As the year draws to a close, marketers around the world start speculating about trends for the new year.
Which media platform is going to be the next big thing? We all know that print is in a general decline. The broadcast media remains stable but is the most expensive channel. And digital is continuously evolving at what feels like the speed of light.
As marketers, we keep on looking to the future but we forget that there are things we can do better now. Regardless of ‘the next big thing’, it is my opinion that marketing practitioners need to put more effort into a few proven marketing tactics rather than jumping on the trends bandwagon.
It is still the year of mobile
With more than 90 million mobile connections in South Africa, of which 20 to 22 million are smartphone users, mobile marketing should be a key focus for brands. Data shows that 71% of South African web pages are served to mobile phones which means not only is mobile advertising important, but brands need to make sure their web sites are optimised for mobile browsing. And YouTube is still relevant as 42% of South African internet users watch video on their mobile phones.
What to do better in 2020
Let your marketing videos tell a story. Keep them interesting and let the content appeal to your audience’s emotions. And don’t forget that your audience’s need for information should come first over your brand’s promotional message. This GoPro video is a good example of how to tell a story about your products or service offerings.
With YouTube being the second largest search engine on the Internet your marketing videos must be optimised not only for Google and other traditional search engines but also for YouTube. Make use of video site maps and mRSS feeds to get the most out of your videos. Google Ads Keyword Planner and Google Analytics are must-have tools for any marketer.
For your video story (or any other digital marketing campaign) to reach the right audience, it is important that marketers explore location-based marketing. Going into 2020 make sure your marketing strategy matches opted-in, privacy-compliance location data received from smartphones to points of interest (POI) related to your products and services. These POIs can be your store’s physical location, that of your competitors, restaurants, grocery stores, and shopping malls. It is so much more effective to create audiences based on real-world visits, rather than likes and follows on social media.
The year for killing dinosaurs
Digital is here to stay. Early adopters of digital marketing confirm that video marketing is worth the investment. Data shows that it results in 66% more qualified leads and more than 50% increase in brand awareness.
If I could have one wish come true in 2020 it is that it would be the year of killing dinosaurs. The year that legacy companies will come to realise the importance of digital marketing, and that it is here to stay. Let’s make 2020 the year of digital marketing, and allocate more budget towards this ‘new’ way of marketing!
Mahesh Singh founded iClick Marketing in 2012. Over the past seven years, he has overseen the exponential growth of the agency that earned it the New Generation Award for Most Innovative Digital Campaign by a Small Agency for its client Dis-Chem in 2018. Singh holds a B.comm Marketing Management degree focused in Marketing Management from the University of South Africa (UNISA).
