As digital transformation continues to change the way we do business, it’s also opened the doors to a variety of new or evolving ways to improve the marketing efforts of brands and organizations. Innovations in media, platforms and technology played a large role in digital marketing in 2019. So, what does the next year have in store for us? Here are five strategies you should consider implementing to help you achieve your marketing goals in 2020.
1. Personalized Communications
According to Gartner, by 2020 at least 90% of online advertisers will start using personalized communications in some shape or form, and for good reason. In this day and age, why should every contact see the same content on your website? Marketing software (like HubSpot and Marketo) offers modules that deliver different versions of your content based on the user. For example, if your business serves different verticals, contacts from each vertical could see content tailored to their needs. The same concept applies to email campaigns. With mass emails having an average open rate of only 17%, why not take advantage of your CRM data and get more personal with customers?
TIP: Instead of sending the same message to everyone, segment your email list and send contacts information about specific products or services where they have shown past interest. And if possible, personalize the subject line to the product, service or even refer to the recipient by name.
2. Automation
Looking for more qualified leads and lower costs per lead, while at the same time saving your marketing team time and effort? Then start your 2020 by investing in marketing automation software to handle your essential marketing tasks, such as blogging, content, landing pages, email, SEO and social media. At Brainstorm, we use many marketing automation platforms and have become big fans of HubSpot because of its robust features, usability and affordability.
TIP: When choosing the right software, do your homework. Get free trials and kick the tires before you buy. Also consider software that handles multiple functions, which will save your team time lost from disconnected analytics, exports, imports and task switching.
3. Conversational Marketing
There’s no better way to engage customers than through personal, one-on-one interactions. Conversational marketing allows you to communicate with customers how, when and where they want, across multiple channels. It begins with live chat and extends to phone calls, texts, email, Facebook Messenger and Slack — virtually any way in which your customer wants to interact with you.
TIP: An easy way to test the waters in conversational marketing is by installing live chat software such as HubSpot Conversations or Drift. Integrate them with your website, Facebook Messenger and Slack to start.
4. Artificial Intelligence
There was a time when the main association we had with Artificial Intelligence (AI) was chess-playing computers and sci-fi tales of robots taking over the world. And while humanity appears to remain safe (for now), AI is starting to take over marketing strategies (but in a good way). From chatbots to voice assistants like Alexa and Siri, AI helps provide great customer care, using sensors, human inputs and your company’s data to answer users’ questions and point them along the buyer’s journey.
TIP: Look into your vendors that already have AI capabilities, like Google ads, HubSpot, Salesforce, etc., and see if they will provide a free demo so you can test it out and consider extending your partnership with them.
5. Voice Powered Search
In 2020, it is anticipated that people will become more reliant on using voice assistants via Google, Alexa and Siri. That is why voice search is becoming a more valuable marketing tool for organizations. It not only adds SEO value, it also helps brands reach consumers anywhere at any time with a personalized marketing message or a solution to their problem.
TIP: To increase the chances of being found in voice search results, use longer keywords and complete sentences. Also, when creating content for voice-powered searches, be sure to include questions people may ask about your products and provide detailed answers.
Looking for a digital marketing agency to help you get the best ROI from your 2020 marketing budget? Contact Brainstorm and one of our experts will get back to you to schedule a discovery call.