Over the years, internet usage has continued to rise. Given how accessible the internet is now, we can expect for the numbers to still continue growing. With that, businesses have adapted to a more online-oriented approach. From the way they sell their products and services, to reaching out to their customers, creating that brand awareness, generating leads, and many more, some (if not all) have been done online.
And although in marketing, there are constants – like putting your audience first, always be clear on your marketing goals, and listening to your customers and satisfy them with their needs – the digital marketing landscape is constantly changing. The tools that you use to execute your marketing strategies change overtime. With that being said, don’t get left out with the trend. Here are the digital marketing trends in 2020 that you shouldn’t miss.
1. Chatbots
Creating personalized relationships with your customers is crucial in building and maintaining a loyal customer base. Whether you create or maintain such relationships one thing is certain: conversation is key.
With the prevalence of Artificial Intelligence, companies can take advantage of it by incorporating it in their websites. Notice how some websites have little chat boxes very eager to help you with your concerns? With Artificial Intelligence, conversation independent from human effort has never been this easier. And in fact, 53% of customers prefer chat over calling to raise their concerns.
Additionally, the chatbots can quickly give answers to customer queries first before being referred to a human agent. Not that many customers’ sales representatives would be needed then, thus, cutting the company’s operational cost. Finally, it tells the customers that you are there for them 24/7 to answer their queries and tend to their concerns.
2. Voice Search
One thing is for certain… almost everything on the internet is always changing. Searching something in the internet through traditional text search is all but a thing in the past.
With rising dependence on Voice Assistants such as Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri, voice search nowadays is extremely popular. In fact, a study shows that almost 48% of consumers are using voice for general web searches.
Consumers like it when situations are convenient to them even when they are hard-on looking for something. Because if not, you will find them leaving your page more than you have answered their queries. Needless to say, your website should be voice search-friendly.
3. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
One of the reasons why digital marketing trends changes so quickly is because the platform and channels that they depend on changes quickly as well.
Take for example Google… Its search algorithm updates a hundred times a year. As it evolves, marketers need to adjust too. And of course, you wouldn’t want to create a website just for the sake of creating it. You need to optimize your website in order for it to “rank high” on search engine results pages. If done correctly, it sure does generate growth in website traffic and visitors. There are a couple of SEO approaches that you can work on. These include:
On-page SEO: This focuses on all the content found “on the page” or on your website. It focuses on the technical set-up, the quality of your code – textual and visual content, and how user-friendly your website is.
Off page SEO: This type of SEO focuses on the activities and factors that take place “off the page”. These factors include links from other websites, social media accounts, and basically other marketing activities outside your own website.
Technical SEO: Now, this SEO focuses on the backend of your website and how pages are coded. These include image compression, structured data, and CSS files optimization. If you are aiming to increase your website’s loading speed, you might want to give this type a lot of time and thought. It is one important ranking factor of search engines like Google.
4. Content Marketing
There is nothing more effective than creating your own content in your own website and other channels to generate brand awareness, traffic growth, lead generation, and customers. These content can be in the form of blogs, videos, and pictures. This way, you can show your expertise with regard to the industry you are in and the products and services you are selling. It creates an impression that you know what you are doing, you understand what you are teaching, and that most importantly you are trustworthy.
The good thing about content marketing is you can be creative, informative, authoritative – anything you want to do. As a company, you can further execute your goals with the use of content by offering organic link building services. Creating and offering context-based content to other websites and linking your own link to it. All you need to do is provide great content to these websites, that’s all!
One of the approaches to content marketing is creating interactive contents. The biggest challenge amongst marketers is to retain the user’s attention. So, it is a need to create a unique content that not only stands out among others but also encourages users for their undivided attention. Businesses can incorporate virtual-reality videos, quizzes, puzzles, surveys… the possibilities are limitless.
5. Social Media Marketing
Nowadays, not having at least one social media account is like a mortal sin. People from all ages, races, countries, and walks of life are on social media. That’s why businesses also use these platforms to promote their brands.
If you have been living under a rock I will tell you this: gone are the days wherein social media are only limited to Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Now, other platforms such as SnapChat and TikTok have tremendously become popular in a short span of time. And usage of such platforms will still continue to rise given the situation everyone’s in due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Spending time on these social media platforms has indeed helped most people stay at home in isolation. With that, businesses have put most of their digital marketing efforts in these platforms.
Each platform provides unique services that are essential to promoting that brand awareness can tailor-fit every post to fit the platforms’ and the brands’ audience to be able to have a much wider reach, generate leads, and provide support to existing customers. For example, TikTok allows you to create a 60-min video where you can add special effects, filters, and music. In Instagram, brands can curate their feed to be more appealing to their audience. Also, brands can take advantage of the social media’s “story” feature, where they can post short clips and pictures about updates of new products, events, announcements, and the likes.
Whereas, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger – which has more monthly active users than Instagram and Facebook – have functionalities where businesses can connect with their customers and provide customer support, share updates, and more personalized content.
6. Influencers Marketing
They say that the most effective and free marketing is word of mouth. When someone says something good to a product/service and recommends it to someone, you can be sure that the chain will continue. According to a study, 92% of people trust their family and friends’ recommendations. Hence, this is a proven way of promoting a product/service.
As marketers we need to adapt to a more modern approach: influencers marketing. We are at this age where usage of social media platforms have skyrocketed, might as well take advantage of that. Influencer marketing involves endorsements, advertising, and product placements from social media influencers who are believed to have a level of knowledge or social influence in their fields.
For example: Kylie Jenner is one of the most followed personalities on almost all the social media platforms that she’s in. Because of her massive following, brands connect with her to be featured on her accounts, in return, her followers would tend to try out the product/service that she’s promoting. And let’s say brands that are cooking tools would likely connect with Gordon Ramsey or personalities with a high level of expertise in that field.
As much as businesses would like a bigger reach, nowadays, businesses have tapped with micro or nano influencers. Although they have a smaller follower base but think of it this way: the smaller the followers the more likely the targeted audience is comfortable with the influencer in question which then gives her/him a more meaningful relationship with his/her followers.
Hop in or get left behind!
Marketing is all about connecting with your audience at the right place and at the right time. As marketers, you need to know where your audience is already spending most of their time and meet them there. It is important to keep in mind that approaches above do not stay on the trend-list forever. Trends change very quickly, so you have to stay on top of your game or get left behind!
