It’s the end of the year (and decade!) which for marketers means it’s time to start planning campaigns and strategies for 2020. With the world of marketing changing vastly over the past decade, it’s important to plan ahead so you don’t get left behind in the next one. Here are some of the best ways of advertising for 2020 and beyond…
Think about new platforms
Once upon a time there was a holy trifecta of advertising; TV, print and radio. Not anymore. Nowadays people are absorbing content via everything from social media to podcasts and even streaming services such as Spotify and Netflix. The vast array of platforms available also opens up more opportunity for advertising. Do some market research into the platforms that your target market use the most and consider placing your ads here. For instance, if you discover your markets key platforms are podcasts and Instagram then set aside some of your budget to run ads on these.
It is of course likely that you’ll discover your audience very much still absorb content and marketing via the traditional methods, especially if they’re of an older generation. It’s likely though that no matter what age your target market, social media will be in there somewhere.
As we head into the next decade we do so with various social media platforms coming with us but there’s one that clearly stands out from the rest. Instagram. The photo sharing platform has gone from strength to strength since its launch in 2010 and there are now 1 billion people with Instagram accounts with more than 500 million using them every day.
With numbers like that it’s clear that Instagram is king amongst social media and if you want your brand to stand the test of time in the digital age, then Instagram ads and campaigns should be an essential part of your 2020 marketing plan.
Don’t forget about search
With so many fancy new marketing tactics it can be easy to forget about the staples. If you think you’ve got your SEO strategy down and you’re ranking well for your key terms, it’s important that you don’t get tempted to take your foot off the gas. Google constantly changes its algorithms so it’s important to keep one eye on what’s going on so you can adapt your SEO plans accordingly.
Google is constantly improving how it ranks results making it even more user friendly. 2020 is also likely to see voice search take even more of a front seat. With more and more people using their smartphones to search over desktops and the majority of these fitted with technology allowing them to say their search rather than type it out, marketers need to make sure their pages are optimised to appear in more ‘colloquial’ searches as well.
Consider creating video (with subtitles!)
People are busy and they don’t necessarily have time to sit and read pages on pages of reviews or click through to various different links. Short videos are therefore a great way to hook people in and pique their interest. Video content continues to be some of the most engaged with on social media and short and snappy videos that take the audience on a journey are the most worthwhile.
If you do utilise video in your marketing strategies then make sure you use subtitles. Research has shown that many people choose to watch videos without the sound (probably because they’ve forgotten their headphones and don’t want to blast it round the bus!) so adding subtitles to videos will reduce the likelihood of people scrolling past or giving up on the video half way through.
Say hello to influencers
If you haven’t already been using influencers in your marketing plans then 2020 is the year to do it. With engaged niche audiences and quick, easy to absorb content, influencers can be a marketers dream. There are various ways you can utilise their skills and audiences from social media campaigns, gifted reviews and back links to your website on their blogs.
It’s important to figure out exactly what you want to achieve from your work with influencers to help you decide the best way to work with them. For instance, if your main goal is to improve the SEO of your website then a link building campaign would be best but if you’re more interested in growing brand awareness and trust then working with them on a gifting basis in return for reviews would suit you both.
No matter what techniques you incorporate into your 2020 marketing plans, you need to make sure that your product or service follows through with its promises. It’s no use blowing your budget on an all singing all dancing ad campaign if the product ends up being a disappointment.
I’m Sam Crawford, Squarespace expert and founder of by Crawford, a multi award-winning Squarespace web design studio.
I have built over 400 Squarespace websites for clients across every industry all around the world. I am also an official Squarespace partner, approved Squarespace expert, Squarespace educator and Squarespace Enterprise member, meaning you get an unrivalled experience – and a flawless website.
