Digital Marketing Trends 2020: Everything You Need to Know

With all the recent advances in digital marketing trends 2020 is set to be a year of innovation, built on the new ground that was broken in 2019. I’ve decided to write about these new trends because business owners need to know more about them. 

Next year’s digital marketing trends are both awe-inspiring, and look like something out of a sci-fi film. As entrepreneurs, we need to stay current on digital marketing trends more than ever, because — like technology — our businesses must evolve.

With that said, here are the digital marketing trends for 2020 you need to know about.

Voice Search

Google, Alexa, and Siri — to name a few of the most popular voice search providers — are becoming more and more useful all the time (I’m starting to think they’re more valuable than human thumbs). 

To prove my point:

• According to ComScore, 50% of all searches will be voice searches by 2020. 
• 30% of searches will be done without a screen, according to Gartner.

These numbers suggest something interesting: one day voice search could replace all other online channels of search. Voice assistants can search for answers, read text aloud, and even dictate text messages for users hands-free.

 Voice search can offer a business some incredible benefits, including:

• It makes a website mobile-friendly.
• It adds value to local SEO.
• It boosts the use of Artificial Intelligence or AI.
• It prioritizes the meaning of searches.

If your website is voice-search optimized, then the click-through-rate (CTR) can grow much higher. Check out my tips below on optimizing your website for voice search.

Voice search is on the rise! 

1. Always Know and Understand the Language

We usually use long sentences with specific keywords when we use search engines like Google and Yahoo.

Hence, you need to use longer keywords and complete sentences to appear in voice search results. Think of how you would ask a friend about a new product or service. 

2. Always Be Conversational

When you're writing voice-search optimized text for your website, always use an engaging and conversational tone. Also, remember to use complete and grammatically correct sentences.

3. Always Answer Questions

We all use the internet to find answers, so think about this when creating content for voice-powered searches.

Always include questions that people may ask about your products and provide complete answers. 

Video

Another 2020 digital marketing trend is video.

Video marketing was a hot trend throughout 2019, and it will continue to be relevant and vital next year. Everyone loves to consume videos online.

According to Statista, 85 percent of U.S. internet users watch online video content across devices.

If this doesn't make you want to produce more video content, then I don't know what will.

Videos are great because:

• They increase brand awareness.
• They humanize an online persona.
• They engage social media users.
• They're effective in building consumer trust.
• They improve SEO ranking.

Speaking of SEO ranking, if your website includes a video, it has a 53% chance of ranking higher in Google search results.

Now consumers prefer to watch video content in learning about new products or services.

Undeniably, video content can help grow your business. Read on for more popular video marketing trends:

1. Live Video

Live videos are popular with a large number of companies who create content such as: interviews, product demonstrations, and behind-the-scenes clips.

2. One-on-One Video

One-on-one videos are personalized video messages that replace phone calls and emails. They are easier and cheaper to produce because film equipment costs are dropping, and smartphone cameras are continuously improving.

3. Shoppable Video Content

Shoppable video content has shortened the customer journey by allowing customers to buy products directly from a video. A “Shop Now” or “Buy Now” button pops up and takes customers to the product page when they hover over the video.

4. Video SEO

Video optimization strategies, like text overlays and closed captions, are becoming more critical in Youtube and other online video content.

5. 360-Degree Video Content

360-degree video content allows for an interactive experience. This type of video shows a circular symbol in the top left corner. Viewers can start sliding the moving image left or right as the video plays.

On-SERP SEO

If you want to increase your click-through rate (CTR) and generate more organic traffic, then you need to optimize your site's On-SERP SEO.

Meta titles and descriptions were the only SERP elements that SEO experts could control in the past. Now, there are new ways to optimize On-SERP presence that will play a role in 2020s digital marketing trends. 

Here are a few of them:

1. Optimize for Zero-Click Searches

A zero-click result is a Google search result where answers are automatically provided to the query in the form of an automated snippet.

Increase the chances of Google featuring your site by optimizing for zero-click searches.

2. Add Schema Markup

A Schema Markup helps search engines like Google identify more information about your content and display better information in search results.

It can help your content stand out from other content that shows up on the search results page.

The benefits of using Schema Markup are:

• It boosts SEO.
• It creates rich snippets.
• It promotes a better online presence.
• It increases click-through rates.
• It enhances website ranking in search engine.

Check out Neil Patel's article about how to boost your SEO by using Schema Markup.

3. Take Advantage of Google My Business

You have to claim your Google My Business listing if you haven’t already. It’s urgent!

Consumers and others who look you up online will learn more about your business at a glance through GMB.

Claiming your GMB is also a great way to target branded searches, appear in Google Maps, and show up in the local 3-pack. 

Learn more about how to sign up and verify your GMB listing in this article.

Chatbots

Another hot 2020 digital marketing trend is the use of chatbots.

You've probably already seen or used a chatbot in the past. For those who aren't familiar with this tech, chatbots are programs built to engage with online messages or inquiries automatically.

They can be programmed to respond the same way or differently to messages containing certain words or key phrases. Chatbots are also programmed to use machine learning to adjust their replies to fit the specific situations.

A lot of businesses will continue investing in newer and more helpful chatbots. According to a study, chatbots will bring in $112B in retail sales by 2023.

It's only logical for multinational companies and even small enterprises to set aside some of their company money for chatbots.

I mean, this technology is so valuable because it helps:

• Save time and money.
• Convert leads.
• Generate revenue.
• Guide confused users to better results.
• Provide 24/7 support.
• Engage users in a unique and modern way.

Omnichannel Marketing

Omnichannel Marketing is a digital marketing trend that aims to provide customers with a 100% seamless and unified buying experience from start to finish.

Well, it simply means that each of your marketing channels would work as one to build a unified message, voice, and a brand for your company.

Today’s customers are omnichannel. They tend to hop between channels when interacting with a brand, and marketers are just beginning to react to that behavior.

Omnichannel Marketing is a very effective strategy. A study revealed that it has 250% higher purchase frequency and 90% higher customer retention rates than a single channel.

Here are actions on how to implement an effective Omnichannel Marketing strategy:

1. Get Your Whole Team on Board

To build a robust Omnichannel Marketing foundation, every single member of your team should be on board.

Everyone needs to understand that customer data is the center of operations, so always prioritize your customers.

Speaking of customer data, you could use it to:

• Send the most important message to your customers at the right place and time.
• Offer the products customers need the most.
• Keep conversations with customers consistent.

Remember that the goal of Omnichannel Marketing is to build a single brand message so your team must work together to create a better overall customer experience.

2. Analyze Data to Know More About Customers

An effective omnichannel marketing strategy means knowing your customers better.

How? By analyzing data. Follow these tips:

• Improve customer experience - Try to purchase something on your website, communicate with all of your marketing channels, and call customer service. Ask people to evaluate your customer experience.
• Collect customer feedback - Ask customers to leave feedback at several stages of the customer journey. 

Use the feedback to improve your process and know more about your customers.

3. Target and Personalize

Your brand messaging should effectively target your audience. It should speak directly to your most profitable audience.

Also, don’t forget to personalize your messages. Keep an eye on the following customer traits to appropriately target and personalize your message:

• Profile Data - demographics, age, gender, status, location, etc.
• Engagement Traits - how customers engage with specific campaigns and marketing channels.
• Buying Behaviour - what phase are they in in the customer journey, how frequently they shop, their last purchase, etc.

When you learn to target and personalize your brand message appropriately, customers would respond.

4. Test, Test, and Test Some More!

Omnichannel Marketing is no different from other 2020 digital marketing trends. To improve your strategy, you need to keep testing it.

It means testing different branding messages, headers or subject lines, content images, posting times, etc.

Testing your strategy will let you discover the perfect formula for your Omnichannel Marketing.

Programmatic Advertising

With so many digital marketing channels and advertising strategies today, no one has enough time to manage them. That's why programmatic advertising is on this list.

Programmatic advertising is the use of software to purchase digital ads based on targeting algorithms.

A report says that:

86% of all digital display ads will be bought via automated channels.

What does this mean? It means that programmatic advertising is already widely used and you need to use it now too!

Programmatic advertising could also be used to buy and sell different types of media, like display ads and out-of-home ads.

Check out The Beginner’s Guide to Programmatic Advertising to know more about this 2020 digital marketing trend.

Personalization

Personalization is going to make a big difference in 2020.

90% of American consumers found personalized content very or somewhat appealing.

44% of American consumers say they will likely repeat after a personalized shopping experience.

Why is personalization important? Because consumers, like myself want to be a part of the whole narrative. We want to be involved in the process.

As a digital marketer, I believe that personalization is important to my business because it’s an effective way to speak directly and connect to my clients.

Your business could benefit tremendously from applying this strategy. Here are a few notable benefits:

• Better customer experiences
• Better brand loyalty
• Increase in revenue
• More cross-selling and upselling opportunities
• Consistent brand messaging

And those are the digital marketing trends to watch out for in 2020!

There are many more trends that you need to follow, check out the recommended section below to learn more about them.

Recommended Digital Marketing Trends 2020 Resources

• 12 Digital Marketing Trends and Innovations in 2020
• Top 13 Digital Marketing Trends for 2020
• Hottest Digital Marketing Trends in 2020

So what do you think about this article? Which of the trends in my list are you already doing or planning to do in 2020?

Let’s talk more about it in the comments section below.

Also, if you think this article is worth SHARING, it would be a great honor.

Header courtesy of Stockunlimited.

About the Author Tim Fitzpatrick

Tim Fitzpatrick is the President of Rialto Marketing. At Rialto Marketing, we help take the guesswork out of marketing so your small business can grow. Marketing your business shouldn't be a constant challenge. If you are ready to eliminate the uncertainty and confusion of marketing your business, we can help.