How is digital marketing going to change in 2020

Digital marketing refers to advertising delivered through digital channels such as search engines, websites, social media, email, and mobile apps. Over the last few years, online advertising has become a sought-after medium for advertisers to reach and engage their audience. By 2021, the worldwide digital ad spend is predicted to reach over $375 billion.

Just like technology, digital marketing trends also keep evolving. You need to adapt and implement these trends in order to be relevant.

Read on to discover digital marketing trends for 2020 that will enable your business to not just survive, but thrive in this age of automation and innovation.

1. The usage of chatbots will increase

A chatbot is an AI powered software that is capable of initiating a conversation with the user in natural language. The usage of chatbots has been on the rise for quite some time now. With more and more brands using them on their website and app, the chatbot market will explode in 2020. A report published by Transparency Market Research projects that the global chatbot market will reach USD 2,358.2 million by 2027.

The usage of chatbots in digital marketing will not only save time, but also increase customer satisfaction. Customer satisfaction will have a direct positive impact on conversions and lead generation.

In 2020 more and more brands will start leveraging private messaging apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber, Threema, etc. to interact with potential and existing customers. Instead of sending emails that often end up in spam, advertisers will utilize private messaging that will be more impactful in driving sales and conversions.

3. Personalization is the future of digital marketing

According to Gartner, in 2020 at least 90% of online advertisers will start using marketing personalization in some shape or form. Personalization is a marketing technique in which data and technology are leveraged to deliver customized messages and relevant products to the target audience. Customer data points like age, gender, location, interest, income and purchase triggers are considered. Brands like Netflix, Amazon, Nike, Starbucks, Target, Cadbury’s and Spotify have already started employing personalized marketing.

4. Voice searches will increase

There’s no denying that voice is the future. The innovation of smart devices and voice assistants has already started transforming the way consumers search for things. Search, content, marketing, advertising and commerce are being impacted industry-wide as consumers transform the way they interact with brands. That’s why, it has become crucial for advertisers and marketers to incorporate voice search optimization to their digital marketing strategy.

5. Dominance of artificial intelligence

In 2020, artificial intelligence will dominate the digital marketing industry. It will help brands in analyzing consumer behavior, search patterns, and understand how customers find their products and services.

6. The popularity of video marketing will increase

Video marketing is one of the most important marketing trends today and is likely to remain so for the next few years. According to Animoto, 58% of the consumers trust a brand with videos more than a brand without. Video content is well-liked because of how easy it is for your existing and potential audience to absorb the information being shown in it. According to Insivia 95% of the consumers retain a message they see as compared to only 10% of them when they read it.

7. Ad spends on influencer marketing will increase

A Mediakix study predicts that the ad spend for influencer marketing could reach $10 billion by next year. The reason for this is that 63% of the consumers trust influencers’ opinions of products much more than what brands say about themselves. That’s why more and more brands will be turning to digital influencers to market their products and services.

8. Content marketing will continues to dominate SEO

With Google continuing to value regularly updated and well-researched articles, brands and marketers will continue to invest heavily in content marketing throughout 2020. According to a survey done by the Content Marketing Institute, 88% of B2B content marketers feel that quality content makes their audience view their brand as a credible and trusted resource.

9. Omnichannel marketing will continue to grow

Omnichannel marketing is the process of marketing across multiple platforms (such as email, apps, blogs, website, social media, etc.) so that you can connect with your existing and potential audience on more touchpoints. Stats show that omnichannel approach generates better results than single channel approach in terms of engagement rate, purchase frequency, average order value and customer retention rates.

10. Use of Geo-Fencing in digital marketing will increase

With geo-fencing, brands and advertisers can target their audience based on their real-time location. The target area is pre-defined and when a user enters or leaves this area, they receive a text message, push notification, email or any other form of communication. By 2023, the geo-fencing market is expected to grow to $2.4 billion.

11. Progressive web apps (PWAs) will become even-more prevalent

As the mobile revolution continues, progressive web apps are going to become even-more popular. Progressive web apps are like native mobile apps that combine the best of web and mobile apps. They can work offline and have a fast load time.

Conclusion

If you are a digital marketer, it’s important to know about current marketing trends. Only then can you efficiently optimize your digital marketing campaign. If you’re able to implement all or some of the above mentioned strategies as a part of your digital marketing campaign, you are sure to be successful.