The landscape of digital marketing doesn’t stand still for long, and as most marketers know, if we don’t continually monitor it, there’s a chance of falling behind on the next wave of innovation. With this in mind, we’ve put together a shortlist of digital trends that were popular this year and are likely to drive future strategies.
Marketing Automation
Running an online business is becoming more complex year on year. As AI develops and analytics tools become more sophisticated, there is less need for humans to do the heavy lifting, if you call trawling your brand’s online data, heavy lifting. But it can be time consuming and unnecessary when you consider some of the advances in automation technology that are emerging.
Repetitive tasks such as email marketing, social media posting, and campaigns can now be effectively run by marketing programs eliminating the need for personnel. But efficiency is not the only goal of marketing automation; it can also provide a more personalized service to customers using integrated systems and big data processes.
Despite the clear benefits of marketing automation software, there are some downsides. Many marketers believe there is less work to do when generating leads because of its popularity and success. The automation software is excellent for the middle of the funnel and for customer retention but doesn’t necessarily generate new leads to work with. Marketers tend to buy lists instead.
But this is a relatively small issue for marketing automation, which will continue to develop and roll outpost 2020. Tools such as Hubspot and ActiveCampaign are extremely popular, offering high-end services and a supportive community. With new automation software coming out all the time and it’s levels of sophistication rising, it makes good sense to use it in your marketing strategy.
Video Marketing
The need for a video marketing strategy for brand campaigns is not a new idea. Video is an excellent way to put the information across quickly and give your brand some personality. In the past, video was used in the context of a campaign, with supporting elements around it. The big change now is that video has become central to campaign strategy.
How has this happened? As social channels have evolved, the development of video has been significant. Video clips are easy to watch, hold an audience’s attention, and can be advertised on very easily. Much like how television took over from radio or video extended the television capabilities, the medium is now helping to evolve the internet.
This means that if brands aren’t building their campaigns around video, they are missing out and likely falling behind their competitors. Video marketing strategies take many forms; they can be aimed at search engines or social media accounts. The type of strategy you develop will be based on your campaign goals, and sales funnel types. In general, however, the videos must show off your product, such as bluing tablets in an engaging and enterprising way.
Video marketing has been growing under the surface for some time now, and 2020 has seen an explosion of video content, both amateur and professional. From now on, video will likely be the driving force for brands looking to reach customers in an authentic way and draw them into their sales funnel.
Interactive Content
Interactive content is the logical extension of traditional content, utilizing technology’s capabilities to create more engaging experiences for users. Examples of this might include Infographics, embedded videos in blog posts, quizzes and activities, and polls to vote on. Although it isn’t the avant-garde of technology, it does use what is available to good effect.
Interactive Infographics, for instance, are an excellent way for marketers to condense information and data about a product into a concise visual experience for audiences. Audiences love this kind of visual data, which presents information in an easy to digest format. Add to this the interactive element, and you have even more engagement and connection with your customer.
Video gaming is a multi-billion dollar industry. It’s not hard to see why; people love to play games, especially online video games, so it was only a matter of time before marketers started to harness this power highly engaging interactive format. Video games on websites and in apps can build links, create a buzz on social channels, and generate leads. They are also becoming less costly to develop.
As we move from 2020 into the next decade, a decade set to be characterized by more digital innovation and maturity, interactive content will also become more commonplace. Reading blog posts and articles will still be popular and relevant, but audiences will come to expect more interaction with them in a more multimedia environment.
AR/VR
It’s easy to think of virtual reality as a thing of the past; it has come and gone more times over the decades than any other technology. However, the persistence of VR does prove it has something to offer, and as we move into a new decade, it’s clear that Altered Reality and Virtual Reality will have a part to play.
One of the reasons AR/VR failed in the past was because of user discomfort. Nobody wanted to wear giant helmets and interactive suits for a cinema experience or even for a game at home. It was simply too much hassle. However, the technology has always been somewhat eye-opening and has continued to advance over the years. Now helmets and suits are becoming a thing of the past, and AR/VR is becoming a reality.
Chatbots & AI
The future of customer relationships is not about developing better service strategies but developing better AI. The emergence of Chatbots in 2020 signals the start of a new way of interacting with customers. They reduce the need for overseer personnel and still provide a high-quality customer experience. Even customers love chatbots for their non-invasive helpfulness.
The chatbot technology has developed considerably in recent years and is definitely a popular trend going forward. There is already a wide range of chatbot technology you can access for your business and install quite easily. When choosing chatbot software, consider what type of customers you have and what kind of service they would respond to. Different chatbot software offers different solutions.