To the Digital marketing trends for 2020 There are many! The key is knowing how to use them to your business's advantage in a way that brings sales opportunities and not just updated and pretty online channels.
Knowing the main ones and understanding them in depth can be the key to delighting customers and staying ahead of the competition.
13 Main Digital Marketing Trends for 2020
According to experts, the most frequently cited trends were: humanizing marketing, writing content like a publisher, humanizing email copy, voice marketing, targeted ads based on sales funnel stage, complete humanization of social media, creating podcasts (audio content), and SEO (search engine optimization) combined with sponsored links.
We've listed just 13 of the main ones so you can choose a few, especially those within your reach, to get started and get ahead of the competition. Shall we begin?
1-Humanizing Marketing by Liliani Ferrari
Liliane Ferrari pointed out that humanizing marketing is not just a trend, but a necessity. To achieve this, she suggests that professionals focus on three pillars: emotion, empathy, and ethics.
According to Liliane, one way to do this is to go against some of the practices recommended by some copywriting professionals. She recommends an approach of "less scarcity and promises," letting the customer buy the products and services in their own time. In other words, without invading their space, and remembering that they are people on the other side.
And why do this? Liliane says that humanizing marketing is a matter of keeping up with the current generation. For her, young people are more aware and attentive to detail. They want to know, for example, who made their clothes. Liliane Ferrari believes that the most human companies will win.
2-Private chats (Direct Messages, Messenger, WhatsApp)
Private chats, after all, are frequently checked by users and are already part of their digital routine. We can say that it's a younger and more modern version of email.
Following this line of thought, why not invest in communication through apps that, in essence, function as private chats?
This is the case, for example, with WhatsApp, whose features have already been used for sales for some time. The trend is for this to increase and expand to other areas, such as lead nurturing.
Instead of offering a newsletter, for example, some brands are already offering their followers inclusion in WhatsApp groups or broadcast lists.
The app's popularity, which led to its acquisition by Facebook in 2014, contributes to the effectiveness of this type of approach.
Now imagine if, in addition to serving as a customer service and marketing channel, private chat could also serve as a tool for completing purchases.
This is a trend that is likely to develop. In India, the app already allows money transfers between users, which makes life easier for businesses. While the service is not yet available in Brazil, it's a good idea to plan to explore it as soon as possible.
3-A era of voice by Interney
It's here to replace the era of likes. Likes are literally disappearing from social networks like Facebook and Instagram. Voice searches, on the other hand, are becoming increasingly common in homes around the world, with devices activated by them. We need to optimize our content to meet this new type of demand.
“In this voice-based world, we need to think of content as a service. What problem do you solve for the user? We need to understand what the user is looking for.”
4-Transparent Communication
Without clear regulations on the matter, many companies use consumer data in questionable ways. This came to light in recent data breach cases, such as the one involving Facebook. The natural result is a growing distrust among a large part of the public.
While companies that use questionable practices find it more difficult to connect with their audience, those that value transparency are able to stand out.
A study indicated that companies producing content honestly are able to retain up to 941% of their customers.
Adopting this type of policy is even more essential when considering the imminent General Data Protection Law, which comes into effect in 2020. With it, in addition to pleasing the consumer, adopting transparent principles becomes important to avoid legal penalties. Check out what you can do to put your company on this path:
- Establish the values, mission, and vision of your business;
- Make it clear that your interest is not limited to profits;
- Answer consumer questions honestly;
- Only use data with the permission of its owners;
- Make room for feedback and value its importance.
5-Podcasts by Gary Vee
Gary Vee is known for anticipating trends, so you might be wondering: haven't podcasts been around for a long time? For him, however, audio programs are a great way to achieve something that, today, can be considered groundbreaking: organic reach.
Furthermore, it's a format that allows you to follow another of Gary's guidelines: offering something to people without asking for anything in return. A podcast can offer value and content, demonstrating your authority in your market. Regarding constantly asking visitors for information, Gary Vee states the following:
“"If you're constantly trying to deliver a knockout blow, people will learn to dodge."”
6-Audio Content
Just like images, audio is an element that has become increasingly popular in Digital Marketing, especially with regard to voice searches. However, the trend goes far beyond simply conducting searches through speech.
In pursuit of increasingly agile and efficient experiences, users have been paying close attention to audio content.
Simply including a media player as an alternative to reading text makes the content more appealing to the audience, who can press play and engage in other tasks simultaneously.
This is just one indication of the power of this type of content. If you really want to explore the benefits of audio content, it's worth considering creating a podcast as mentioned above.
This type of media is experiencing significant growth. In the United States alone, the number of listeners has practically tripled in the last decade.
If the podcast offers valuable content, its impact on the audience is enormous. Since it's a free offering, the customer will feel privileged to have access to the program's information. The result is recommendations to others and an expansion of your brand's organic reach.
It's important to remember that, just like the content created for your blog, the podcast doesn't need to—and shouldn't—be directly related to your product. The idea is to create a unique experience for your target audience and, from there, expand your authority in the market.
7- Combining SEO with ads by Will Reynolds
In digital marketing, we typically treat SEO and sponsored links as separate "disciplines." For Wil Reynolds, the two should go hand in hand, at least in terms of data analysis, to optimize results and save your valuable budget.
As an example, he used a bank, one of his clients, that was spending money on the keyword "bank account." There were many Google searches for it, but what people were actually looking for was the song "Bank Account" by rapper 21 Savage. It had just been released and was a hit. Wil saved $60,000 in 15 seconds.
“"It's not in Google's interest to tell you that a keyword doesn't have the meaning you want when you're paying for it."”
8-Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence is here to stay. Today, the technology is already applied in resources such as chatbots, virtual assistants that simulate a human and are able to learn from interactions with users.
The trend suggests that this type of application is just the beginning of an expansion of possibilities.
One example that leaves no doubt about the importance of this technology is the growth of voice searches. As early as January 2018, the number of internet searches using this feature already exceeded 1 billion per month. Its popularity, then, is not exactly new.
What's changing is that technological development is making the user experience increasingly more sophisticated. Today, most voice recognition services can process even the most confusing speech, such as that spoken by young children. This technology is therefore becoming increasingly present in people's daily lives.
It is up to companies, then, to use this trend to expand their own presence.
By optimizing your marketing on services like Waze and Google Maps, for example, you'll allow virtual assistants, such as Alexa, to find and recommend your establishment to users in nearby locations.
9-Humanizing Email by Ann Handley
Ann Handley herself and her company, Marketing Profs, have an extremely popular newsletter among content creators worldwide.
“When I write for my newsletter, I think of a subscriber. It could be someone I spoke to here at the event or on social media. The more personal it is, the more universal it will be, and the more human my voice will be. Regardless of the number of people who receive it, you're sending it to an inbox.”
The secret, therefore, lies in humanization. Even if it's content that goes to a large and generally unsegmented audience, like a newsletter, these messages are received individually. Ann Handley is a big fan of telling good stories, and sees email as a great way to deliver them to the public.
10-Humanizing LinkedIn by Cristiano Santos
Cristiano Santos is one of the leading LinkedIn experts in Brazil, and a Top Voice on the platform. Therefore, he is someone who can speak authoritatively about how to best leverage the professional social network. Cristiano suggests humanizing your posts and being genuinely present, engaging in dialogue.
Share content and knowledge, showcase your expertise, make your presence felt, and engage in dialogue. Your profile should be a place to share your experiences. Talk about what you know best and give your opinion on related topics. Demonstrate your mastery of a particular subject and become relevant among your acquaintances.
11-Personalizing the Experience
If you access any social network, you will notice that the feed frequently brings recommendations based on your internet experience.
The topics you are most interested in, the channels you access most often, and even profiles of potential acquaintances are offered to enrich and personalize your browsing experience.
None of this is by chance. Personalizing content to please the user is a trend that has been developing for some time and promises to reach its peak in 2020.
If you don't understand the importance of this movement for your results, consider this: According to research by Accenture Interactive 91%, consumers are more likely to buy from brands that offer deals and recommendations relevant to their interests. Well, if you use an email marketing strategy, you already know what that means, right?
Personalization in sending offers and newsletters is already considered essential. The trend is that this channel will receive even more attention in 2020.
12-Ads by Funnel Stage by Fábio Prado de Lima
His specialty is advertising, more specifically Facebook Ads and Instagram Ads. For 2020, in the pursuit of budget optimization, he suggests thinking about ads for each stage of the funnel.
At the top, Fabio points out, the focus is on lookalike audiences, demographics, behaviors, and interests. He reminds us that you can exclude those who have already interacted with the company, such as website visitors, leads, buyers, and fans.
In the middle, focus on website visitors, leads, fans, and also engagers, and exclude buyers. At the bottom, it's time to include those who added products to their cart but didn't complete the purchase. Buyers are therefore excluded again. And how much to invest? It depends. Fabio suggests starting small and testing extensively.
13-Evolution of Digital Marketing by Eric Santos
Eric Santos, CEO of Resultados Digitais, gave a presentation on the theme of evolution. He spoke about it in various aspects of professional life, the company, and even the RD Summit itself. However, he went into more detail about the evolution of Digital Marketing. For Eric, we need to start thinking like publishers.
“Think like a publisher: build, partner with, or buy a media company in your segment. Differentiate your content and create something truly unique in quality, scope, and format.”
By acting this way, the company has a greater chance of succeeding in another trend highlighted by Eric: "customer for life." That is, maintaining a long-lasting relationship with its customers, providing happiness, and seeing people as a strategic asset. The days of just selling and not worrying about churn are over.
So, ready for 2020? What did you think of these 13? Digital marketing trends for 2020 What did we bring? Leave your comment below with your opinion. It's very important to us.
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Sources used:
https://resultadosdigitais.com.br/blog/tendencias-marketing-digital-para-2020/
https://rockcontent.com/blog/maiores-tendencias-de-marketing-digital/
