Top 7 trends in digital marketing this year12 min read
The beginning of the year is a good time to review the trends in digital marketing. Whether you're an expert on the topic or just want to learn more, this article will give you a clear picture of the changes in online consumer behavior. As you might expect, attention to your content is becoming increasingly scarce and you need to be creative enough to attract new followers.
1 - Internet users choose where to spend their money based on the location of businesses.
One of the driving forces in social media in 2020 will be hyperlocal marketing - the collection of data that suggests the physical location of businesses and helps nearby users find them. For example, customers who consult reviews on the web will increasingly navigate to the nearest restaurant, the nearest hairdresser, or whatever other service is a need at the time.
In 2017, Google revealed that the boom in search engine searches with the keywords "near me" had made a serious growth. This further hints at the specifics of today's consumer behaviour on the internet, which is increasingly geared towards spending minimal time and effort in travel. Businesses that underestimate the opportunity to profile themselves with an internet location will lose real chances of monetisation.
To understand where Google's interest in exploring "near me" searches comes from, it's only right to go back a few more years, when their team announced so-called Google Micro-Moments - these are the moments when people look at their mobile devices to fulfill a need - to learn something, go somewhere, do something or buy something. Consumers want what they want, when they want it - and they only engage with the brands that meet their needs in the specific moment provoked. It's no coincidence that one of Google's main pieces of advice to businesses is to saturate their presence where consumers are looking for them - for example, on Google search, social media, or even in more unconventional places we'd be hard-pressed to guess without doing detailed research into consumer journeys.
PRO adviceA: To take advantage of the "I want to" micromoments, one of the first steps you can take is to register your business with the Google My Business - the platform that allows you to create something like a small listing that sits to the right of the Google results page when users search for keywords related to your services. In it, you can include a contact phone number, hours of operation, and something very important - a map with the exact address of your business.
2 - Instagram hides "likes" on its platform, marketers will turn to alternative metrics.
You may have already heard that Instagram did a curious experiment with hiding the number of likes under posts, which only affected feathered points of the world. Well, the hiding wasn't complete as the likes continued to be visible to the authors of the posts but not to other users. This move by Instagram has been relatively well received as people are increasingly conscious of the negative effect on the human psyche brought about by the addiction to so-called likes.
However, this experimental move has created some controversy among influencers who believe that their influence will wane, as quite often they promise just a large number of likes for brands. According to some analysts, the goal of social media is to shift more budgets from influencer services to paid advertising on the platforms themselves, where a detailed report on the success of a campaign can be easily made.
However, since likes won't be such an important factor on social media, where will marketers need to focus their efforts? If you look at all 7 trends presented in this article, you'll find something in common between them - consumers' limited time to engage with your brand. They want quickly digestible information that will give them the answers they need with minimal effort. For this reason, one of the most important social metrics of 2020 will be time shared with your brand. That's right - time. How much time users spend on your website watching your video, etc.
PRO advice - In the screenshot above you can see some of the basic stats you can find in Google Analytics. One of these is Bounce Rate - the percentage of visitors to your website who leave after seeing just one page. In case you notice a high percentage (above 50%), consult your web designer and find out where the problem might be coming from.
3 - Short-lived content will continue to gain momentum.
Last year, Sony Pictures earned over 45 million impressions and over a million additional ticket purchases for movie screenings, Hubspot reports. What's interesting in this case is that this success was achieved through Snapchat content that disappears. In 2019, on the other hand, data from Statista.com shows that people engaging with Instagram Stories, in one form or another, is around 500 million per day, a fivefold increase on the same data for 2016.
It's not hard to guess why this type of content appeals to users. It disappears after just 24 hours and at the same time successfully manipulates through scarcity marketing. Content is only available for a certain amount of time and it is clear to people that they need to be quick if they want to consume it. This type of exclusivity creates additional interest and can be compared to the effect of those ads that say 'limited quantity' or 'offer valid until the end of the month'.
I present to your attention a few quick ideas for creating Instagram Stories in your strategy.
- Instagram Stories in the form of a Q/A for your followers.
- Set up sales ads on Instagram Stories via the "See more" button.
- Show "behind the scenes" footage of your event.
- Introduce your audience to your team.
- Create awareness of an upcoming product or service launch.
- Publish content that is generated by your followers.
4 - Audience segmentation will lead to more interest in certain platforms.
One platform that launched without much glamour in 2016, and just a few years later is already well known to a younger audience, is TikTok. If until now TikTok was only on the periphery of communication channels, today there is hardly a person who questions the success of the social network. TikTok allows users to record 15-second videos with a variety of content, from comedy skits and dance routines to lipsyncs and pranks.
If TikTok is emerging as one of the favorite platforms of younger audiences, the same logic will continue to segment the other popular social networks - B2B companies will continue to prefer LinkedIn, gaming communities extend to Twitch, etc. Note that this process involves the users themselves learning how each piece of content works and where it should be shared to achieve maximum levels of engagement.
PRO adviceA: The easiest way to find inspiration for your TikTok channel is by checking the clocks against some already established channels. The profiles listed above provide a great example of how any content can be reconfigured and used across different social networks.
5 - Increased attention to the impact of social media on our lifestyles.
According to smartinsights.com, about 45% of the total population on the planet now uses social media. Brands have long known that they can find potential customers on the web and target them based on various behavioral metrics. But despite the statistics, 2020 is bringing a surprising trend - people are starting to take a break from social media, even deleting apps from their phones.
The reasons for this "escape" from social networks are basically two: 29% of people say they feel overwhelmed, while 27.2% of them say they feel addicted. Both reasons gravitate around increased attention to people's mental health and better awareness of the negative impact social networks can have on our lifestyles.
What are the challenges of this social media detox? Again, I draw attention to consumers' reduced and selective attention to information on the internet. It is important for brands to identify well their consumer group and especially the online spaces their followers visit. Precise targeting is more important than ever.
6 - Every user is now online TV.
You've probably come across profiles that broadcast live content on social networks and made the assumption that their investment isn't like a Hollywood production. In fact, it doesn't take much to start your own online show anymore. There are plenty of quality webcams that shoot in 1080p, as well as free software like OBS that you can use to bring your videos to life. If you want to further upgrade your studio, be sure to pay attention to lighting and sound as well.
The statistics are also curious. A 2018 Nielsen report says 42% of America's population streams video content online, a significant increase of 25% from 2017. Video streaming is making a real splash in China, where users reached 425 million in 2018, and by 2021, this industry is expected to equal $70.5 billion, according to livestream.com. It is not superfluous to remind that the video format is one of the most preferred for consumption by consumers.
PRO adviceA: If you have decided to buy a webcam to stream from home or a studio, I recommend the following model - Logitech C922. The price is quite reasonable as well as the quality you will get. The camera is specifically tailored for gamers who want to stream, and it also has a built-in microphone and software that you can use to adjust the picture quality.
7 - People trust real opinions, not messages from brands.
We live in a TripAdvisor world where every consumer first checks for reviews on the internet before making a purchase. Word-of-mouth advertising benefits from social networks and the viral effect they create. The question is whether we can identify people who want to talk about our brand and how to help them do so more effectively. These brand ambassadors are not only our customers, but also our employees or partners.
Marketing circles are increasingly talking about advocacy - an offshoot of marketing that puts a special emphasis on the customer's experience after buying from our brand - whether they were satisfied, whether they got a chance to return feedback, whether we included them in our loyalty program, whether they have enough space to interact with other fans of the brand, and most of all whether they are ready to talk about us.
At the core of advocacy marketing is building strong relationships, putting the customer at the center of our business development. Sometimes even small gestures like a voucher for a nice coffee or a simple mention in the weekly newsletter can make all the difference. There are also well-designed software that can help you gamify communication with your brand ambassadors and make them feel part of your team.
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