As 2019 draws to a close and 2020 looms on the horizon we take a look back at the trends of the last year to see what is worth getting on board with next year!
Video is still the way to go
We’ve known video is important for a few years now and that ain’t changing any time soon! In fact, 50% of consumers say the content they want to see most from brands is video and with high-quality video equipment right at our fingertips (smartphones we love you), there’s no excuse not to utilise it. However, it is worth investing some time into learning how to make a good marketing video.
One slight difference to the trend is the importance of live video and the need to jump onboard at places like Facebook or Instagram live, and even Twitch or Youtube if you’re feeling adventurous. If you’re concerned about not having much of a following yet grab a spot on an influencer’s live stream where you’re likely to reach a new audience as you start to build your own.
These aren’t just any influencers, they’re micro-influencers
You’ll have all heard of influencers by now (if not we’re seriously worried about you), but 2019 has seen a change in the trend of influencer marketing.
Big names and celebrities are old news and the micro-influencers are in. A micro-influencer is a social media user who has found their niche and sticks to it. This means their audiences are far more targeted than the bigger names and picking the right one for your brand can open you up to a very targeted audience.
Email marketing isn’t what I used to be
Gone are the days of a blanket newsletter, as AI becomes more successful email campaigns are shifting to focus on consumer’s habits.
Specific triggers are the key with buyer’s habits prompting various tactics which are designed to encourage a sale. For example, brands are sending a demo video of a product left in a consumer’s basket straight to their inbox or a reminder of a sale coming up on products related to what they’ve previously bought. All this information we now have access to about users should guide the way we contact them, aim to cut down on unwanted junk mail and instead craft purposeful interactions.
Prepare for the voice search
As products such as the Alexa, Siri and Bixby become ever more popular we are seeing a change in the way searches are conducted. Simply put when a voice search is completed the question is phrased differently to a typed search, not only this but the results a smart assistant brings back are often limited to 1-3 answers rather than a full page of results.
This means as website owners we need to start putting in some research to optimise for speech, looking at SEO and meta-descriptions to ensure they make sense when reading aloud and doubling down our efforts to climb the search engine ranks.
Advertise…Natively
Forget banner ads! Another trend worth noting is Native Advertising, this is an advert that instead of standing out and shouting “look at me” blends into its surroundings and fits in with host’s look and feel.
A clever tool which allows the consumer to be more inclined to consume, Native Adverts don’t feel like advertising. Host’s such as entertainment websites regularly feature Native Ads which fit in with their style of article, but are written by brands advertising their products. You can also find this kind of ad on social media as guest posts on other brands feeds.
The rise of the Chatbot
According to HubSpot, consumers expect a response in 10 minutes or less to an inquiry, and unless you have a whole troop of customer service staff, you know that meeting that expectation isn’t possible for most companies. That’s where Chatbots come to the rescue!
The trend of adding a Chatbot window to a website has seen a rise in 2019, and it’s no surprise. Not only do they encourage consumers to get in touch in a way that suits them, but it also provides a personalised interaction without the need to pull on human resources.
Chatbots are powered by AI which allows them to respond in a personalised way to various questions and provide the information consumers are looking for quickly, and as we all know a satisfied customer is a happy customer.
VR and AR for visualisation
There are many companies starting to utilise VR and AR to enhance consumers shopping experiences. Virtual reality means viewing a computer-generated, lifelike scenario. Augmented reality means viewing the real world augmented with computer-generated additions.
Some examples of this in action is 360° video on Facebook (VR), or CoverGirl’s Virtual Makeover app which lets you try on makeup through your phone (AR). These tools can be used to enhance a consumer’s experience and try before they buy with ease, at the moment the technology will cost a pretty penny but this is certainly a trend to what in 2020.
2019 saw a lot of change to the marketing scene, mainly focused around the advancements in AI and consumer analytics. We predict these aspects will only continue to improve in the coming year so get your data wellies on and start sifting through your leads, let’s give those consumers the personalised experience they deserve!
Do you have a 2020 marketing strategy? Let us know in the comments what you’ve had great success within 2019 and what you can expect for your business next year.
Also, feel free to get in touch for a chat about your marketing plans for 2020 – hello@colourinmedia.com.