The world of digital marketing is made up of a variety of increasingly complex moving parts. Trends come and go, and technology continues to drive developments in digital marketing. Professional marketers are often caught racing to catch up with the trends they overlooked and the ever-changing demands of their core audience. Now, digital marketers need to prioritize convenience, accessibility, and personalization while also managing brand awareness and loyalty. It’s a lot of hats to wear, and 2020 looks set to introduce even more complexity. If you want to stay ahead in 2020, here are the digital marketing trends that you need to know about.
Paid Search
This is not new, but PPC remains the most dominant ad channel for marketers and the brands that want to stand out online. For marketers in 2020, the goal is going to be attracting more of the Gen Z audience. The key to that is going to be smartphone optimization. From content designed with voice search in mind to ensuring that your landing pages look amazing on every device, Google Ads should remain a driving element of your digital strategy in 2020.
Instagram and Facebook
While the social giant Facebook has seen dwindling user numbers and incredible amounts of controversy, they continue to be making significant headway with Instagram. When up to 500 million people use Instagram Stories every single day, that’s a good concept to explore for marketers. Engagement remains crucial, but live video and Instagram Stories should be a cornerstone of your social media strategy.
Data-Driven Campaigns
Gut instinct and optimism are no way to run a business, and marketers need to make sure that they know how to use the data at their fingertips. More people than ever are signing up for 6Sigma training simply because of the vast amounts of relevant data that they can access. According to 6Sigma President Peter Peterka, learning how to use that data will “…improve business processes by utilizing statistical analysis rather than guesswork.” Any marketer that is not yet making real use of their data as we head into 2020 is not being efficient or as effective as they could be.
Digital Video
2019 saw a massive surge in video demand. Now, brands are spending more than ever on video content, and that growth is expected to continue as we burst into a whole new decade. Brands need to be where their customers are, and the consensus seems very clear: consumers want video. Digital marketers are going to need to create video content strategies that go far beyond existing plans. They will need to consider:
- Live video
- Video podcasts and Vlogging
- eLearning and How-To videos
- 360° video
- Shoppable video
- User-Generated Content
- Augmented and Virtual Reality
Content is going to be as vital as ever, but marketers are going to need to embrace video like never before. While text and infographics remain important, video is going to need to be a priority in 2020. With an ever-growing variety of tools, tech, and trends to consider, life looks set to get even more complicated for modern marketers. Keep ahead of the curve and make sure that you know what to expect from the coming year. Integrate new trends and predictions into your forthcoming digital marketing strategy, and your brand will have much more impact in 2020.
Author Bio: Content marketing and inbound marketing expert, Steve Conway is passionate about discovering new tech which will enhance his already well-honed digital marketing skills.
