A brand new decade has just begun, bearing the promise of exciting technological evolution. Wouldn’t you love to take a peek to see what it will bring you and your business? So, here’s something that could prove just as good – the digital marketing trends for 2020. This will help you plan your strategies and grow your business in sync with the evolving business landscape! So, buckle up, and let’s dive right in!
1. Customer-centric marketing
This one’s a no-brainer. Nor is it new. But thanks to increased data you can gather through AI and machine learning, businesses need no longer rely on demographics. You will know, for sure, the preferences of each potential customer. And this knowledge can be a powerful sales tool to personalize your marketing messages. Personalized marketing is the trend for 2020.
2. Voice search
This shift in how we interact with technology will lead to changes in online search as we know it today. Voice search is already a trend, but it will only grow in the next decade. Media analysis firm, Comscore, predicts that by 2020, all searches will be voice searches. Already, according to the Search Engine Journal, 58% of consumers use voice search to look for local business information. This makes voice search one of the biggest marketing trends in 2020.
This fact cannot be ignored, and digital marketers need to leverage ongoing changes to their benefit. Among the things you can do to optimize your site for voice search, finding the right keywords are the most important. You will have to pay more attention to how a person would speak a question rather than type it. Start with using long-tail keywords.
3. Instant messaging apps for business
Messaging apps like Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp and WeChat aren’t exclusively for conversations with your friends anymore. They are fast becoming the preferred means of communication between businesses and their customers. People are comfortable with the ease and instantaneity of social messaging apps. This, of course, makes it the perfect choice for businesses to use it as a channel for direct and personalized marketing. Messaging apps are now being leveraged successfully for establishing contact and building a relationship with customers, providing information about products and offers, enhancing sales, retaining existing customers and providing customer support.
4. PO rankings in SERPs
SEO efforts are now targeting the coveted Position Zero (PO) ranking on Google. This is the featured snippet that appears above organic SEO listings, and directly answers a user’s query without needing the search result link to be clicked. It’s especially important as search engines use the PO information for voice search results. So, this is the SEO aim in the coming year.
5. Interactive content
If content is king, then interactive content is the heir apparent. No one is disputing the fact that quality content is quintessential. However, interactive content simply offers more experiences through the user’s active engagement. Quizzes, polls, 360º videos, even shoppable posts, AR and VR are examples of interactive content. They give users a reason to stay longer on a page. Also, making your content shareable increases your brand awareness.
6. Shoppable social media posts
Social media has fast become an intrinsic part of online marketing. In fact, 60% of Instagram users say they have discovered new products on the app, while 72% of users have made a purchase from the app. This presents businesses with increased opportunities. Social media provides greater visibility for your brand, and creating shoppable posts simply makes it easier for customers to directly buy from a post.
7. Virtual and augmented reality
Both VR and AR have increased in popularity in recent years, and are emerging as top trends in marketing. These immersive technologies help customers experience a product, greatly increasing the likelihood of a sale. People want to know how a particular pair of shoes will perform, how they will look in that particular dress, or how that coffee table might enhance their interior spaces. Experiential marketing is thus growing, to attract, delight and convert customers.
8. Google Ads and Smart Bidding
While Google Ads has been around for a while, it continues to evolve. Its latest features involve machine learning and customer-centric marketing. In fact, automation and Smart Bidding, which was introduced in 2016 are set to become the new norm. Smart Bidding uses AI to help you optimize your PPC campaigns based on your specific marketing objectives. You can save time and enhance the performance of your bids through advanced machine learning, which helps you predict more accurately how the various bid amounts will impact conversion or conversion value.
9. Influencer marketing
While this has been around for a while, this trend is not going away anytime soon. The only change is that while influencers were social media ‘celebrities’ with thousands of followers, today, businesses are looking to rope in people with a much smaller following. They provide a voice that people can trust, and who can reach their particular target demographic. It has been observed that brands using influencers to spread their message see a much higher ROI than brands that use other digital marketing methods.
10. Chatbots
In the last few years, we have become accustomed to interacting with chatbots. As AI and machine learning evolve, chatbots are also getting better equipped at handling more complex requests. Chatbots on your website could be a great asset, communicating with visitors in real-time, 24/7, and answering all their queries.
As a business owner, it is essential to know the emerging digital marketing trends for 2020, so you can plan ahead accordingly. You can also read about what to consider when you plan for your business in 2020.
At Them You & Me, we help you with the digital transformation of your business. If you’d like to discuss digital marketing strategies for your brand, give us a call.
To know about what we do and the services we offer, please visit our website.
