Technology has changed everything. And marketing isn’t new to digitalization. But as technology evolves, so does the processes attached to it. Digital marketing may not be new but it is being affected by the changing technology.

So, how important are the upcoming trends to your business? I’d say they are vital. By continuing to use outdated software and practices, you limit your potential and reach. While you may not be familiar with what’s happening in the market today, your customers are.

For example, you can put your ads in newspapers but people don’t read print media as much as they use their phones. So, while you assume you got the message across to your target audience, in reality, you couldn’t even reach half of them.

We are already familiar with viral trends in digital marketing in Malaysia such as chatbots, voice search, and video marketing. Keeping them in mind, let’s look at the digital marketing trends of 2020. Here are the top trends to look out for:

1. Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence has shaped the world of analytics. It predicts future trends in the numbers. You can also be exhaustive with your analysis because there is no limit to how many files or how much data you can process. 

In fact, the more the data, the more accurate the results.

AI fundamentally works on patterns. It tries to detect patterns in the huge piles of raw data files that seem quite useless at first glance but contain critical information.

Digital marketing uses the prowess of AI to analyse the performance of different campaigns. AI helps marketers know more than how well an ad is doing, it helps them know about the type of engagement the ad received. 

Marketers can know what age group or gender likes what product, and much more.

2. Chatbots

User experience has become an important part of how businesses work and interact with their customers today. If it were 2004, the websites that you see today would have thousands of lines of text on them and maybe some pictures if it were an eCommerce site Malaysia; the point being the website design would be static, not dynamic.

Static doesn’t work anymore. Customers want to be able to interact with your website seamlessly and have fun doing it. Chatbots are a great way to offer that interaction. FAQs and other basic questions about the business can be answered by the chatbot. 

And if you use a Chatbot that works on Machine Learning you can also make it learn how to respond better to the customer’s questions and enhance the user experience.

3. Personalization

Customers tend to pay more attention to a product if they need it – if it fits into their daily life, something they can use. It doesn’t seem like a waste of money but a necessity.

Using personalization to show your customers ads of products that they might need can do wonders for the business. 

It’s similar to how advertising candy to old people wouldn’t increase the sale of the candy but showing it to kids will.

So, when you use AI to analyse what product is well received by what kind of audience, you can use that information to target appropriate audiences for different products.

4. Video Marketing

It’s 2020 and there’s no denying how much of our day to day lives are consumed by videos. We watch videos when commuting to work. We watch videos when we are bored. People even watch videos while cooking or cleaning to keep themselves entertained while these do mundane tasks.

The medium of information has evolved from text to image to videos. Videos are fun to watch. You don’t have to put any effort into it like reading or trying to understand the meaning behind the image. No. Just watch a short video and you’re likely to know what the product is as you listen to the audio.

Similar to chatbots, video marketing is engaging. You can be creative with it and get almost anyone’s attention if you please. You can keep it short or you can keep it long. Using videos for marketing is indeed the way to go.

5. Social Media and Influencer Marketing

People use social media as often as they breathe air. It may sound like an exaggeration but the point still remains. And even though having followers on social media didn’t seem important before, it is easily seen as a revenue generator today.

Social media influencers have followers in lacs and even millions and I am not talking about celebrities but normal people who gained followers over the years. YouTubers and other content creators on different platforms have an audience that can be capitalized if used right.

Many of these influencers receive deals from brands for promotion on their accounts. And, if the influencer has a committed fanbase or larger influence, the brands see increased traffic and sales within days.

6. Browser Push Notifications

Although browser push notifications are old, they are still capable of attracting new customers. The tactic is simple, showing the content to the customer until he finally opens it. Customers might find it annoying but a lot of times they might even get curious and cave in. It’s a 50-50 really, but worth a try.

Takeaways

Growth comes when you embrace change. Businesses and marketers need to look out for new technologies, tools, and strategies that can help them stand out. 

With how competitive the market is today, it’s crucial to pay close attention to how things are evolving so you can stay ahead of others and grow as a capable business. 

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