Social Media in 2020
Social media isn’t likely to go anywhere anytime soon, but there are a number of studies and statistics that show that adult users are trying to “detox,” and take a step back from the amount of time they use social media. (In fact, my social media time is down by two hours from last week as I try to do the same). With that said, in 2020, we aren’t likely to see a large enough decline from “detoxers” to encourage marketing experts to advise businesses to make big moves away from social media. It is just something to be aware of and keep an eye on. And, if you haven’t yet tapped into Instagram, you should seriously consider using it to hit your target market! The platform has grown quickly with millennials but now is showing huge growth with the 45-54 year old demographic.
Getting in good with Siri, Google Home and Alexa
Search engine optimization is as important as ever, and in 2020, it would behoove businesses to make sure that they are optimizing their content for those clients that are doing voice searches. According to Search Engine Land, Google says that 20% of the queries on mobile devices are voice searches and 70% if users aged 18-29 have voice assistants on their smartphones. One of the easiest tricks to help optimize your content is making your content as conversational as possible.
Using Influencers
More and more businesses will be enlisting the help of others to promote their brands. In simple ways, like leaving a review on Yelp or a making a recommendation on TripAdvisor have been informing consumers for a number of years. Even more popular in 2020, businesses are promoting their products and services to YouTube and Instagram influencers to encourage them to promote them. To keep it simple, try enlisting the help of local influencers like the Chamber of Commerce to promote your brand on their social media channels or even collaborate with popular local businesses who have a strong social media following.
Video, Video, Video
As we discussed last week, video is important today and will be equally and likely more important in 2020. Many consumers are engaging with video content on a regular basis (1 billion hours of video per day) and will continue to do so. If you want your products, your business, and your brand to grow, you have to produce video content. The nice thing about video is it is easy to share across platforms and allows you to get your creative juices flowing.
Long-form Content is Cool
While it is assumed that most internet users have short attention spans, especially when reading content, that isn’t actually the case. Many online users are very interested in what you have to say when you have good, authentic, educational information. If you have a depth of knowledge and interest (which is likely why you went into the business), be willing to share! In sharing, your content will rank higher by search engines, and quite possibly garner long-term, loyal customers.
It can be a bit stressful thinking about how to market your business today, let alone in 2020, but keep in mind that every little bit helps. Try incorporating these strategies, one at a time, and see what works!