3 digital marketing trends you can’t afford to ignore in 2020

It’s a fact that it’s never been easier to start a business, with thousands being founded each year in the UK. But with this lower barrier to entry comes increased competition, especially in the digital space. But don’t worry, so long as you focus on the right tactics, your business can not only survive but thrive in 2020 and beyond. With that in mind, here are 3 key trends to keep an eye on in 2020.

1. Feel the influence of influencers

Unless you’ve been living under a large rock, you can’t have missed the huge impact social media has had on our culture in recent years. With many millions of followers hanging on their every word, influencers on platforms like Instagram and TikTok are now part and parcel of modern life – but they also present an opportunity. It may not be suitable for all businesses, but influencers can be a great way to get the word out about your brand – especially in the B2C space. This is definitely one to watch in 2020.

2. The rise of voice search optimisation

Another big shift in consumer behaviour in recent years has come from voice-controlled smart assistants like Alexa and Google Home. Because voice search doesn’t include a visual aspect, it poses something of a conundrum to digital marketers. The question is simple: how can it be monetised? The simple answer is to look at the problem in a different way. Rather than trying to insert the ads into the search experience, brands can instead adjust their content formatting so that it suits the voice search format. Expect to see article formats such as Q&As quite commonly during 2020, as this form of “microcontent” is ideal for delivery via voice assistant.

3. Ad integration with streaming video services

There’s no doubt that the future of home media is all about streaming, which explains the success of companies like Netflix and Amazon’s Prime Video service. Of course, these are both paid services, so aren’t suitable for ad placements, but 2020 might be the year that we see ad-enabled free streaming services. Similarly to Spotify’s free option, which plays ads every now and again amongst songs, it’s likely that we’ll see our first free streaming service – complete with ads – in the next year.

If you’re planning to expand your digital marketing strategy in 2020 and you’d like some help from the experts, get in touch with Excalibur Digital today and we’ll help you hit the ground running.