Muneeb SiddiquiRapidly changing search engine and social media algorithms, declining organic reach and the dismal state of conversions have forced digital marketers to take the paid route. If you are one of those marketers who don’t like to wait a year to get results and want quick wins, then paid marketing is an ideal choice.
Last year, we predicted the emergence of new ad types, video and remarketing as some of the biggest PPC trends of 2019. This year, we want to continue that tradition and predict the future of paid marketing.
In this article, you will learn about seven paid marketing trends that will dominate in 2020.
1. Less Control, More Automation
Automation will be the biggest paid marketing trend for 2020 by a long shot. Ed Leake, who is managing director at Midas Media, thinks that machines and AI will be able to pass judgments and complete routine tasks faster than humans. Businesses using automation and AI in their workflows will gain a competitive advantage and businesses who don’t will be left behind.
Paid marketers will enjoy less control as Google embraces automation. Don’t be surprised to see the end of manual bidding altogether. Google will wrest control away from paid marketers in the name of better targeting and intent. Paid advertisers will never blindly adopt every change made by Google.
Andrew Lolk, Founder of Savvy Revenue and Lead PPC manager, advises, “I don’t advise outright rejecting Google’s automation, but knowing its strengths and weaknesses intimately instead. By knowing the weaknesses in Google’s automation, you’ll know what to do to beat other advertisers that aren’t privy to it.”
2. Rise of Alternative Platforms
The social media landscape is changing rapidly. The focus has shifted from Facebook and Twitter to LinkedIn, TikTok, Snapchat and Pinterest. With people spending more time on these platforms, their revenues are surging. Businesses will target ad platform where their target audience is spending their time. This means that paid marketing budgets will be more dispersed than ever before. We will see a larger portion of your ad budget allocated for platforms such as Amazon, Reddit, Pinterest and Quora. Marketplaces like Amazon and Wallmart attracts millions of visitors and searches every month, which will also make them a great platform for advertising for paid marketers.
3. Retargeting and Videos Still Works Great
Remarketing and video deliver high click-through rates and conversions. In fact, video ads attract 73% more clicks as compared to display banners. Moreover, website visitors retargeted through remarketing ads are 70% more likely to convert. Instead of convincing customers who are not ready to buy from you, focus on individuals who have shown interest in purchasing your products. Know which stage of the buyer’s journey your prospects are in and show them the right ad.
4. Focus on Customers
Paid advertising pros are divided. Some think that 2020 will be the year when we would see paid advertisers ditch keywords and focus on audiences. On the other side of the spectrum are experts who think that keywords are not going anywhere soon. Irrespective of which camp you support, one thing is for sure, if you want to excel in paid advertising, you should have a customer-centric strategy.
Personalization will be more important than ever. PurnaVirji, Senior Manager of Global Engagement, Microsoft said, “Drill down in them even further, so your ad messaging can be as relevant and feel as personalized as possible. This will be hugely important in 2020.”
5. Your Marketing Funnel Matters
With digital marketers interacting with their target audience on a wide range of platforms, they need a funnel that can help them track where their prospects are on the buyer’s journey. In today’s attribution environment, click-based attribution models do not work. That is why it is important to adopt a multi-touch attribution model and then use the bottom of the funnel marketing tactics such as paid search to achieve a higher return on investments quickly.
6. Brand Affinity Trumps Brand Awareness
Paid advertisers are no longer satisfied with increasing brand awareness through the ad. They are going above and beyond and focusing on increasing brand affinity. Pauline Jakober, CEO of Group Twenty-Seven summed it up brilliantly, “Marketers are no longer satisfied with familiarizing potential customers with their brand. They also want to influence how potential customers feel about it and respond to it.”
Brands will look to create long term relationships with their customers. Jonathan Kagan, Vice President of Search, Cogniscient Media, “Advertisers can no longer allow the platforms to ‘do their own things.’ They need to continue to police your ad placements that are operating on automation. Otherwise, you may appear that your brand is supporting a horrific event.”
7. Rise of Voice Search
According to ComScore, 50% of all searches will be voice-based by 2020. Voice search works in a different way as a traditional search, so paid advertisers must adapt to this change. Use a conversational tone and long-tail keywords. Try to answer user questions and provide a solution to searcher’s problems to rank higher in voice search.
If you want to succeed in paid voice search, here are some of the things you should keep in mind and design your PPC campaign accordingly.
- Voice search queries are longer
- Voice queries are usually in the form of a question
- Voice searches have high local worth (near me searches)
Which paid marketing trend will create the biggest splash in 2020? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
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