Rapid digital and technological change sets the bar high for modern marketers. With an ever-increasing number of platforms and ever-more highly-targetable, identity-based audiences, keeping up with marketing trends is an absolute must.

With these sky-high expectations comes a bright future in the marketing world. This means more useful, data-driven content that aligns with user habits and preferences. More tools, tactics, and pathways for content creation and distribution will allow brands to reach consumers in ways they didn’t think were possible.

As 2020 inches closer, let's take a look at which marketing trends are cropping up, as well as which ones will continue to evolve.

1. Conversational Marketing

We live in a world of instant gratification — where consumers expect immediate answers to their questions and on-demand access to customer service. Hence, the proliferation of conversational marketing.

Brands have engaged in conversational marketing with responsive tweets and timely email responses, but a new trend is gaining serious traction: automated chatbots.

Chatbots are becoming a first line of customer service for many brands. Why? They offer convenience and personalization — not to mention, 56% of people would rather message a brand than call a customer service line.

Domino’s AnyWare initiative is the perfect example of a service that simplifies conversations. With this innovative ordering platform, consumers can order food from Dominos through Apple TV, Google Home, Amazon Echo, text messages, Tweets, Slack, and Facebook messenger.

By 2020, conversational marketing will be a recognized revenue channel in both B2B and B2C businesses. Through web, mobile, and social messaging technology, marketers can facilitate consumer interactions, increase customer satisfaction, and orchestrate conversational experiences. 

2. Continued Rise of Video

In our modern digital world, you’d be hard-pressed not to find someone watching some form of video on their rush-hour commute or as they get ready in the morning.

As video continues to rank as one of the most popular digital marketing trends, you can expect to see more ways that technologies and social media platforms prioritize this type of content. In fact, over 50% of shoppers say online video has helped them decide which specific brand or product to purchase. 

In addition to product-centric video content, other types of video content have gained traction including long-form videos, explainer videos, 360-degree videos, and live video — which we will touch on in our next trend.

3. Ephemeral Content

Ephemeral content is a seemingly fancy buzzword for content that only appears for a specified period of time — usually 24 hours. So what is this appeal surrounding short-lived content that eventually self-destructs?

Stories and live videos give your audience an up-close-and-personal glimpse into your brand. The limited lifespan of ephemeral content boosts engagement and triggers immediate reaction. It is specifically appealing to millennials, who will have the buying power of $1 trillion by 2020.

Live video has become particularly popular with e-commerce brands. By going live with their products, these businesses can showcase product demos and conduct live event concepts. On average, live videos on Facebook and Instagram keep your audience watching three times longer than pre-recorded ones.

Ephemeral content also avoids clogging up the primary news feed, which many people lose interest in after a mere few minutes of scrolling.

4. Interactive Content 

Marketers are using interactive content to cut through the digital clutter of one-way messages. This content comes in many forms, including quizzes, surveys, polls, and interactive videos. Its goal is simple: to captivate consumers and drive them to engage, participate, and share. 

Interactive content also applies heavily to your website. You can increase dwell time if your website has a process to follow — for example, having to scroll to activate the next portion of a story. Consumers can’t resist a call to test themselves, share their thoughts, or take part in personalized experience.

By leveraging innovative UX, artful visual design, animation, and other creative technologies, you can keep your consumers’ attention — ideally, until the point of purchase. With interactive content, participants receive instantaneous, hyper-relevant results they care about in return for engaging with your content.

5. Any Reality but This One

In recent years, both virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) have emerged as top marketing trends. These simulated experiences bring a new level of customization to marketing, like allowing consumers to demo your product before purchasing it.

Many brands have already hopped on the bandwagon in the past couple of years. With IKEA’s augmented reality app, consumers can furnish a whole home without even leaving their couch. The tool allows them to browse over 3,000 pieces of furniture and visualize how they would look in their own homes. And with Sephora’s Virtual Artist tool, consumers can virtually test different makeup products. 

Digital Marketers — Are you Ready for the New Year?

While many brands have gained success using tried-and-true marketing techniques, digital marketing is continuously evolving and catering to more highly-personalized experiences. The companies who are willing to adapt will continue to attract high-quality customers in the modern digital world.