Staying up-to-date in digital marketing is essential for anyone attempting to make money. What worked even a year or two ago might not work at all these days, or be significantly different.
At the same time, there are plenty of trends that end up falling flat on their face, despite being hyped up quite a bit by those early adopter, there are some approaches that are truly turning into reliable strategies. Which ones are looking like great trends to keep an eye on in 2020 and beyond? I talked with Erkan Kemiksizgil about that very topic. As someone who works very closely in the industry, this is what he believes the future will look like.
Using private messaging apps efficiently
There is no doubt that private messaging apps like WeChat and WhatsApp are starting to take off not only amongst friends, but in the business world as well. In fact, they are slowly but surely eating into the use of email. It’s going to take a long time for email to go completely away, but that doesn’t mean private messaging apps can’t have some added features.
Brands are figuring out ways to not only monetize messaging apps but make them more versatile. That means buying products directly through these apps, sending money to others, and more.
Better targeted advertising
Most people have probably noticed that targeting advertising is getting a lot better. There are still rooms for improvement, and that will continue in 2020. Companies and ad agencies are collecting a lot of data all the time, and while some might not like that, it does lead to better targeted advertising.
With targeted advertising, seemingly everyone wins. Companies get their advertisements in front of actually interested people, and annoying ads are less annoying if it involves a product or company someone is interested in. Targeted advertising is here to stay and will only get better as time goes on.
A touch of personalization
Somewhat connected to target advertising is a touch of personalization in digital marketing. This has a lot to do with companies gathering information on past purchases, and then recommending other products based on what others have purchased.
This is still in its early stages, but some major companies are seeing this as a huge positive in the future. Smart recommendations are always going to be much more excepted than something that seems completely out of left field.
Improved transparency
If the last two trends seem a little bit scary to some, better transparency is good news. Companies understand that customers are becoming increasingly knowledgeable about how digital marketing works in general. If the company doesn’t have the right level of transparency, it seems like they are coming off as deceitful.
Companies don’t want to be labeled as untrustworthy, so transparency should go up. This means everything from providing detailed information to answering questions and concerns thrown their way. That extra touch of care will go along way towards having a positive relationship with current customers, and potential customers in the future.
