As a digital marketing agency, we still haven’t figured out if we love or hate the ever-changing nature of SEO and online marketing. Just as you’ve cracked a new method, Google moves the goalposts once more. Perhaps it’s a sort of love-hate relationship with a partner who’s always keeping you on your toes. It means that you can’t be complacent or stagnant; you have to mix things up, be spontaneous and—in this case—relevant
Which is why we are going to be looking at some of the hottest digital marketing trends for 2020. What can you do to stay up-to-date and ahead of the curve? Let’s have a look, shall we?
Messaging is the new method
In the early stages of its development, instant messages from businesses felt rather invasive and it would put many people off, however, that is changing. In fact, we can expect to see a sharp increase in SMS, Messenger & WhatsApp. That’s not to say that Email Marketing is a thing of the past (it’s always important to diversify your digital marketing strategy), it’s just that the way in which businesses interact with customers is becoming more and more ‘personal’.
If you’d like to start exploring this new trend, why don’t you optimise your Social Media platforms to send an instant message to visitors asking how you can help, and gauge how it affects your interactions?
Businesses need to provide immediate information
We live in a digitalised world where everything seems to be taking a ‘now or never’ turn. The more access we have to information, the faster and easier we want it. Thus, businesses who wish to keep up and thrive in the future, must be able to provide their audience with instant information and an answer to all of their questions.
According to Google, mobile queries with the words “best” and “right now” have increased by 125%; with “near me” or “where to buy” growing by over 200%. Those are staggering numbers, though in all honesty, we’ve all searched something along a similar vein, so it shouldn’t come as too big a surprise.
If you’d like to keep up with the ever-increasing demand for answers, then why don’t you try populating your website with a thorough FAQ section? Make a list of the most common questions that you get asked as a business and build from there.
Content inclusivity is on the rise
Content inclusivity is the digital equivalent installing a disabled ramp outside your store. It’s about making your content more accessible to those with various impairments. For example: adding subtitles to your video content for those with a hearing impairment, and similarly, creating an audio version of your written blog posts for those who are visually impaired.
For more information on this, you can refer to WCAG and the Web Accessibility Initiative. There you will be able to learn more about the four principles of modern content: perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust.
Data interpretation has never been more important
Especially in a digital marketing environment, being able to study and interpret data has never been more important than it is today. Having the opportunity learn, understand and predict behaviours through analytical data can help you make shrewd marketing decisions.
Whether you have an in-house marketing team, or you outsource your digital marketing to a third-part agency, this is still something that you need to be aware of. It may even be worth communicating with your marketing specialists and asking them to prepare a monthly report with predictions and recommended actions for you to review.
Tighten your privacy policies and bolster digital well-being
In this modern digital age, people are becoming more and more conscious of their safety online. When you think back on how many websites you’ve signed up to over the years and how much information you’ve shared, it can feel rather unsettling—I for one have lost count.
Fortunately, many companies like Google are taking steps towards allowing customers to customise how their ads are displayed. In addition to that, websites are being forthright about things like “cookie collection” and other privacy related issues, so that visitors have the option to decline and leave should they not wish to give up any private information.
You may have also noticed websites like YouTube send a “take a break” reminder if you’ve spent a bit too much time binging videos of cats being clumsy. This is a new drive towards raising industry standards and promoting sensible internet usage.
Conclusion
As you can see, there seems to be a strong shift towards inclusivity, privacy, convenience and well-being. Thus, if you wish to thrive in the future and remain a modern and relevant business, then you should pay close attention to these trends and take steps towards optimising your online presence to accommodate them.
If you would like to know more about how we can help you stay ahead of the curve, then please do not hesitate to contact us today. As a modern digital marketing agency, we are always striving towards new methods and innovations that can give you the competitive edge in your industry.