Digital marketing has never been more critical than it is today. Changes in how to market your product online are as different as the decade. 2020 will see people moving from aggressive marketing of their product to creating a more personalized customer experience. It will see an increase in the use of AI in some areas while also seeing a significant increase in human interaction.
The newest marketing trends will also include a change in how content is structured and how the search will take place. More marketing will be geared at mobile platforms and voice search than standard computers. You will also see a significant increase in using analytics to create personalized marketing plans.
All About The Customer
People have become so overwhelmed with marketing strategies that they no longer pay attention. Surveys conducted at the end of 2019 show that most people who watch television either fast-forward through commercials or put their attention elsewhere when they are on. Ninety percent of those surveyed could not remember seeing commercials for certain brands that were in the survey, even though there had been an aggressive marketing campaign focused on those products.
In 2020, digital marketing must be created to offer a more personalized experience. The marketing must address a special need or desire. It must provide additional information or insight. We are talking about more than placing someone’s name at the top of an email. You must create a culture of customer importance.
Get Visual With The Information
Visual search and visual information have increasingly become popular with Millennials. In fact, a majority of people in this age group prefer to look at graphs, videos, and pictures as opposed to reading long paragraphs of content.
Teachers have known for many years that visual aids are more effective at teaching than long paragraphs of text. Now, this is also being applied to marketing. Create visually appealing information about your products. Infographics, videos, and pictorials are going to be the newest trend in marketing new products. Think of the success of platforms like Pinterest and Instagram.
SERP Position Zero and Snippets
First page listings on the search engine will take second place now to companies trying to get into SERP Position Zero. This position is the small box located at the top of a Google search page that contains relevant snippets of information about the item being searched.
There is an entirely different set of criteria in place for websites to gain this coveted position, and you can expect many marketing companies to begin focusing on getting their clients into this position above and beyond having first page results on Google.
New data shows that since Google has implemented the snippet box, many people will read this information and move on to their next search. Some people will click on the site that the information is from. However, a majority of the people are satisfied with this snippet of information and move on, never looking at any of the other entries on the page.
Voice Search
More and more people are incorporating virtual assistants into their homes, offices, and vehicles. Companies that want to remain relevant will need to be able to have content that is accessible through voice search. Voice search is anticipated to increase by 200 percent this year, and by the end of the decade, account for nearly 90 percent of all searches conducted on the Internet.
Social Media
Social media has become so ingrained into our society that it impacts every area of our lives. Many people are now shopping via social media sites because they feel safer or more connected to these purchases than making the purchase on the “open web.”
It will be very important for all businesses to have an active social media presence that is more than just announcing new products. You will need to be able to connect to your customer base and integrate their social media habits into your marketing campaign.
Create social posts that are relevant to your product that may not actually market your product, such as how-to videos, other uses of product videos, or even unique recipes using your products. Run contests, ask opinions, promote environmental and safety issues. Be a conscientious business that cares about its clients and community.
In between these posts, you can place advertisements for products that connect directly to a sales page. By relying more on being “social” than marketing your products, you will make people feel more comfortable to click on the shoppable links. Remember: People want the convenience of shopping online while retaining that hometown feel of shopping in person.
Content Remains King
Today’s shopper no longer desires to be told what they want to purchase and why they need to purchase a product. They know what they like or desire, but they want information before making a final decision.
Quality content will remain a top priority for all digital marketing programs. People want to discover everything there is to know about a product or service before committing to a purchase. It is your job as a business to make sure that content is available.
You want to make sure that your content is written in an informative and personal manner. You want to include different perspectives and different uses for your products. You should even include safety information so that a person feels knowledgeable about using the product in every manner.
Include videos and other visuals to enhance the experience. Never be too pushy with the materials you provide, and always create content that allows the consumer to make the final decision.
To seal the deal, incorporate AI into your site so that any questions that a consumer may have can be quickly answered. Email and phone numbers are great, but most people want an instant answer to their questions, or they move on to find their answers on another site.
Overall, 2020 will see that the marketing trends will all be focused on the customer experience. Customer retention is much higher in people who feel that the business has their best interests in mind when providing information about the products or services they sell.
