How Can Marketers Match Pace with Change in 2020?
The alteration of day into night and night into day is the most basic example of how our worlds revolve around change. It is what makes the world go round. But with the astounding innovations in technology, communications, and digital intervention, the age of interconnectivity is just beginning to evolve.
Our society is experiencing drastic changes. With the mindset to make life as easy as possible, we are entering an entirely futuristic era. Streamlined processes, automated tasks, a variety of alternate options, auto-suggest search, auto-complete, and whatnot are some examples of a pampered existence.
The coming generations are entirely at ease with this way of life. In fact, they demand these features. Businesses must realise is that in order to remain competitive, they must align their products and services with current trends. Additionally, they must promote these changes and offer a more personalized, more entertaining interaction.
How can marketers match the pace with change in 2020?
Business owners agree that marketing is transforming at a fast pace. They must adapt and evolve in order to continue attracting and retaining customers. As such, marketers need to be trained to become valuable digital assets. For many, acquiring further education is the ideal solution to strengthen and improve their current skill set. Whether it’s in the form of short online courses or a masters degree program, individuals can build proficiency as well as pursue better career options.
So what’s new and happening in the world of marketing?
Brands are already tracking audiences and transacting across various platforms. This is helping to build a transparent system for everyone. Gathering and interpreting consumer information is just one way to improve viewability and value.
And as data creation continues to grow, marketers can now anticipate consumer behavior and assist them with their needs. All organisations should consider taking bold steps to explore data, develop creative ways to manage teams, and devise innovative marketing strategies. This will allow them to become more efficient and competitive in the market.
As we enter the next decade, marketers need to be armed with modern marketing techniques. However, digital marketers are often scrambling to keep up with current and emerging trends. From constant updates in search algorithms to novel technological advancements, many are left wondering what to do and how to go about it.
Here are a few aspects of marketing that need to be explored further in the coming times.
1. Personalisation
Let’s begin with a topic that is already making a great deal of headway in the world on marketing. People crave one-on-one attention. But they also hate being bombarded with ads.
And 2020 is all about creating the perfect personalized online experience. Adweek.com released the results of a survey, stating that 90% of consumers found personalisation appealing.
So this is your opportunity to interact with customers in the way that they prefer.
There are several ways to match a shopper’s needs. Marketers need to create an enjoyable shopping journey for their customers. Therefore, they should consider the following:
- A personalised shopping experience by leveraging big data to curate consumer-specific product suggestions based on shopping habits, previous purchases, or browsing history.
- Segmenting email lists can help target your audience better.
- Providing related products to enhance the browsing experience.
- Linking to social media platforms to drive engagement.
- Extending alternative payment options.
2. Shoppable posts
Social media platforms are some of the most popular channels that people engage with. And it’s also an excellent, cost-effective way to target consumers directly while they follow and interact with the brand.
Loyal customers enjoy following stories and posts. This is your chance to enhance interactions with shoppable posts and creative storytelling. With shoppable links, brands can now use social media accounts as visual stores. By adding information to their images, product tags, and linking to product web pages, you can provide regular promotions geared toward your social fan base.
Not only do you get to boost brand awareness, but the hashtag campaign can reel in more visitors. And because social media allows marketers to reach customers quickly and easily, it shortens the sales funnel while enabling people to shop effortlessly.
3. Interactive content
Some 91% of consumers are seeking more visual and interactive content. What’s the reason behind this incredible demand? For starters, interactive content is different, so people are intrigued by its uniqueness. The Content Marketing Institute claims that 81% of marketers agree that interactive content helps grab a consumer’s attention more effectively than static content. Well, that’s because individuals are expecting to be wowed with new online experiences, meaning there is greater interactivity.
And because people expect something different and more engaging, visitors stay on the page longer. 66% of marketers agree that overall audience engagement increases after implementing interactive content due to its immersive nature.
So 2020 is all about leveraging interactive content, such as quizzes, polls, surveys, calculators, etc. So you can expect increased lead generation, link building, and more traffic to your site.
4. Augmented reality (AR)
Both virtual reality and augmented reality continue to fascinate users. But at the moment, virtual reality is lagging in popularity. Many brands are already implementing augmented reality into their ad campaigns, such as Sephora and Ikea.
This immersive technology is helping consumers latch onto a brand by creating a novel experience. By providing the possibility of virtual try-on, AR is an interactive and realistic way of engaging customers. It encourages customers to make a purchase, drives sales, increases revenue, and boosts brand awareness.
5. SERP Position Zero
The goal now is to score higher than #1. As you’ve already noticed, Google is offering a top-ranking search result spot, even above the ads. It is a rich-snippet of content that directly answers a search query. So now, more than 50% of searches end on Google.
Position zero is the new coveted position. If the content you create already ranks high on the first page, you have a better chance to attain this spot. The good news, you don’t even need to rank #1 on Google to get to position zero. That’s because this spot comes from organic search results that typically rank #2 through #4.
Featured snippets are not only text-based. Answers can range from charts to graphs to YouTube videos. But Google decides which content is more suitable. Needless to say, you’ll now have to work hard to optimise content for snippets.
Types of content that can help achieve better results include:
- Prices (flights, stock prices, etc.)
Answers to who, what, when, where, why questions
Keep in mind that the complexity of a search query determines the results that Google provides. If the answer is simple, Google will supply a rich set of information. However, if it’s complicated, Google could not display a featured snippet but rather the usual search results.
But, yeah, high-quality content is still as vital as ever. Not only should it communicate well with your customers, but you must also present yourself as an expert and a figure of authority for a particular topic.
Final thoughts
Competition is only going to get tougher. With all efforts focusing on a strong online presence, brands will need to get creative in order to stand out in the crowd. And when push comes to shove, you will need how to manage the pressures of the marketing world.
Customers are doing more research. They are more demanding than ever before. And with the market expanding to incorporate a global reach, you must understand and anticipate future customer trends.
Market and customer information has become more essential than in the past. And the ability to conquer and utilise the potential behind change is one of the most crucial management skills that is driving marketers towards success.