What will the future of online marketing look like? Which trends will rise and which will fall? How will marketers need to adapt in order to thrive in this new digital era?

Although it may be challenging to keep up with all the changes that occur in the digital marketing world, it’s essential that marketers do just that. After all, if they don’t, they’ll be left behind.

We at BizEaze work hard to keep our readers up-to-date with the latest trends and buzzwords in digital marketing. Our goal is to provide quality content to help marketers develop successful strategies and implement tactical plans for achieving business goals.

What follows is a list of the top trends that we predict will emerge in 2020 and how marketers can use them to their advantage.

1. Authentic Long-Form Content

In the past, users mainly had to deal with short-form content as most websites were designed to maximise the number of views per day. However, with the advent of social media and the explosion of content that can be stored digitally, this trend has started to shift.

The most successful brands in 2020 will be the ones that are able to provide long-form content that draws readers in and keeps them engaged. In fact, according to HubSpot Blogs research, users are 45% more likely to read the whole post if it’s over four paragraphs long.

To achieve this, marketers should consider using longer-form content for their blogs. Not only will this make for better storytelling but it will also provide a greater opportunity to develop and grow an audience.

2. Marketing to Key Influencers

In the past, it was relatively easy for businesses to obtain website traffic from general users. However, as digital marketing has evolved, so has the strategy behind gaining traffic and converting it into paying customers. Instead of relying on older, more traditional methods of getting the word out about a brand, marketers are looking to acquire influence and make connections with key opinion leaders (KOLs) in their niche.

According to HubSpot Blogs research, 19% of consumers have looked to online communities like Reddit or Facebook to find information about brands and products, and 16% have used brand channels or social media to connect with influencers in their niche.

To gain influence and stand out among their competitors, digital marketers are looking to the following:

• Create unique content that appeals to influencers in their niche
• Leverage social media to gain credibility
• Grow a niche audience on social media through content marketing and advertising
• Make brand ambassadors out of popular influencers
• Use competitive analysis to find weaknesses in the competitor’s strategy and take advantage of them
• Think strategically about the content that you create and how you distribute it
• Avoid overly dramatizing key messages
• Measure and monitor your results closely
• Continuously evaluate your strategy and make adjustments as needed

All this points to one inescapable fact: To succeed in this new digital world, marketers must transform how they approach marketing and start to see it as a form of relationship-building and content-creation rather than a one-way traffic generation exercise. This means that marketing as a discipline needs to change.

Forbes predicts that in 2020, 75.8% of revenue will come from small and midsized businesses that find digital marketing most effective. As a marketer, this is essential info to keep in mind as you develop your strategy and tactics.

3. Personal Branding

Branding is a multi-faceted term that can mean different things to different people. However, in general, brands are associated with a product or an offering that a business provides to the public. In an increasingly digital world, brands can be associated with a person rather than a product (i.e., personal branding).

Branding has many facets to it. One of the most essential is visual branding. This involves creating a distinct brand identity that is immediately recognizable.

According to HubSpot Blogs research, 56% of consumers have used a brand’s logo in some form on social media, and 55% have noticed a website’s branding before getting to the content. This is a clear indication that visual branding is becoming more prevalent.

Another important aspect of personal branding is consistency. In an increasingly digital world, consumers are more likely to be conducting online searches and finding businesses that are consistent in what they offer. This is why it’s important to build a brand that is recognizable and provides a good user experience (UX) across all platforms.

Consumers are becoming more savvy and are expecting businesses to provide a good UX across all platforms. When they find a business that consistently provides this experience, they’ll be more likely to continue doing business with that brand.

As a marketer, you have a special privilege of being in complete control of your personal brand. This is your chance to craft a unique identity that will represent you and your company to the world. Remember: people will only see what you put out there, so make sure that your content and social media platforms reflect this identity and speak to the audience that you are trying to reach.

4. Video Content Is On The Rise

The video content that we’re consuming now was once considered a bit on the crude side. However, as people realize the value that videos provide, this content will become more prevalent and important to keep in mind as a marketer.

According to HubSpot Blogs research, 36% of consumers have used video content in some form in the past three months, and 21% have used it in the past month alone. When people are searching for information online, video content tends to do much better than text content in getting the point across. Videos are also valuable for establishing a personality and brand voice for your company, as well as providing better user experience.

The rise of TikTok, the popular social media and video platform, indicates the importance that video content is gaining in this ever-changing world. With over 500 million monthly active users and no signs of slowing down, the popularity of TikTok and other similar platforms can be attributed to their original content and immersive user experience (UX).

5. Authentic Content = Real People = Real Reach

It’s always a great idea to be as genuine as you can about your content. While it may be tempting to artificially inflate your social media followers or use auto-generated content to appear more popular, doing so can damage your credibility with potential customers.

The best marketers understand that people are more likely to buy from or work for businesses that they consider to be authentic and trustworthy. Creating content that is completely artificial is sometimes referred to as content farming, but it has its downsides. The most successful brands in 2020 will be those that provide content that is as genuine and as organic as possible. This means that you should focus on creating a balanced content schedule and ensuring that your content is of good quality.

6. Content Curation

If you’re interested in gaining traffic and potential customers to your site, you can start by creating high-quality content that will appeal to their interests. A popular strategy is to find relevant and authoritative content that you can subsequently incorporate into your own site.

As a marketer, you already have a good idea of the type of content that you’ll need to create and promote. Rather than focusing on content that is purely promotional, take the time to curate content that is relevant and helpful to your target audience. When you do this, you’ll be able to connect with your audience and potentially turn them into customers.

7. User-Generated Content

Whether you’re a marketer or a content creator, having authentic, knowledgeable contributors is an incredible boost to any blog or website. When someone with a personal connection to the content contributes and shares it online, it instantly increases the blog’s credibility and gives the content more of a human face. This is why user-generated content is gaining in popularity.

According to HubSpot Blogs research, 29% of consumers have used content that was generated by users, and 25% have used content that was moderated or curated by a brand. While having an unmediated voice can be incredibly valuable, marketers should take the time to moderate content that is contributed by users. Doing so can help create a better user experience while also developing a reputation for being an impartial and credible source of information.