We are already halfway into 2020, and the new decade is forcing marketers to rethink their digital marketing approach.

According to eMarketer, “The ad spend on digital platforms, worldwide, is predicted to reach over $375 billion by 2021.”

Technology has successfully transformed our world into a global village comfortably bringing together people from diverse cultures and countries. The digital era has enabled seamless information sharing than ever before. To keep businesses competitive in the current online landscape, one must harmonize with the rapidly developing changes in digital marketing.

Eventually, Digital Darwinism is a harsh certainty. If businesses don’t adapt, they will undoubtedly be left behind. Read on to uncover the digital marketing trends to be ready for in 2020 and even beyond.

Chatbots Take Off

This AI-based technology follows instant messaging to chat in real-time, to communicate with customers and website visitors. They are responsive 24/7, can accurately recollect your entire interaction history, and of course, do not lose patience. Besides, a chatbot is also cost-effective and delivers unbiased and transparent information to customers.

Good Content and Context Continue to Matter

Advice from Google, “Instead of pursuing the newest SEO patterns, it would be better to make sure a website has fast speeds, helpful links, and well-formulated content.”
Content marketing will remain a significant element of digital marketing, albeit there’s an increasing emphasis on refinement in content. While the quality remains the hero, there’s an increased emphasis on the context and targeting. There isn’t a quick fix – keep in mind that your website is not just algorithms but created for people. Know why people come to your website, and what is their intention? Address their queries as lucidly as possible and plan the information in a plausible fashion. When you write for people, you will see success.

Personalize – Move Past the First Name

In the words of Dale Carnegie, “a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.”

Personalization is indeed an essential component of a successful digital marketing campaign in 2020. According to Gartner, by the end of 2020, at least 90% of online advertisers will begin utilizing marketing personalization in some form or shape. Furthermore, by 2021 there will be a substantial increase in completely personalized websites.

Video is not an Option, Anymore

In a mobile-dependent world, people are watching more video than ever before. Video marketing is a high- appealer, mainly if it’s live video. Live streaming is a robust approach to digital marketing when merged with influencer marketing. Social media influencers such as celebrities, athletes, and musicians hold a live stream for audiences allowing for direct interaction and more significant opportunity to influence and engage.

Voice-Powered Search Accelerates

Voice assistants like Siri, Google, Alexa, and various other ‘smart’ devices help users search for things, read text aloud, and even dictate text messages so that you can remain hands-free. Verbal interaction with tools is continuing to rise. In a mobile-friendly movement, voice search is also essential when using it for your business as it adds value to local SEO. Voice search also upgrades the application of artificial intelligence and emphasizes semantics of searches. To seize the opportunity, use longer keywords and complete sentences and employ conversational tone, pretty similar to how you would ask a casual question to a friend.

Focus on customer retention

In the years to come, companies will shift focus from getting new customers to maintaining their existing ones. A business fact remains that it takes less money to keep existing customers happy when compared to gaining new customers so that enterprises can put more effort into the middle and last stages of the buyer’s journey.

Get involved, or you will stay behind

John F. Kennedy said, “Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.”

The list shared is non-exhaustive in nature. From the infiltration of AI to Neuromarketing and from omnichannel marketing to marketing in messaging apps – things are moving fast in the digital marketing world. Businesses cannot afford to stay still. The tech-savvy millennials and post-millennials want to connect with brands in newer and exciting ways that make the customer engagement more comfortable and more pleasant.

It’s time to step-up. Which of these digital marketing tactics will you favor first?