Over 80% of businesses use digital marketing as a main form of advertising and see positive results from it. Online marketing includes many different online promotion tactics. From SEO to social media marketing, the options are plentiful. If you’re looking for ways to better leverage this popular marketing channel, you’re in luck. Here are 20 digital marketing ideas you may want to think about implementing in 2020.
1. Chatbots
If you don’t know what a chatbot is, you’re in for a treat. Chatbots use artificial intelligence to send instant messages to your customers. Companies save money by making chatbots available to answer customer questions 24/7. This is a good alternative to employing a round-the-clock customer service team. Bots can provide instant responses to customers. They are also capable of answering the simplest (and most common) questions that pop up. By 2020, chatbots will power up to 85% of customer service, according to a survey. Don’t miss out on this highly successful digital marketing trend.
2. Conversational Marketing
While chatbots are enjoying their time in the spotlight, there’s still a need for conversational marketing in most industries. Many people prefer to interact with real customer service representatives. Some may even find automated chatbots annoying. When customers want to have a real-time connection with a member of your company, conversational marketing is a must. For this type of marketing to work, you need to have a dedicated team of marketers on staff. Moreover, they need to know how to interact with customers in a genuine but helpful way.
3. Influencer Marketing
There are many people out there who work hard to develop their reputation as product influencers. They use word-of-mouth marketing to persuade their followers to purchase certain things. Most consumers trust the opinions of influencers more than they trust marketing from product brands. Therefore, enlisting reviews from influencers can be an effective way to increase sales. If possible, see if you can get influencers to use your relevant SEO keywords in their reviews. That way you’ll be even more successful at influencing your target audience.
4. Smart Speakers and Voice Search
Voice search is highly popular. Not only is it used to get directions quickly, but it’s also a favorite way for consumers to find information about products. It’s estimated that half of all searches in 2020 will be voice searches. That’s a pretty compelling reason to integrate voice search into your websites. To make sure your voice search options utilize SEO effectively, you may need to change tactics. Your keywords for voice search should be highly targeted and conversational.
5. SEO Split Testing
Tired of wondering which marketing approaches are working and which aren’t? You can use A/B split-testing to identify which marketing campaigns are bringing you the best results. There are apps that allow you to isolate certain campaign variables to figure out how you can improve. These tools can help you improve your overall digital marketing efforts.
6. Browser Push Notifications
If you’ve spent any time on the internet lately, you’ve probably received at least one push notification. These types of notifications were extremely popular in 2019. Approximately 85% of online stores used them, and that number will likely rise over the next few years. People are more likely to sign up for push notifications on websites than they are to sign up for a newsletter.
7. Better Analytics
Without good analytics, it’s impossible to see where your SEO efforts are soaring and where they’re crashing. If you’re not willing to invest in better analytics, you’re at a disadvantage. Fortunately, there are companies out there that specialize in analytics. They can get you the data you need to improve your digital marketing efforts.
8. Keywords in Videos
Video marketing is one of the most powerful tactics you can use to gain brand visibility. It will likely remain one of the top marketing trends for the next several years. It’s also a preferred way for consumers to learn about the features and benefits of new products. If you’re not currently using this type of content, you need to change your ways fast. When creating video content, remember that keywords are still important. SEO terms help your target audience find your content to begin with.
9. Useful SEO Content
Speaking of content, words are still king in the marketing world. But it’s no longer good enough to write a sloppy web page, slap a few keywords onto it and call it done. Instead, you need to create SEO-friendly content that’s actually useful to consumers. Answer their questions and engage their curiosity, and you’ll have an easier time keeping them interested. Useful SEO content is one of the most powerful digital marketing tools you can use.
10. Optimal Page Content Length
Long-form content is much more effective at attracting traffic than short-form content. Ideally, your posts should be at least 3,000 words long and offer comprehensive information on a topic. With long-form content, you establish yourself as a subject expert.
11. Good Standing with Major Search Platforms
Google is the major search channel, but don’t forget there are others out there. With privacy and security in the forefront of searcher’s minds, platforms like DuckDuckGo, Bing and Yahoo are finding their own smaller piece of the search pie. You should work hard to have a good SEO rating across all major search channels. Check out 12 different types of search engines that are being used throughout the world besides Google.
12. Omnichannel Marketing
If you’re focusing all your efforts on one primary platform, it’s time to rethink your strategy. Omnichannel marketing will give you the best chance of success. This type of marketing uses multiple platforms to connect with the maximum number of prospects. Examples of good platforms to pursue include blogs, apps, social media and email marketing.
13. Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence can take your digital marketing efforts to a whole new level. AI can help you gain a competitive edge over companies that don’t use it. For instance, chatbots are just one form of AI marketing technology that can benefit your business.
14. Personalized Marketing
It’s no longer sufficient to just have a good web page and good marketing content. You need to stand out in some way. You can do this by personalizing your marketing. Many consumers don’t like generic advertising. However, they respond more positively to personalized marketing efforts. You can use user data to create targeted advertising. Here are a few examples of information to help you personalize your marketing:
- Location
- Age
- Interests
- Purchase history
Finding this info on your own can be challenging. So you may need to sign up for services from a company that offers personalization marketing information.
15. Social Messaging Apps
Social media continues to be a bottomless resource for digital marketing. It’s smart to use social messaging apps to send messages directly to customers and potential customers. Approximately 63% of customers report they’re more likely to return to a website if the company has live chat features. Use this statistic to your advantage by incorporating messaging apps into your website. These apps can help you:
- Boost sales
- Encourage customer loyalty
- Deliver useful information
- Provide assistance and support
- Create a sense of rapport
Social messaging apps are no longer just for sending silly messages to your friends. They have also become powerful marketing tools for businesses of all sizes.
16. Website Security
Information is very valuable these days, but it seems to constantly fall into the wrong hands. Consumers are understandably worried about security when they make purchases. If your website doesn’t feel secure to customers, they will leave quickly. Enabling HTTPS on your site is the bare minimum for security. Adding a security trust badge or seal of trust is much better.
17. Visual Search
Did you know people can now upload an image to get highly specific search results? When you use SEO, it’s no longer sufficient to just focus on keywords. Nowadays, you also need to make sure you are optimizing your content for visual search.
18. Social Media Stories
Everybody loves a good story, including shoppers. Snapchat first initiated the concept of “My Story,” then other social media platforms soon followed. Now you can use a story format to increase brand awareness, make important announcements and connect with your audience. Social media stories can include location tags, live videos, polls and links. They should also include calls to action.
19. Augmented Reality
Virtual reality is cool, but it doesn’t hold a candle to augmented reality (at least for marketing purposes). Many companies are already experimenting with immersive technologies and getting good results. IKEA masterfully uses augmented reality to help customers make purchasing decisions. They provide an app that gives users the ability to take pictures of rooms in their homes. Then, they can use the app to see how a specific piece of furniture would look in the space. It’s a great way for certain industries to increase sales.
20. Quantum Computing
Quantum computing may sound like something from a sci-fi movie, but it applies to all marketers. Computers traditionally store data in bits. But quantum computers can significantly increase a system’s computational power by using a qubit unit of measurement.
Learn More
Ready to learn where your website can improve? Boostability offers a comprehensive website analysis service that can yield invaluable information. Use our free website analysis tool today or speak with one of our SEO experts to get started!
