At LaFleur, we love the dynamic nature of digital marketing, but we know it’s sometimes hard to keep up. While high-quality content and design are always critical, you should also understand the preferences of modern internet users. As we wrap up another decade, let’s explore some of the essential marketing trends for 2020.
Featured Snippets: A Golden Opportunity
You probably have seen featured snippets in your Google search results. They are a quick answer to your query that’s called out in a convenient text box at the top of your search results. For example, here is the snippet for the search “what is lafleur”:
Why are featured snippets an amazing opportunity? They steal traffic from the other top-ranking pages. According to a study by Ahrefs, when there isn’t a snippet, the top-ranked page will get 26% of all clicks. When there’s a snippet, the number drops to 19.6%, and the snippet snags 8.6% of the traffic. If you hold the #1 ranking and the snippet, you’ll get a remarkable 28.2% of clicks.
Fortunately, the methods that can earn you the coveted “#0” spot are similar to those we use to rank well for organic keywords:
- Identify potential featured snippet opportunities before you start writing
- Use strong headlines
- Offer a concise answer to the search query early in the blog or page, followed by an in-depth analysis
- Content should be unique with supporting video and images
Ranking for the featured snippet is going to become increasingly critical as users increasingly rely on this instant first answer to answer their questions. And if you don’t rank for this position, your competitors will.
Video Search Is on a Steady Rise
According to a new survey of over a thousand digital marketing thought leaders, their highest priority in 2020 is video content. It’s not surprising that consumers love video—it’s easy to digest, entertaining, and provides a level of authenticity.
Creating effective videos is critical now more than ever. When you omit video content, whether it’s a simple animation, product tutorial, or client testimonial, you and your business risk being left behind. Thankfully, LaFleur is here to help.
Video formats that will have a moment in 2020 include:
- Short newsfeed videos, around a minute in length
- Instagram stories
- IGTV videos
- Gifs, cinemographs, and animations
- Live streaming
Newsfeed videos tend to perform best for B2B initiatives, and videos on Instagram are more effective in reaching consumers on an individual level. However, video has a Midas touch on effectively all digital marketing efforts.
With video, email open rates jump by 19%, click-through rates increase by 65%, and unsubscribe rates plummet by 26%. For social media, 53% of users interact with a company or brand after watching video content, a number that’s even higher among millennials and Gen Z.
However, to get the most out of your videos, they should be optimized for social media. For example, most social media videos are watched without sound. While Facebook and other platforms offer automated captioning, they’re not always perfect. To preserve your message, try to make videos that visually express your message—and always double-check those captions.
Get Ahead of the Curve With Voice Search
According to the Mondo Creative and Digital Trends Report, only 17% of marketers plan on investing in voice search optimization in 2020. However, half of all searches are made by voice — meaning just as many people are saying “Alexa” or “hey Siri” as there are folks typing their questions into Google the old-fashioned way. This is a missed opportunity.
Here are the basics of voice search: when you ask your in-home digital assistant to find a nearby pizza place, the first company that comes up will likely be a nation-wide chain. Why? They have an Alexa-specific integration that helps users like you order a pizza without picking up the phone or typing a thing. Once you’ve exhausted the “Alexa-optimized” results or native apps, your digital assistant will begin to offer the highest-ranking organic search results. (We wrote a blog about the complexities of in-home voice search technologies that’s worth the read if you’d like to learn more.)
Developing a native app that integrates with the Amazon Echo Dot or Google Home is no small feat and isn’t necessarily right for every business at this time. However, you can still optimize your content for voice search by creating content that answers that concisely addresses your clients’ needs in plain English. We’re particularly fond of FAQ-style content for voice search.
Even better, the exact things that make your website voice search-friendly, such as short, digestible answers, will also make it perfect for featured snippets.
RELATED: Don’t Settle for Lackluster Digital Marketing
Social Search Is the First Choice for Younger Users
This might come as no surprise, but social networks are the first thing Gen Z consumers turn to for research about purchases, services, and brands. Millennials are closely split between search engines and social networks. What does this mean for the future of marketing in 2020? A presence on social networks is more important than ever for reaching users under 40 with your products and services.
However, simply posting blog links on social media probably isn’t enough. Instead, you need to create exceptional content that engages your followers, educates them, and fleshes out your brand. 2020 may be the year that you consider harnessing the power of influencers, brand ambassadors, and branded hashtags that take your marketing to new, personal levels.
Personalized, Dynamic Content Is the Future of Websites
The future is coming, and it knows you by name. Personalized, dynamic emails are already creating individual experiences for website visitors, leads, and clients. Based on user data, companies can send customized updates based on their website users’ activity and preferences. However, as analytic capabilities increase, so does the amount of available information these companies have at their disposal to offer personalized content not only in inboxes, but on the website itself.
For example, you may choose to customize the user experience on your website and show a returning visitor content or products you know they’re interested in. For a law firm, you may suspect that a web user was injured in a car crash based on the pages they visit. With that information, you can automate their user experience to show personal injury-related content when they visit the website.
This automated delivery of personalized content enriches the user experience by offering them the information they’re looking for right away, and more streamlined results for businesses and organizations — and we’re sure this trend will make a mark on digital marketing in 2020.
LaFleur: Your Digital Marketing Partner With 2020 Vision
At LaFleur, we’re proud to offer our clients forward-thinking strategies that focus on their long-term success. If you have questions about implementing cutting-edge technologies for your own company or firm, or want to chat about how LaFleur can make a difference for you, don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re available at (888) 222-1512, or you can fill out our simple online contact form. Either way, we look forward to hearing from you!
References
Cannon, J. (2019, August 27). Video marketing tops list of markers’ priorities, voice search ranks low. Search Engine Land. Retrieved from https://searchengineland.com/video-marketing-tops-list-of-marketers-priorities-voice-search-ranks-low-321138
Hardwick, J. (2018, April 19). How to Find and Steal Featured Snippets (to Get More Search Traffic). Ahrefs. Retrieved from https://ahrefs.com/blog/find-featured-snippets/
How to Use Video in Email. Campaign Monitor. Retrieved from https://www.campaignmonitor.com/resources/guides/video-in-email/
Video marketing statistics to know for 2019. Smart Insights. Retrieved from https://www.smartinsights.com/digital-marketing-platforms/video-marketing/video-marketing-statistics-to-know/
The content provided here is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject.