tumbled 14 per cent this week, marking the steepest decline since March. Bitcoin was steady on Friday, holding near $31,000 and commentators have cautioned that a sustained drop below $30,000 could presage further losses.


“Being Bitcoin, a 10 per cent range intraday is a mere flesh wound to the digital asset, in a world where tradable versus investible is seriously blurred,” said Jeffrey Halley, senior market analyst at Oanda Asia Pacific.


The digital coin could “easily be $35,000 again tomorrow or could drop through $30,000 and test notional support at $27,000.”

Bitcoin’s surge to a record of almost $42,000 on January 8 embodied the embrace of risk in financial markets awash with stimulus. Some argue Bitcoin is also becoming a more mainstream

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