The digital marketing environment is many things. One thing that it is not, however, is boring. Ad blockers, spam filters, and other cybersecurity measures, designed to protect computer users against the deluge of spam and malicious users out there, make life difficult for honest marketers.
It’s becoming harder to get the marketing message out there. As a result, marketers have to be more innovative when it comes to attracting traffic to their sites. In this post, we’ll look at top tips to help you succeed in digital marketing this year.
SEO Has Changed
Do you miss the good old days when SEO was as simple as putting in the right combination of keywords and backlinks? The evolution of artificial intelligence is pushing us further and further away from that point.
In 2020, the number one spot in search engine results is not going to cut it. Thanks to the featured snippets that Google displays before listing the results, things have changed. Top spot now goes to the site with the featured snippet.
What do you have to do to get your snippet featured? Research questions that your audience might ask in relation to your keywords. If you’re ranking different keywords for different pages, repeat the process for each page.
Create a post related to each of these questions. State your question upfront in your post. Then create a short answer to the question. The post will explain your answer in more detail but putting the question and answer in first helps create a good snippet.
Shoppable Posts
How many people do you know who never use any form of social media? The answer is not many. Businesses have been taking advantage of the popularity of social media to promote their businesses.
Going forward, social media will become even more important. This time, though, not as a promotional tool so much as an alternative sales channel. Shoppers are increasingly demanding to be able to buy their items on channels that suit them.
They don’t want to have to sign off Instagram and navigate over to your site. By creating shoppable posts, you’re meeting the client’s need for convenience. You’re also doing yourself a favour by creating valuable social proof.
Say that someone buys a pair of shorts on Facebook, for example. Their friends would be able to see that they’ve bought the shorts. This might encourage them to do the same.
Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality
Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are set to become hot sales tools this year. Of the two, AR is considered the new kid on the block, so it’s worth focusing on AR.
How can you use these tools in marketing? Take a look at Ikea’s Place app – it’s available on iOS and Android. You download the app. Aim your phone at a place in your home where you’d like to add a piece of Ikea furniture.
You’ll then be able to choose from a variety of pieces that Ikea sells. Augmented reality here allows you to see an accurate depiction of how a piece would look in your home.
Where possible, consider using VR and AR in your marketing. You could create an app of your own, or you could even create a VR game. Get creative with this one.
Change up Your Video Content
Modern consumers value video advertising. It allows them to sit back and learn what they need to with little effort. The problem with video content in 2020 is that everyone uses them. Consumers are now getting bored with the same type of sales video they see every day.
In order to shake things up a little, it’s a good idea to change your video content. Consider having a “Guess what this is” contest. Take a closeup of shot of a product that you sell and make people guess what it is.
Look for new angles to shoot your videos from. Vary the duration of videos to change things up more. Consider adding live video content in too. Consider the content – instead of filming video tutorials, for example, you could shoot a video listing fun fact about your product or town, for example.
Naturally, you’ll want to steer clear of controversial topics, but aside from that, you’ve got free reign.
Final Notes
Digital marketing doesn’t stand still. Companies that are not able to adapt will be left behind. 2020 is the time to start thinking outside of the box. Don’t be restrained by outdated rules and guidelines and be willing to try something new.
Ten years ago, marketing advice told us that our sales videos had to be professional and perfect. Social media’s reaction to live videos proved that to be false. People like novelty, especially when it comes to advertising.
Give them something that they’ve never seen before and you’re halfway there.
by Chris Usatenko