Ferris Bueller once said, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
Sure, Ferris wasn’t referring to digital marketing when he uttered this famous line in the classic 1986 film, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, but you can’t deny—it’s an apt comparison when you consider the current state of our industry.
So, in the spirit of reflection, we’re taking a moment to highlight a few of the top digital marketing trends we’re utilizing in 2020.
While parent company Facebook continues to confront scrutiny, Instagram slides under the radar to become one of the most popular channels in the world, sitting pretty at 1 billion users. In the past year, Instagram rolled out a slew of tools to benefit both marketers (like launch notifications) and creators (such as the upcoming TikTok competitor, Reels).
From an advertising standpoint, it’s an effective platform. Seventy-five percent of users reported taking action after seeing an ad on Instagram, and it boasts the highest engagement rate of social channels. This above-average interaction indicates users’ interest to like, comment and share about the brands, products and services that they love.
How to Capitalize on This Trend: Maximize your profile. Two-thirds of your profile visits come from people who don’t follow your brand! When they stumble upon your profile, the grid you present will help them decide whether or not they’ll choose to follow you. Make the stay worth their while by providing smart copy in your bio and beautiful visuals to tell your brand story.
They say to never make bets with your heart, but I have a deep love for real-time marketing. In a former career, before posting anything around a trending topic, my colleagues and I would ask ourselves, “WWOD (What Would Oreo Do)?”— a mantra inspired by the brand’s genius “Dunk in the Dark” tweet from Super Bowl XLVII.
As Twitter evolved, I feared that the great era of real-time marketing was gone. But, year after year, we (thankfully!) see brands creating their own clever tweet storms. From the chicken sandwich wars to Bud Light’s World Series win, Twitter remains a valuable platform for businesses who know how to join in—and start—the right conversation.
How to Capitalize on This Trend: Have confidence in your team. The greatest Twitter accounts of the decade have one thing in common: trust. Without confidence in those running your account, it’s easy to get lost in the world of approvals, causing you to miss your moment of greatness. To be prepared for the unpreparable, make sure your team is aligned on a clearly-defined brand voice and strategy for determining which topics reflect your brand’s values.
I would love to tell you that the “influencer bubble” is going to burst. Really, I would. But it’s not going to. Not as long as more than half of Gen Z’ers and half of Millennials believe reviews from influencers. What will shift heading into 2020, however, is the size of the influencer selected by marketers.
Micro-influencers, or those designated by followings of 10,000 to 50,000 people, are going to see an increase in content opportunities. As marketers stray away from vanity metrics like impressions, performance will become powerful KPIs in measuring the success of an influencer campaign. And, it’s the micro-influencers who tend to have these metrics on lock.
On average, micro-influencers with 10,000 to 50,000 followers have 41.7% higher engagement rates than macro-influencers, or those with 500,000 to 1 million followers. What drives this high engagement? Authenticity, of course.
Influencers with smaller followings are seen as more trustworthy because they’re better able—and more likely—to build real, personal connections with their audience. This relatability is key for brands. Nearly half of Gen Z’ers and Millennials make purchases based on relatable influencer content.
How to Capitalize on This Trend: Use social listening to identify the micro-influencers in your industry. Who is already talking about your brand? Who is tagging you the most often? Consider building a relationship with these people, providing them access to your newest products and exclusive offers. And—we can’t stress this enough!—don’t be afraid to pay up. The cost for quality and authentic content creation is going to increase, so dropping $500 for beautifully curated assets is not out of the question.
Which social trend is your brand leaning into in 2020? Let us know on Twitter @nomadicagency.
