Marketing tactics are constantly on the minds of digital marketers across the globe, especially considering how often things change. New marketing trends seem to appear out of nowhere and can happen yearly, quarterly and sometimes even monthly. These trends affect a brand’s marketing tactics or techniques in terms of how to attract, connect and market to a target audience.

There’s no denying that we are moving toward a world where technology will form an integral part in every aspect of our daily lives. It’s not enough to only keep updated as real success comes from staying ahead of the changing marketing trends. With the New Year just around the corner, what are the best marketing tactics for 2020?

Essential Marketing Tactics For 2020

There have been countless developments in technology that have ignited the digital marketing industry. Brands can now understand their users better than ever before thanks to improved data tracking and analytics. Not only does this result in more accurate information but also promotes personalisation.

Your brand’s digital marketing strategy for 2020 should include an understanding of various disciplines as focusing on one or two marketing tactics won’t suffice. Here is what you need to know about online marketing in 2020.

Deep Understanding Of Local And International SEO

Much has changed since Google local started in 2004 as the SEO tides have been shifting. Local results are overshadowing content that used to rank well nationally which only pushes older content lower in search engine rankings.

Global SEO involves targeting key phrases and traffic within a global environment while local SEO modifies targeted search terms to include a specific region. International SEO is more difficult as the competition for key phrases involves every website in that sector.

You need to plan carefully as a well-balanced SEO strategy for international and local search could be the best option. Understanding where your brand should optimise for local and global search will help avoid losing existing SEO traction. At the same time, it will help beat the competition who have failed to keep up with this marketing trend.

More Emphasis On Click-Through Rates

Speaking of SEO, you can expect Google RankBrain to place even more emphasis on click-through rates in search results. It will no longer only be about creating quality content and getting backlinks but more about convincing them to click your content. If you’re concerned about this change, we’ve listed a few important pointers on increasing search rankings using Google Search Console.

• Optimising content is not a one-off task and should be done on an ongoing basis
• Connect Google Search Console to your website and improve click-through rates with the detailed performance reports
• Try to include the whole search term as close to the beginning of the title as possible
• Include the keywords in your meta description as it will appear in bold, making your result stand out more
• Improve pages with a CTR of under 3%, especially those with a high number of impressions

Create A Content Marketing Funnel

For most brands, content marketing success is when a prospect finds content, engages with it and converts into a sale or a hot lead. However, there is more to the story than that. Content marketing is exceptionally valuable when it supports the entire buyer’s journey. This means from the top of the funnel to conversion, sale and continued customer support turning them into brand ambassadors.

Identify different areas where your content can add more value to a client’s experience throughout their journey with your brand. Content is king and this trend will continue in 2020 which brings us to video marketing and interactive content.

Recommended Read: ‘Increase Traffic And Conversions With Quality Content Marketing’

Video Content Continues To Attract Attention

Most people respond better to visual content which makes video an integral digital marketing tool now, and in 2020. On average, live videos on Facebook Live and Instagram Live will keep people watching three times longer than recorded videos. Facebook Live videos generate six times as many interactions as traditional videos while the average daily watch time has increased significantly over the last few years.

When it comes to YouTube, put more focus on long-form, educational videos. Short videos still have their place and perform really well but follow the expert’s advice and consider including long-form, educational-type videos (10+ minutes) in your marketing strategy. The key to success on YouTube is to create something that your audience really needs and wants to watch.

What About 360^o Videos?

By now you must’ve heard about 360^o videos with their interactive nature offering a totally different experience. They are incredibly powerful at keeping your audience engaged as the immersive content takes full advantage of a full-range, 360^o view. These videos might still be relatively new but they will continue to make an impact in 2020. Not only are they spectacularly engaging but they also make it easier to stand out in congested social media feeds.

Take a look at this stunning 360^o video showing a Virtual Tour of Leckhampton Court Hospice as highlighted in an earlier article.

Use A Content Intelligence Platform

Content intelligence, as defined on Wikipedia, “is a strategy that uses artificial intelligence systems and software to process content data into reliable insights about the effectiveness of a business’ content.”

Using insights from content intelligence platforms such as Ceralytics or Vennli will enable brands to quickly identify topics that their target audience really cares about. It highlights their true pain points, future topics they will engage with and the best-converting topics.

Content Intelligence platforms also make sure that you can measure your metrics on the go. The information is available in real-time allowing you to make adjustments to your strategy to help get meet your end goals. Furthermore, the software also identifies how you compare to your competitors in terms of topics and any shortcomings that they are already exploiting.

Chatbots Are On The Rise

Did you know that 67% of consumers worldwide have used a Chatbot for customer support? While many people prefer working with a real human, Chatbots have proven their value time and time again providing availability and quick answers. They are invaluable in a customer support setting and can even assist in lead generation.

Chatbots help potential customers understand more about a brand by answering direct questions quicker than a customer support agent. Getting fast responses without feeling pressured by a salesperson can help drive more prospects into hot leads.

By including Chatbots on your site, you can automate tasks and assist your customers better and faster. Chatbots are possible thanks to artificial intelligence which continues to improve every day. It helps the software understand more complex requests, personalise responses and improve interactions over time.

Recommended: ‘The Power Of AI In Marketing Automation’

Marketing Trends Part One Conclusion

You may think it’s too early to start looking at 2020 marketing trends but it’s really not. In fact, the sooner you start planning and upgrading your 2020 marketing strategy, the better for your brand. There’s no time like the present to start experimenting with Chatbots, content intelligence software and Google Search Console.

Doing a few experiments now and getting good data points will help you buy, implement and take advantage of any new tools and tactics. Take the leap and add some of these tactics to your 2020 marketing plan. It’s not the end though as Part Two of Marketing Trends 2020 will reveal more about Voice Search, Types of Online Content, Mobile and Desktop Optimisation and Personalisation.

Get in touch with WSI eMarketing if you need expert services and advice on getting your brand ready for 2020.