Some…predictions for the Digital World in 2020
On the first day of the last few years (2018, 2019) I publish an article on predictions about the future of digital marketing, as well as the technology in general. Some of them have come true, some others haven’t (damn you Twitter…your end is close…), so to follow this tradition today, the first day of 2020, let’s see what is about to prevail in digital marketing this year.
R.I.P. Sales Funnel, Embrace Always Οn-Digital Touchpoints Journey
We have to understand that those who trust us and “consume” our content, make a comment, buy our products online etc., do not do it in a linear way. By the time they discover us, until the time they place their first order and suggest us to a friend, they have made countless contacts with our brand, as well as our competitors. This is what I call “Always On-Digital Touchpoint Journey” and I depict it with the infinity symbol ∞, because of the unlimited feedback of the audience in all the touchpoints of the journey. So, while the media types increase, and split attention is at its peak (8 sec. maximum for adults), we should forget the typical sales funnel in 2020, and we should understand the value of always-on digital touchpoints.
Temporary content
TikTok is about to become part of the strategy of numerous mainstream brands. With 500 million active users (June 2018), that now reach almost 780 million, 2020 will prove that temporary content is not only a trend, but also a strategy that gives value.
Augmented reality for real…at last
If you have read one of my articles or heard one of my speeches the previous years, I always mention how close we are to augmented reality and how many things we can do with it. Of course, I do not mean the bunnies with rainbow vomit that we have on our smartphone screens. At the end of 2020 we shall see a first demo of Facebook glasses, maybe some leaks of the similar Apple or Snap Inc. device, which we hope will come first, and some serious usage of Spark Studio for these “glasses” from independent users.
Taking real steps towards virtual reality
In 2019 we saw Oculus (aka Facebook) announcing that with its new device, Oculus Quest, it can trace its user’s hands without additional hardware. This sets the user free from touchpads and joysticks and takes him a step closer to total immersion into virtual reality. All this, in combination with the announcement of Facebook Horizon about the virtual world (did you use to play Second Life when you were younger?) that will be available to us around spring 2020, we conclude that the 1% of augmented reality users will soon become 5%, when Horizon is launched in the market.
Everyone wants to become a bank
Facebook Libre might have some issues, but at the same time Google takes some first steps into cryptocurrencies, which will be the mainstream market direction during 2020. I also hope that Facebook Pay will soon be available in the European market.
Artificial Intelligence…for advertising
One of the first fields for artificial intelligence to be applied in 2020 is PPC advertising. A field that is not so advisable to copy human decisions, is a field of glory for artificial intelligence. We are about to see machine learning tools prediction CTR, algorithms based on history data give us a better bid before launching a campaign and we could also foresee conversions with high accuracy.
In 2020 it is better to have videos…longer
All research shows that “attention span” becomes limited, but real practice proves that a brand that invests on long format videos will get the audience’s real attention. Examples like Cosmote RoboGirl or world-famous Patagonia docuseries can prove this. So, longer videos should be used in 2020.
Political ads in 2020? Not so fast.
2019 has been a year of elections for Greece. But in the rest of the world we have noticed social media platforms renouncing each other on political advertising. So, if you are a politician or considering about becoming one, digital ads will make your life hard. If you want my advice, invest in offline meetings!
The #DigitalDetox movement
We have started to realize the huge impact of social media on our emotional health, so the platforms have started changing their attitude (call me Facebook Groups), by investing on friendlier, less toxic communities. People have understood the negative impact of “digital life” on their psychology and limit the time they spend online. This, my dear marketeer, means that you need more meaningful content, putting human needs in the center of every digital marketing decision.
2020 is the year of storytelling
Make 2020 a year full of great stories! We live in a digital era with tremendous technological possibilities to really touch the people around us… Have a great year with great stories!
If you want to know more about the future of digital marketing, like my page, listen to my youtube stories, listen to my podcasts on IGTV or SoundCloud, follow me on TikTok and read my articles here.
