Dealing with a constant change is not an easy thing. And that is what you have to deal with when you are marketing for a business. Keeping up with trends demands constant efforts and consistent hard work but it eventually pays off.
The marketing trends come and go with every algorithm update by the major search engines such as Google and Bing. If you don’t keep up with the trends, what is the worst that can happen? You will be left behind. The online world and rankings keep on changing and you have to be in the game to stay in the game.
Just like every other year, some digital marketing trends dominate others while new technologies keep on exploding onto the scene. This year has been unique from the previous ones because of the coronavirus pandemic. The world has witnessed a major shift in online businesses and engagements. Amidst the changing times, it is crucial to stay updated. Here are 10 marketing trends to pay attention to.
1. Content Is Still The King
The quote “content is king” is originally from an essay Microsoft founder Bill Gates wrote in 1996 but it still happens to be the most relatable thing for marketers. But you need to keep in mind the that future of digital marketing is short-lived and concise content. That’s because attention spans are getting shorter and people don’t like to consume too much information.
Short-content is highly popular in the form of Whatsapp status, Facebook, and Instagram stories. Millions of people around the globe are already using it. About marketing, short-lived content instills a fear of missing out and encourage quick action.
So, as a business marketer, you need to focus on short lived content without compromising on quality. Lists and infographics are the best types of content you can create. Move away from the sales pitch to educational pitch.
2. Peer Marketing Persists
Word of mouth is still one of the most reliable ways to get to businesses but there is a more efficient alternative. You guessed it right, the online reviews. In 2014, after Google’s Pigeon algorithm, reviews have taken over the world. The supremacy of the major review sites continues to persist during 2020.
More than 95% of the B2C online shoppers read reviews before making a purchase. Similarly, about 92% of the B2B customers read reviews before making a deal. It is not surprising that businesses are spending millions of dollars on their brand reputation.
Search for the popular and relevant web directories such as CItylocal Pro and add your business for better visibility across local customers.
3. Video Marketing Is Booming
The time when the blog was the only star is behind us. In 2019 there was a 25% growth in video streaming channels on YouTube and the trend has witnessed a new boom during the pandemic as millions of new channels have been made. It is highly effective in B2B space.
Experts are predicting that we will see an even higher density of video content over the years. People react much faster to visuals as compared to written information so it is going to persist for the coming years. It is hard to find a business these days without having videos a part of marketing campaigns.
4. Voice Search Has Become Mainstream
Voice search software is getting better and better over the last few years. As predicted by the marketing experts, it is one of the dominants marketing trends for the year 2020. In general, the technical marketer will be replaced by a traditional marketer over a few years.
The voice search feature of Google has been used for over 1 billion times. It is high time to optimize your website for voice searches. As you create content for voice searches, think about the phrases spoken by people. Long-tail keywords can make your journey to the zero points of SERPs quite easier.
5. Direct Messaging
All the major brands in the world are taking the conversations to DMs. In a bid to get more personal with the customers and streamlining customer service with sale assistance, direct messaging is one of the hottest trends for this year. The popularity of messaging services like Whatsapp, Facebook Messenger, and Viber has fueled this trend. It helps build stronger relationships with customers.
6. Shop-Able Posts
Businesses have long been thinking about ways to get their social media followers to be their customers. This is no longer a mystery now because of the shop-able posts. The customers don’t need to leave the site or app to make the purchase. Social commerce posts aren’t exactly new per se but they persist to be a big thing in 2020.
7. Micro-Influencers
Social media has proven itself a powerful tool for business marketing. One aspect of social media is influencer marketing. It has been a hot trend for a few years now. It is so successful that hiring a major influencer is no longer easy. A business not only needs to send a few samples for free but there is a pricing table. Businesses with smaller marketing budgets are turning towards micro-influencers. It refers to the people with narrower niches. The affordability and higher engagement rates are making this a reliable means of marketing.
8. Interactive Emails
Sending the same “template” style emails is a thing of the past. If you want your email marketing campaigns to work, it is time to focus on interactive emails. Modern emails are supposed to look and function like web pages having interactive features such as clickable buttons. Highly polished designs are proven efficient in increasing conversions.
9. Sentiment Analysis
Sentiment analysis has always been the target of business advertisers. With a few years of AI and machine learning, we are already progressing. Use sentiment analysis tools to see what people think about your business and make changes accordingly.
10. Use Of Al And Machine Learning For Advertising
Robots and artificial intelligence are designed to make your work easier. Harness their power for Ad placing, performance tracking, media buying, and whatnot.
