Voice Search will dramatically affect SEO, personalisation will be more important than ever, ad placements will find their way into Facebook Groups and TikTok will take over the world.

2020 is going to look like a lot of different things in the digital space. Here’s what our team is putting our money on. 😉

1. TikTok will take over – Meagan

Ranking as the top most downloaded app in Apple’s iOS App Store for Q1 2019, TikTok achieved 33 million downloads and currently has an active database of 500 million people. (Sensor Tower, 2019)

With 41% of TikTok users aged between 16 and 24, the platform is geared with the youth of the world in mind. We’re predicting 2020 will see more adults downloading the app, and for the demographic to shift slightly to welcome people of all ages. 

1. Brands will seek awareness as a primary focus – Louise

Advertising dollars will be prioritised to increase brand awareness and generating fresh leads, as brand health will continue to remain a top goal for digital marketers in 2020. (Prophet, 2019)

As the digital space is overflowing with ads from thousands of brands, awareness and recognition will help guide customers over to lesser known competitors.

As the engagement metric becomes more obsolete in 2020, advertising spend will decline here and likely be used towards awareness and leads instead.

1. Companies will turn to smaller, more niche influencers – Brooke

Large Instagram influencer engagement is on the decline, with the engagement rate for sponsored posts falling to 2.4% in Q1 2019. (Mobile Marketer, 2019)

Micro-influencers with a following between 5 and 10k have a far higher engagement rate of 6.4%, whereas even smaller accounts with a following between 1 and 5k have an even higher rate of 8.8%.

We predict brands will opt for a multitude of trustworthy micro-influencers to represent their brand to a more authentic and engaged audience.

1. VR and AR will continue to grow and play a huge part in driving user experience – Isaac

Virtual and Augmented Reality will continue to be utilised in more practical scenarios in 2020. Blending digital information with the real world, Augmented reality is unique in the way that it offers real-time feedback to its users and enables information reacting rather than just consumption. Though currently sitting in the space of gaming and entertainment, the shift to education and retail will become more prominent in 2020.

We are expecting to see more e-commerce brands utilise VR/AR to encourage their audience to try on virtual clothing items and explore products.

1. Ad placements will make their way into Facebook groups – Glenn

With Facebook commencing Beta testing with 1% of global advertisers accessing the Facebook Group Feed placement in ads manager, it’s expected that 2020 will see all global advertisers having the option to utilise this.

As Facebook continues to place emphasis on groups and community, allowing advertisers to access a placement here could attract a more engaged and specific audience.

1. Design templates will go gangbuster – Michelle

With sites such as Canva offering well-designed social templates and Instagram introducing story templates, great design is now accessible to everyone for free.

With muted, minimalist palettes also trending, we predict 2020 will see many businesses and brands utilising these templates and running the risk of looking similar from a visual level.

Brands who can master combining simplicity with creativity will be those who break through.

1. Brands will become your bestie – Sophia

More than ever, brands will need to foster their human community and encourage online interactions. With 49% of people not reading past 111 words of a message, micro-touchpoints will become key on social media. (Amazon, 2019) It’s important for brands to remain responsive across all channels and connect with their consumers whilst maintaining a consistent tone of voice. Successful brands will be those which engage in conversations and avoid the “hard-sell” tactic.

No-one wants a salesperson shouting at you, but everyone wants another online BFF.

1. Marketers and brands will invest in high-value video content – Jarid

After reading an ad, people are only 10% likely to remember the brand…. However, after watching a video, brand recognition rises to 30-50%. (Edgar Dale’s Cone of Experience, 2015) With Instagram and Facebook more saturated than ever with video content, brands are being pushed to try new visual strategies to grab their audience’s attention and retain it.

Beautiful footage is no longer cutting through as it once did. We predict that 2020 will see the focus shift from this to an ability to tell an engaging story, quickly.

1. The increase in Voice Search will affect SEO keywords – Kate

By 2020, half of all online searches are predicted to be made through voice search. Already having a drastic improvement on user experiences, Google and other search engines have placed a higher emphasis on voice search optimisation.

We predict businesses will start gearing towards using copy similar to spoken language across their digital platforms to boost their SEO presence. Voice search results are spoken at most a 9th grade reading level, so brands will need to ensure their information is broken down in a way that is easy for all to comprehend. (Dean, 2018)

1. Personalisation becomes more and more important – Tahlia

A survey found that 90% of people found personalised advertising and products more appealing. (Sensor Tower, 2019)

Brands that are delivering dynamic shopping experiences have seen an improvement on customer retention and engagement, with 59% of shoppers saying they are more likely to purchase from brands that offer personalised products. (Salesforce, 2019)

We are expecting to see further segmented audiences for more personalised content and ads across the board for businesses.