by Liz
December 10, 2019
Key Digital Trends for 2020
As we enter the new decade, one thing is certain: digital marketing is no longer a luxury for businesses.
Gone are the days of simply using Facebook for fun. More and more users are connecting with brands, researching services, and making purchasing decisions – all through social media. Social media users spend an average of 135 minutes a day on social networks (and that average is growing every day). That means that a strong online presence is now non-negotiable for brands that want to connect with their target audience.
Some of the digital trends on the 2020 horizon are new. Many, however, have been digital marketing staples for years now – and they’re only becoming more important.
1) Influencer Marketing
Audiences are becoming increasingly selective about the content they want to see online, so it should come as no surprise that roughly 30% of internet users used AdBlockers in 2019. This means that marketers need to work harder to produce engaging content that will capture the attention of their audiences. Enter: Influencers. For the uninformed, influencer marketing is a form of word-of-mouth marketing that uses brand representatives to drive your brand’s message. 92% of people trust other consumer recommendations over corporate advertising. As followers scroll through their Instagram feeds, they’re more likely to buy a pair of shoes they’ve seen their favourite fashion blogger wearing (whether they know it’s sponsored or not). According to mediakix, ad spend for influencer marketing is predicted to reach $10 billion this year. We think it’s safe to say influencer marketing isn’t going anywhere soon.
2) E-Commerce and Social Media
Speaking of influencer marketing, brands are increasingly leveraging user-generated content to promote their e-commerce products on social media – a task that is made even more convenient as the line between online stores and social media channels begins to blur more and more. Instagram officially launched shoppable posts in 2018, allowing brands to ‘tag’ products on their Instagram posts with links to their online store. In 2019, they launched Instagram Checkout. This allows users to complete their purchase on Instagram without having to switch platforms. The way we shop is changing, with user-generated content and online shopping altering the landscape irrevocably. As technology and social media races ahead at full speed, digital marketers need to make sure they keep up.
3) Emphasis on Analytics
There’s no point investing in digital marketing for your brand without the analytics to back it up. Throwing ideas blindly at the wall and seeing what sticks just simply isn’t a viable strategy in this new data-sophisticated era. By collecting and processing customer data, brands can distil valuable insights and identify opportunities. That means making use of tools like Google Analytics and Moz, installing a Facebook pixel, and keeping an eye on your Instagram insights. Even simple information (for instance, when your audiences are online) can be invaluable for digital marketing. There are many tools online, free or paid, that exist for one reason: to help brands understand their audiences better. You cannot communicate with someone if you don’t understand them. Start making use of analytics and you’ll soon start seeing positive results!
4) Generation Z Catered Content
Also known as the digitally-saturated generation, Gen Z is defined as those born from the mid-1990s to the early 2000s. While it may be easy to dismiss them, Gen Z is starting to enter the workforce and is expected to account for 40% of all customers this year. With stats like that, it’s simply short-sighted to ignore such a large chunk of your potential customer base. While Gen Z on average has an attention span of 8 seconds (that’s 4 seconds less than the Millenial average), they are far more selective about the information they engage with online. Growing up surrounded by technology, Gen Z has learnt how to filter through the deluge of information online. We predict that 2020 will see more and more marketing campaigns directed towards this new (and growing!) customer base.
(For more articles, advice, and blog posts about all things digital, make sure to read our blog)
