Get ready to embrace the future of digital marketing! 2020 is going to be an exciting year for online marketers around the world as we continue to see rapid changes and growth in marketing technologies, platforms and channels.
While many traditional marketing outlets, platforms and methods remain incredibly useful and valuable, it’s important to acknowledge and embrace the advancements in digital marketing and the changes that continue to occur within the field.
Emerging Media Channels
In recent years, we’ve seen the rise of many new online media channels that continue to change the game for digital marketers.
Just look at how TikTok and Instagram have forever altered the world of social media marketing. While many marketers may still rely on Twitter to gain traction and attract potential customers to their products, the game has shifted to one where audiences are engaging with content in a more intimate environment.
As a marketer, do you struggle with keeping up with all of the changes and advancements in digital marketing?
Let’s be honest, it’s a lot to keep up with, and that’s why I’ve gone ahead and curated this detailed list containing some of the most prominent and useful emerging media platforms that every marketer, strategist and company should know about.
1. TikTok
If you’re reading this, I assume you know exactly what TikTok is and how it works. If not, then you should probably find out. In case you’re wondering, TikTok is a video-centric social media network that was originally launched back in 2016 and is now one of the world’s largest and most popular apps with over a billion active monthly users across the globe.
To help you understand the massive appeal and impact of TikTok, here are some interesting stats:
- Over 100 million monthly active users
- 30.8 million average daily active users
- 8.8 million average daily active users in the U.S. alone
- U.S. users spend on average 20.9 hours per day on the app
- 13.6 million monthly active users in Japan
- 50.3% of TicTok users are between the ages of 18 and 24
2. TikTok-based Marketing Platforms
Once you learn how to use TikTok, it’s pretty easy to see how useful it can be for your marketing department. Launching a marketing campaign on TikTok is quite simple and straightforward. All you need to do is create a video with your message and upload it to the network.
The great thing about TikTok is that it can be used to create so many different types of videos. You don’t need to have a marketing video at all! You can simply use the platform to showcase fun videos of yourself or your employees doing whatever you please.
TikTok’s GrowthEngine blog reported in early 2019 that there are dozens, if not hundreds, of different apps and tools that leverage the popularity of the network to boost your marketing efforts. With the right tools and strategies, you can literally launch a marketing campaign on the app and track the results in real time!
Here are a few of the most prominent and useful applications, tools and platforms that you can use with or for your TikTok campaigns:
- Hootsuite – to manage all of your social media accounts from one platform
- Buffer – to schedule and publish content across multiple platforms
- Mad Mapper – to create stunning visual representations of your data
- Streak – to track the performance of your social media campaigns
- TweetDeck – to follow and connect with people based on what you’re interested in
- TikTok Analytics – to track and optimize your campaigns’ performance
- Optimise – to test and evaluate the performance of your social media campaigns
3. Instagram
Instagram is another social media network that has seen incredible growth in recent years and currently has over 500 million monthly active users around the world.
Here are some interesting stats about Instagram:
- 600 million monthly active users
- 310 million average daily active users globally (Statista)
- 140.8 million average daily active users in the U.S. (Statista)
- 57.7% of adults in the U.S. use Instagram (Pew Research Center)
- Instagram is one of the most popular social platforms among people in the U.S. aged between 18 and 24 (Statista)
Unlike most other social platforms, Instagram’s growth has mainly been through organic means. Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook-owned company didn’t even launch its own app until 2014 and didn’t even acquire Instagram until 2018. During that time, the network grew from a small slice of the social media pie to one of the biggest players globally.
This is mainly because Instagram’s audience is very interested in what’s happening in the real world and tend to use the app to keep up with friends and family back in their home countries. As a result, many marketers have learned to appreciate Instagram’s very different approach to social media and have started using the platform to their advantage.
Here are some prominent and useful tools and platforms specifically for marketers on Instagram:
- Hootsuite – to manage all of your social media accounts from one platform
- Reed – to test and evaluate the performance of your social media campaigns
- Followerwonk – to find and connect with people based on what you’re interested in
- Instagram Analytics – to track and optimize your campaigns’ performance
- Buffer – to schedule and publish content across multiple platforms
- BlueVision – to create stunning visual representations of your data
4. YouTube
YouTube is one of the world’s most popular websites with over 1.9 billion monthly active users. It’s also one of the most important and versatile digital marketing platforms out there.
The great thing about YouTube is that it can be used for so many different types of videos. You don’t need to have a marketing video at all! You can simply use the platform to showcase videos explaining your product or service, giving tips and tricks on using it, or even just showing goofy or funny videos.
In the 2020 election, you’ll see plenty of political ads on YouTube, but the platform has also become a popular place for marketers looking to establish themselves as thought leaders in their industries. YouTube creators are able to charge businesses for marketing exposure, which can help finance the production of more engaging content.
Here are a few interesting stats about YouTube:
- Over 1.89 billion monthly active users (Statista)
- 6.9 million average daily active users globally (Statista)
- 2.8 million average daily active users in the U.S. (Statista)
- Over 300 million monthly active users in Indonesia (Statista)
- 250 million monthly active users in the Philippines (Statista)
- 188 million monthly active users in Brazil (Statista)
- 140 million monthly active users in the U.K. (Statista)
- 100 million monthly active users in India (Statista)
- 80 million monthly active users in Mexico (Statista)
- 70 million monthly active users in China (Statista)
- 50 million monthly active users in the U.S. (Statista)
The great thing about YouTube is that it’s such a versatile social media platform. It can be used for so many different types of content and has such a massive audience that it’s easy for marketers to find an audience that will relate to their message.
The Biggest And Most Influential Marketing Channels
If you’re really curious, you can also go ahead and conduct an internet search for “marketing channels” and see what comes up. Here are the top five results from the search engine:
- YouTube
- Snapchat