SME business owner wondering what marketing trends you will need to focus on in 2020….even if you’re still struggling to catch up with the last few years? Well obviously you can give us a call to get some advice, but in the meantime here are some thoughts from various sources.
Highlights from the Digital Marketing Trends report include:
Content Marketing: Nearly a quarter of small business owners struggle with producing engaging content on a consistent basis. In 2020 and beyond, content marketing will continue to play a foundational role in digital marketing so SMBs need to up their content game. Specifically, consumers will be looking for content that goes beyond selling, that is clear and explanatory. With voice and image searches accounting for half of all searches on the internet in 2020, gearing content for voice-activated devices is also a necessity.
Social Media: While 62% of those surveyed say social media marketing has the highest ROI for their business, only 40% of small businesses are running any paid ads on social media. Using a mix of organic AND paid content is key to build followers and fans on social platforms. Hyper-local targeting, user-generated content, videos, smart influencer partnerships and social communities are other ways small businesses can enhance and build out social media marketing strategies.
Search Engine Marketing (SEM): Multi-platform advertising will be a must in 2020, including variety in both the platforms for advertising (Google, social media, etc.) as well as the type of ads (video, carousel, etc.). In addition, there will be a bigger emphasis for SMBs to understand what searchers are really asking for when they type in specific keyword phrases and then creating landing pages that quickly, yet thoroughly provides them with an answer or solution.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO): As voice-based search is quickly becoming “the next big thing,” it is essential for businesses to have accurate listings, content keywords and search rankings to be found with voice queries.
Here’s what Freshworks.com think you should be looking out for:
- More emphasis on personalized customer service.
- Sorry, but AI will not take over the customer experience.
- User reviews will be king.
- Stories take over the Newsfeed.
- The rise of the remote worker.
- The gig economy.
- Businesses prioritize employee happiness.
- Voice will take over.
- Big data for small businesses.
- The launch of 5G.
Trends come and trends go and every event professional worth their weight in salt will have their own take on what is to be expected for the upcoming year. While they may not be fortune tellers, here’s what the experts at B2B Marketing Zone strongly believe will take the front seat when it comes to B2B events in 2020.
And finally, some bad news that all our clients are struggling with and that we predict will only gt worse this year – fake reviews. Small businesses in the UK are facing “huge difficulties” when trading through online marketplaces thanks to the prominence of fake reviews. Fake reviews were the most common problem for the one in five small UK businesses which trade online via online marketplaces like Amazon, Ebay and Facebook, according to new research from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). “Crucial to small firms are websites like Ebay, Amazon and Facebook who are central to advertising, sales, and their exporting aims,” the FSB’s national chairman Mike Cherry said. Is there an answer? Read more here.
Want to talk through these thoughts or just need a general chat about marketing in 2020 – give us a call.