MARKETING TRENDS IN 2020

Digital Marketing
Written By Danielle Longueville

Though many sci-fi authors are rolling over in their graves at the lack of technology that exists today, there are plenty of upcoming trends and innovations that would have them stand up and shout. For starters, the power of digital marketing and what it can do for a brand. Let’s dive into a few trends that are predicted for this upcoming year. We’ll present a few consumer values this year, and suggest ideas on how to capitalize and incentivize for 2020. 
In order to easily digest this big chunk of information, we’ve broken down some marketing-related values detailed in the GlobalWebIndex Top Global Consumer Trends in 2020 and paired it with recommendations on how you can be proactive today for a profitable tomorrow. These themes are somewhat reminiscent of historic consumer needs and want,  including topics of community, privacy, providing a heightened experience, and more. Let’s take a look. 

  • Getting Back to Basics

    • Value: Since industries have spent so much time investing in robots or “bots” to fulfill the customer service and other aspects of the business, consumers are now looking for a “back to basics” kind of business to work with that eliminates or reduces these new standards. 

    • Customer service is an integral part of any business, whether you have an entire dedicated department or not. Both B2B and B2C companies have a customer they serve, and the manner in which they are handled. 

    • Idea: If you have automated services implemented in how you handle customers, we recommend reducing these types of interactions when and where possible. 

      • If you don’t utilize automated services, we recommend offering something special such as a token of thanks for their continued service, like a handwritten letter. Take the time to actually call your client or loyal customer and wish them a heartfelt thanks over their phone for returned service. This can even be accompanied by an e-gift card or something similar that best fits your business. As the buyer’s market swells with Generation Z consumers, a return to basics and what many might consider “old-fashioned” are proving to be game-changers for some. 

Find ways to create communities within your users. The goal is to create a place where your consumer belongs or feels like they have a vested interest in you and your brand. 

Find ways to create communities within your users. The goal is to create a place where your consumer belongs or feels like they have a vested interest in you and your brand. 

  • Establish or strengthen or create a community

    • Value: 7 out of 10 online gamers enjoy the community aspect of the gaming industry.

    • Humans enjoy being included in, or part of, some sort of a community that is based on similar interests. It’s why we form clubs in grade school and college, join fan clubs as adults and create podcasts about things we love like True Crime. 

    • Idea: Find ways to create communities within your users. If you’re a wine bar or retail service, create a membership or club-type program for your users to join, where they gain early or exclusive access to discounts, products, or whatever best fits your business. The goal is to create a place where your consumer belongs or feels like they have a vested interest in you and your brand. 

  • Consumer Privacy 

    • Value: 1 in 3 consumers are looking for more online security measures as more platforms generate their own methods of currency like Facebook. 

    • Consumers are constantly looking for this ultimate paradox of ease in transferring money across the world wide web, while also keeping all of their personal information, such as banking information, as secure as possible. 

    • Idea: Since approaching customer security is a bit of a fickle situation depending on the nature of your business, we’d like to suggest a few brief best practices: 

      • Do not store customer payment info unless it is an integral part of the customer experience 

      • If your users store information on your website, suggest that your users use strong passwords, 2-factor authentication for logins, and reset passwords on a monthly or 90-day basis. 

      • Make sure your website has a strong firewall and encryption software. 

  • Heightened customer experience

    • Value: People are looking to invest in heightened customer experience when shopping retail. With the lure of online shopping dominating buying power, many shoppers who tire of that realm are again, looking to go back to basics, but with a new-age twist, asking for amenities like a café in-store, a smart mirror or available tailor shop. 

    • As we mentioned earlier, Gen Z’s are one of the fastest-growing marketing bases entering 2020. They’re yearning for connection outside of the world of online and have begun to turn back to shopping at physical locations, but are more prone to seeking out the “boutique” shopping experience. 

    • Idea: If your business operates out of a physical location, seek out creative ways to provide more of an “experience” to the customer’s trip from the front door to the cash register. This can be anything from complimentary beverages and snacks to a personal shopper to assist you throughout your entire shopping process. Look to social media for snippets and references of inspiration to find further ways to make shopping with your business a memorable one. 

  • Ease of Purchase 

    • Value: 50% of UK/US drivers are excited about in-car technology that allows them to buy products ahead of time.

    • One-click applications and features that allow users to make purchases or other important decisions with a few clicks from their phone, or even smartwatches are on the rapid incline as far as demand in ease and comfort desired in products. 

    • Idea: For our retailers and service providers who operate online (which is, you guessed it, most everyone) we recommend investing in or creating ways to access your inventory within a few clicks, i.e. the 1-click purchase feature on Amazon, quick links on social media, etc. 

Some Final Advice

Before we go, we’d like to impart some further knowledge that will help you further capitalize on the power of digital marketing. 

  •  Invest in Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for your website

    • Good SEO means you and your business are more likely to be pulled from search results online as users search for generalized terms like “ jackets for her” or “Father’s Day Gifts Near Me.” Do your research, get to know your client, then cater to their desires with some simple SEO. 

  • Content Marketing Reigns

    • Look to brands with strong marketing techniques such as Spotify for Brands for an awesome example of how to tell a story and create lasting connections that turn customers into brand loyalists. 

    • When and where possible, we encourage businesses to work with Influencers and within reasonable boundaries that mutually support the participating brands, but don’t take away too much time from your day today. It can be a  pesky balancing act but will be well worth it, if and when achieved. 

Conclusion

Let’s be clear: These marketing trends are mere predictions based on global surveys. Though our tools may be helpful, they will not in any way predict the user behavior of every customer across the board. As always, we encourage businesses to connect with and truly learn what makes up their customer base before trying something new and outside of your realm of comfort. Find what works best for you and your clientele, and you will only grow from there.

Need some help growing? Give us a call today and let’s connect. 

Danielle Longueville

A Dentonite since 2010, Danielle has an eclectic professional background of networking, marketing, event planning, and digital marketing and production, all within the DFW area.

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