“Uff…Somehow we got over it” this would have been our mind voice on the last day of 2020. No one would have expected 2020 to end like this. The entire world was locked behind the doors. Most of the businesses were stunned without any sales nor income. But still, in this challenging situation, very few companies managed to run successfully. The leading cause for the success of these companies like escape room is digital marketing. Since most of the works around the world were carried out online, digital marketing made people’s jobs easier. Many brands used this strategy wisely and tried their best to advertise their products in every possible way. What is digital marketing?
Digital marketing uses the internet and other online-based digital technologies such as laptops, mobile phones, and other social media platforms to advertise. Here are some of the trending digital marketing platforms in 2020.
- SMART SPEAKERS AND VOICE SEARCH:
People’s perspective has changed over the years. They find it very difficult to type in order to search for something online. Perhaps the rise of smart speakers such as Google Home or Amazon Echo, and Alexa. According to the statistics, only 36 million smart speakers were sold in 2019 and 33 million the year before. But in 2020, over 72 million smart speakers were sold in the market.
Customers find it easy to receive personalized tips, information reviews, and promotions through their smart voice-activated speakers. From cosmetics to regular grocery purchasing, buyers use smart speakers to find knowledge on stocks and place their orders. Nearly half of the consumers use their smart speakers regularly. Voice searches are used for simple doubts like an address, product rating, and even tracking. In the upcoming years, voice search voice searches can change the nature of SEO, competition, and web traffic. You’ll need to consider a voice strategy in the coming years.
Instagram’s meteoric growth has already surpassed 1 Billion users. Though a lot of applications are developed, only a few succeed in captivating people’s attention. But, Instagram has multiplied rapidly in a short period. It is the main attraction to advertise the products to young people, especially under 30.
Instagram feeds customers with products based on their searches and likings. Our human psychology is to believe everything that our favorite stars suggest. So, many companies collaborate with Insta-models, movie stars, and celebrities to advertise their products. This marketing helped many start-up brands reach out to a vast population all over the world.
- SMART BILLBOARDS:
We all would have heard about ubiquitous billboards. But smart billboards are something unique and are considerably experiencing a renaissance of late. Advertisers have become more innovative and creative. They have incorporated augmented reality (AR) elements, virtual reality (VR), and live updates.
These billboards are capable of customizing themselves according to the surrounding. For example, like its snow-activated ad, which says, “It’s snowing, we’re pouring. The fun part is that people could swipe the billboards to view the menu card and make a donation by tapping their payment card on the billboard.
- VIDEO ADVERTISING
The swivel to video will continue in 2021, but this should come as no wonder. According to a recent poll, over 7.1% of brands create a video to promote their products. It is a ridiculous statistic once you think about how much time and effort goes into making a video instead of graphics or copy! But the result is excellent. It pays off the amount of time spent. According to Forbes, over 91% of people prefer video content over a text-based document.
YouTube has undeniably become a booming platform to advertise the products in a video form to the customers. Many companies have collaborated with the top YouTubers to promote their products.
- CONTENT OR TEXT-BASED MARKETING:
Though thousands of methods may arise and rule over the entire marketing world, text-based markets indeed have their value. Content marketing remains a vital element of digital marketing, although there’s an increasing emphasis on the content difference. Messaging apps like WhatsApp, Facebook, and Twitter play a key role in reaching out to people in various places. As Google is getting smarter daily, only contents with in-depth, authentic, and latest content is aligned closely with user intention. Companies must have this in mind as they design new content in 2020.
- LIVE VIDEO FOR A PERSONAL CONNECT:
We’ve already seen the video as a tool for advertisement. Now, the trend is moving to live video, custom streaming through many existing channels such as Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. Watching a live video saves a lot of time. People prefer to find about the product details over reading a long article. Live video content is starting to have a significant influence on customer behavior. Live video offers a sensation of confidence and importance, especially if the content is fleeting. Many companies use 360-degree videos to explain clearly the brand and its ambiance. It helps in maintaining the bond between the buyer and the owner.
- BRAND INTEGRITY
We already know how bad online reviews can ruin a name and how dissatisfied customers sharing negative experiences on social media platforms can affect. Even beyond consumer experience, companies need to work ethically in each phase of their business. Brand integrity abruptly means your action on climate change, performance beyond media channels, and inclusivity. It gives a new kind of story for marketing. The company tells its narration about denying to move carrying weed or pistols or tweets out support for a human rights campaign.
- ONLINE SHOPABLE CONTENT:
Brand marketers are still retaining a solid place in any good advertising strategy. The customers receive recommendations of products based on their searches. And shoppable content is communicative, personalized, with a reduced buyer’s journey.
Many shoppable platforms such as Flipkart, Amazon, and Meesho experienced a massive profit in 2020. And here’s the exciting news: shoppable content isn’t just for owners anymore! It’s becoming increasingly relevant and popular for professionals to link you to schedule a meeting through video content.
- INTERACTIVE CONTENT
Interactive content is everything that customers can swipe, click, or communicate with online. According to an online platform, 94% of marketers consider interactive content extremely efficient at educating buyers.
In 2020, more companies experimented with interactive content varieties, such as polls and polls, Augmented reality ads, and 360-degree videos.
Nowadays, customers prefer this type of interesting, fun, and memorable content from companies, as it helps them feel more united with the brand
- CHATBOTS
Chatbots are artificial intelligence (AI) applications that act as a virtual “caretaker,” interacting with users and achieving their goals. Chatbots naturally communicate with humans, initially through text chat windows and verbal interactions. It provides Instant responses to customer queries. More than 81% of businesses started to use chatbots in 2020 and have found that over 45% of consumers prefer to ping an online chatbot than to contact customer service.
These are some of the digital marketing trends in 2020. Pause for a second, and analyze. Are you ready to run the race in this digital world? If not, update yourselves for a better result!
