2020 Marketing Trends

It’s rare for a marketing agency to celebrate a 40^th birthday. One perk of our longevity is the ability to watch marketing trends come and go. We’re on the front lines, learning and exploring the changes in technology with our clients. As a trusted partner, we stay at the forefront of change and bring ideas to our clients to help them grow their businesses. Take a look at a few of the marketing trends we predict for 2020 and beyond.

Marketing Strategy

Marketing strategy must continue to evolve as our lifestyles and communication preferences change. Over TriAd’s 40 years in the marketing industry, we’ve watched companies move from broad, mass-marketing strategies to more targeted techniques. Audience-specific details have allowed targeting to be more accurate. In the coming year, we anticipate further advances in marketing personalization.

Personalization in marketing strategy started simply as adding first names to emails and letters, but this technique is expected to be applied to most digital marketing. Using a consumer’s name is the start of the relationship building process, sparking a connection that will lead to more effective messages to the target audience. In addition to names, this technique can be applied to keywords including location and subject matter on microsites. Our team is constantly working to stay abreast of the latest trends and get the most for our clients’ marketing efforts.

Publications

Every year we hear industry ‘experts’ say that printed publications are dying. However, our client base tells a different story. TriAd manages a handful of publications in the transportation and construction industries that continue to add value for their membership base. Our editorial staff and graphic designers continue to generate thought-provoking content and custom graphics that keep our clients’ magazines out of recycle bins and in the hands of members and decision makers.

Our continued trend for 2020 is to use publications to create brand loyalty. By giving the reader of a publication something that they won’t get elsewhere, the publication remains valuable. Use publications to announce networking events, affiliate marketing, or cross-promotions with another brand that is related to the company or what they do, creating a space that consumers continue to find value in.

Video Production

Video usage in marketing continues to grow with more applications each day. One big area of growth for video is on social media. We know that video content on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram typically get more engagement, but how has that changed the way social media is used to target consumers?

Video-Based Platforms such as TikTok have not only become a source of entertainment but a place where organizations can have organic content as well as paid ads. TikTok has become a staple to many people in Generation Z and younger Millennials. Gaining a following on a new platform is difficult, but could be worth the effort for companies targeting younger consumers.

Social Media

While it isn’t a new idea, social media is continuing to be a place where consumers build their ideas on a brand. Authentic content is what allows customers to feel like they’re hearing from real people. Before someone commits to an online order, heads to a store for a product, or makes a donation to a non-profit, they want to hear why other people did it or how they felt about it.

Employees and other customers are the key to authentic content. Employees are a person’s “inside eyes” to how a company operates. Blogs, videos and pictures are some posts from employees that can offer some insight of how the organization is run and why its employees value it. Customers who leave reviews and photos are showing that the product or idea is worth investing in.

These 2020 trends are just the tip of the iceberg! We specialize in meeting a client where they are, building custom marketing solutions to accomplish organizational goals. For more information on what TriAd can do for you, visit us here.