The year is coming to a close and the 2020 marketing predictions are flowing like New Year’s Eve champagne. From an agency perspective, some of the trend reports we’ve been seeing seem a little far-fetched — sorry to burst your bubble, but we won’t fully transition to virtual reality e-commerce in the next year. From a team that is on the ground, implementing campaigns for both B2C and B2B clients, here’s what we predict we’ll actually see in 2020.
It is no secret that streaming services have infiltrated the lives of consumers. In 2018, 78% of U.S. households paid for Netflix, while only 67% paid for cable TV. Because services such as Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon are so successful, it is inevitable that more companies will continue to join the mix. YouTube TV is the newest, trendiest service right now, and I predict we’ll see it grow more in the coming years.
YouTube TV now covers 98% of the country and plans to expand to the remaining 2% in 2020. Like cable television, YouTube TV does not allow you to skip ads. What separates YouTube TV from regular cable television is the fact that YouTube TV uses smart content.
Because YouTube is owned by Google, they have access to better targeting capabilities, and at a lower cost than traditional cable advertising. Advertisers can reach audiences on their television screens through Google Preferred using AdWords or DV 360 (formerly DoubleClick). And YouTube claims that its Google Preferred Lineups campaigns resulted in an 11% lift in purchase intent.
One thing we like about YouTube TV is that consumers can update their own ad settings in order to influence the types of advertisements they see, making ad targeting even more effective — and providing a much better user experience.
Podcasts have exploded in popularity, and they are here to stay. If you’re one of the few people who hasn’t heard of podcasts, they’re audio files that you can listen to from your laptop or smartphone, anytime and anywhere.
Right now, there are over 700,000 active podcasts, and more than 73 million Americans listen to podcasts monthly. And podcast ads work — of those 73 million Americans, 69% agreed that podcast ads made them aware of a new product or service, and a series of studies by Nielsen showed that ads on podcasts are more effective than traditional display ads, prompting up to 4.4 times better brand recall.
Because of this, big brands are finally jumping on board with podcasts. This means that in 2020, marketers who want to get in on the podcast boom will need to focus on (1) identifying which podcasts are attracting their target audiences and (2) creating relationships in order to get editorial or ad placement opportunities.
It seems that there’s a podcast for everyone, in every industry. If you can’t find one relevant to your audience, though, consider starting your own. It’s a lot of work, but if there truly is an audio content void to fill in your industry, now is the time to do it.
When it comes to getting information from brands, 72% of consumers prefer videos over reading text. In fact, just mentioning the word “video” in an email subject line can increase the click-through rate by 13%.
Whether you’re streaming live video or producing a video to be shared, things like how-to videos and product explainer videos make it easier for people to see what they are getting themselves into. Video content makes your brand more accessible to your audience, proving your authenticity and promoting trust. Plus, not only is video easier for people to visualize but for many, it is also the most memorable way of receiving content.
Uploading or streaming video to social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook is not new to 2020, but it is continuing to grow and becoming even more integral to marketing strategies. If you haven’t jumped on this bandwagon yet, 2020 is your chance.
What are your 2020 predictions? Connect with us on social and tell us your thoughts.
Photo by Ajeet Mestry.