2019 is coming to an end, we saw good times and bad times, but we choose to remember the good and learn from the bad. Looking forward to the new opportunities and challenges, we peer into 2020 and highlight four crucial digital marketing trends that marketers should be thinking about.

Conversational Marketing

Conversational digital marketing uses targeted messaging and intelligent chatbots to engage with people when they’re on your website. It is just so much better than email, forms and any other way of not-instant-respond communication. People love to chat because it is fast, easy, feels like a real conversation but lacks the need for constant attention and … well, speaking. It is stress-free and user-friendly – two things that the modern used deeply appreciates. This is why smart businesses will focus on this form of marketing over the next year, making the user path and experience shorter and more reliable. 

Community Marketing

Unlike traditional advertising and PR that focus on getting new customers, community marketing is about connecting and establishing long-term relationships with existing customers within a group or community of similar people. This way you engage people with similar interests believes and attitude towards different issues, rather than just demographics. This is more conversational, fewer sales approach, orientated to modern consumers who expect more from the companies they give their money to and support. They want to feel recognized, important and heard.

Social Media Shopping

At its most simple, social commerce is about selling products directly through social media platforms. Extremely popular and user-friendly – the rise of social shopping has been a long time coming. The extent to which modern customers rely on social media and follower feedback for their recent purchases is rather impressive – according to a 2016 study by Vendasta, over 92% of consumers now read online reviews. This makes an impact on their shopping behaviour as well as their brand preferences. This trend won’t go away soon, so if you sell anything – from goods to software, it’s time for you to adopt a strict and relevant social media strategy. 

Video, video and some more video

If you follow our blog you may have already come across this, but a trend is a trend and we can’t emphasize enough on how important the video format is at the moment. Here are some wonderful statistics form a recent survey:

• about 70% of users share their favourite brand’s new video;
• 83% of corporations claim that video content has increased their conversion;
• 96% of buyers are sure that the video helps them to understand the product in more detail;
• 65% of users visit the site, and 39% call the seller after viewing;
• 87% of companies use video as a marketing tool.

This does not mean that other forms of advertising are irrelevant. Pictures and content can still hold a powerful message, but for the younger generations, watching videos and streaming has completely replaced the TV. In 2020 you can even consider YouTube as a separate tool, not just an addition to your social media. It is worth highlighting since its popularity and usefulness today has increased significantly. According to the same study:

• 87% of video marketers are actively using the channel on YouTube;
• 80% of them confirmed that due to this they were able to achieve success faster;
• 88% plan to use the channel in the future.

Follow the latest trends, be relevant and outstanding and make 2020 your most successful year. If you need fresh and creative ideas for your new strategy – give us a call. We are here to help and to bring your business into the future.