By: Caroline Berryman, CMMP—Editor-in-Chief
With a new decade, we can expect continued advancements in innovation and new technology which will help marketers expand their toolbox with new tactics to engage with their customers. Here are some marketing trends to look out for in 2020.
The most interesting marketing trend this year may be the rise of voice searches on devices like Google Home or Amazon Echo or Alexa. According to Statistica, there were likely 36 million smart speakers sold in 2019 and 34 million the year before. From specialty items to regular grocery shopping, customers are using smart speakers to find information about products and place orders. Nearly half are using their smart speakers daily for things like personalized tips, promotions and event notifications.
In the future, voice search will change the nature of Search Engine Optimization (SEO), web traffic, competition, and brand strategies. This will be an essential tactic in any marketer’s toolbox.
There’s no question that marketing and customer service go together and the concept of Customer Experience (CX) is gaining momentum across all sectors. A true brand experience includes exceptional customer service and relationship building that requires dedicated investment to create a positive experience, which will engage customers with added value. Marketing of the future won’t be able to exclude CX from their marketing plans.
Video as a tool for engagement is still on the rise and now the trend is toward live video, streaming content from many already existing channels (Instagram Stories, Facebook Live, etc.). Consumers prefer to watch live videos over reading blogs or a social posts and shoppable video content is starting to have a big influence on buyer behavior.
A brand can be quickly damaged by poor online reviews and angry customers sharing it on their social media channels. Even beyond customer experience, brands are expected to behave ethically in every aspect of their business, and brand integrity extends now to its action on climate change, inclusivity, and behavior across social channels. It’s a new narrative for marketing, where a company can support for important issues simply by tweeting it.
Brand influencers are integral to a strategic marketing strategy. They can produce shoppable content which means their audiences feel like they’re receiving a personal recommendation for a product or service. Shoppable content is interactive and personalized, as well as instant.
When we look at marketing trends for 2020, we can’t ignore the issue of customer privacy and data security. The significant amount of data that fuels our analytics and strategies also come with some huge safety risks. Most of our social media channels are labelled as high risk for data breaches, and most cybersecurity professionals predict their own companies will experience a major security breach at some point in the year. Consumers are smarter and more informed than ever about their own data privacy and what they expect from businesses. They want brands to care about their privacy and personal data security.
As we continue to evolve with new technology, marketers must continue to keep an eye on trends to ensure they have the tools to effectively communicate with their audiences. There are so many channels to reach customers today and the best marketing plans will include a multitude of tactics to be successful.