Marketing Trends and Predictions for 2020

As we approach the end of 2019, we are busy preparing marketing strategies for the new year for all of our clients.  The goal setting sessions and planning got me thinking about the trends and a few predictions I think we will see in 2020.

1. Facebook and Google will continue to dominate as the main source of paid digital advertising.  According to eMarketer, 72% of all online spend will be between these two platforms.  I personally believe that the percentage will rise as Instagram ads continue to grow in popularity and get "lumped into" the Facebook bucket.

2. The integration of A.I. into the marketing space will continue to grow in 2020.  Many marketing analysts have begun referring to this as conversational marketing.  Most of the impact of this trend may still be a few year away, but the integration of "smart speakers" and similar devices will be a major factor in 2020.  According to Gartner research, 60% of owners used the device to make a purchase in the last year.  Almost 25% have done so within the last week.  The convenience and intuitive nature of these devices will only increase as the technology advances.

3. Analytics focused marketing will dominate the business landscape.  A recent study indicated that most small businesses expressed improving their data analysis as the number 1 most desired skill for their marketing "departments."  Here at GT Marketing and Consulting, we spend a significant amount of time reviewing analytics and making sure our clients know how to interpret the information to improve their marketing efforts.

4. Marketing tools will continue to innovate and give marketers and business owners options to automate their marketing processes.  Smart Insights created an incredible graphic shown below to illustrate the amazing amount of tools already available.

This is NOT an exhaustive list of the tools and apps available and new ones are released monthly.  The marketers and business owners that embrace change and innovation will make their mark and leave competitors in their wake in 2020.

5. Content marketing will evolve into more customer focused experiences.  The generational differences in the marketplace will force decision makers to focus on the overall experience.   Content creation alone will not be enough.  While Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest will still play vital roles in business strategies, the most important strategic advantage is a customer experience that outshines your competitor.  No amount of marketing can fix a bad product or service!

2020 is going to be a dynamic year!  Are you ready?  If you would like help developing a strategy, reviewing your current plan, or management of your marketing platforms, then we would love to chat with you.