In our last post, we pointed out some Digital Marketing trends that we saw in 2019. We continued to see increases in overall digital spending and with digital platforms changing the way companies advertise, we should expect to see new innovations (as well as continued old strategies) in digital marketing in 2020 and beyond. So, let’s get right into it!
SERP Position Zero
Remember when everyone was trying to get to position one in search engine results? There’s a new ranking that everyone will be vying for coming out of Google headquarters and it’s called “position zero”. You have probably already seen examples of position zero on SERPs (hint: it’s the one with an automated snippet that shows an exact answer to your query). According to new data, 61.8 percent of search results in Google are zero-search results. These will appear above any paid ads as well. You can be certain that this will be the ultimate goal for SEO moving forward.
Voice Search Optimization
Do you ever ask Siri, Alexa, or Google Home a question? You’re not alone. Google says that 20 percent of their search queries take place through voice search. Another report points out that 71 percent of mobile users ages 18 through 29 use voice assistants on their smartphones. Large enterprise companies have already started in the voice optimization game but it’s not time for smaller companies to make their content conversational.
Video Content
We are still waiting on the numbers from 2019 but in 2018, YouTube ad revenue increased by 11 percent. This has become an ever-increasingly popular way to deliver ad content and should continue to do so through 2020. Another way that brands can reach their followers is through Facebook Live or Instagram Live. On average, live videos keep the audience watching 3 times longer than recorded videos. Live video should definitely be considered by brands moving into 2020.
Social: Shoppable Posts
If you have a social media account such as Facebook or Instagram, chances are that you have seen ads that allow you to shop for products. You may be surprised to know that 72% of Instagram users have purchased a product through the app. Facebook (who also owns Instagram) has changed their ads platform tremendously in favor of e-commerce stores offering them more ways to sell their products directly from ads. Do not expect to see this trend die out anytime soon. If fact, it will probably increase.
Even More Chatbots
In an effort to interact with online shoppers while they are actively looking at products, brands have looked to chatbots. As chatbots become more sophisticated, it is expected that retailers will cut costs by $439 billion a year and increase sales by $112 billion by 2023. Smaller businesses can utilize automated chatbots as well to help turn an average website visitor into a potential lead.
If you or someone you know would like to discuss your digital ad strategy, please feel free to contact us or call us at 713-309-6380.