The day has officially come. Consumers actually want companies to take their data. Why? Because everyone’s time has become more limited – and valuable – than ever. Think about it. When you interact with a business, you expect to be heard, understood, and taken care of – and you’re not alone. 72% of consumers expect companies to understand their needs and expectations, according to Salesforce.
At Assemble, we believe successful online marketing isn’t just about what works now, but also anticipating how it will change; from new technology to shifts in consumer behavior. What we know now is that 2020 will be the year marketing assets will become super ‘personalized.’ Data, technology, and marketing messaging has finally blended in a way that makes executing personalized campaigns even easier. So for marketers, the challenge has shifted from limitations in creating personalization to gaining insight quickly enough to launch a ‘hyper’ personalized campaign strategy.
To start, you need to know your options, so our digital advertising specialists created a list of our top five things to consider for 2020 as you plan out your personalized campaigns:
- The Rise of the Dynamic Micro-Video (Creating Micro-Moments)
- Dynamic Campaigns – Going Mainstream
- AI to Automate Ad Buying
- Executing Seamless Omnichannel Marketing
- Getting More Engagement with Interactive Content
1. The Rise of the Dynamic Micro-Videos (Creating Micro-Moments)
Streaming video was a ‘must-have’ marketing tool in 2019. But a lot of brands continued to use their :30 spot for video engagement. This year, smaller screens are giving marketers bigger attention in shorter segments – like using Facebook Live. With 78% of digital video viewers are willing to watch advertising in exchange for free content, companies are projected to spend 25% more in video this year, according to IAB’s 2019 Video Advertising Spend.
The purchase path of consumers is now made of micro-moments, and it’ll be your job to understand their needs at any given moment and deliver an experience that provides a solution – quickly. It’s time to beef up your video portfolio with targeted dynamic micro-videos and keep those :30 spots where they belong: analog TV.
Why are Micro-Videos a top digital marketing trend?
- Video Content + Location = Success: You can provide short snippets of original content based on location & placement to align with the overall brand campaign.
- Social Amplification: Viewers want to be engaged with compelling content that catches their attention, so add more animated videos to your social networks & your site.
- Going Live: Facebook found that Facebook Live & Instagram Live are watched 3x longer than videos that aren’t live. They offer immediate gratification through real-time interaction.
- If You Train Them, They Will Watch: Micro-training videos are a hit because they aren’t overwhelming, which is also why viewers pay closer attention to both content and ads while watching.
- A/B testing: Micro-videos allow your teams to A/B test messaging to help inform future campaigns.
2. Dynamic Campaigns – Go Mainstream
Our prediction is that 2020 is when Media smarts merge with Creative power. Dynamic banners have been around for a while, but it wasn’t until this past year that both media and creative teams realized they needed to work together in a new way. Dynamic campaigns allow brands to take advantage of showing a relevant ad in the right place, at the right time to get in front of the right audience. This all happens in real-time ad serving with endless personalized messages very efficiently. To make the most of your Dynamic campaigns, here are just a few things to consider:
- Identify the moments. Be where your consumers are searching for information and use those moments to serve customized ads for their needs.
- Target and re-target. Identify your customers’ potential ‘have to buy’ moments. Be ready to deliver both on quality and quantity.
- Focus on the whole experience. The solution to one problem, could be the start of another. Your consumers will expect you to be there, so what’s next?
- Evaluate these moments. Collecting meaningful insight from their experience will help you develop your strategy moving forward.
3. AI Takes Over Manual Search-Driven Ad Buying
Artificial Intelligence (AI) programmatic buying will replace manual search-driven ad buying as the most important digital trend in 2020. Unlike traditional programmatic buying that uses 3-4 targets (keyword, time of day, location, etc.) to do exactly what it’s told, this “smart” technology allows marketers to be extremely specific with targeting parameters and then will adjust to better match users’ searches. Companies can program hundreds of targeting ad signals to create a more personalized message, and these responsive search ads will optimize to help drive results. This will significantly improve both media campaigns and the amount of assets needed to full a current media buy.
4. Executing Seamless, Personalized Omnichannel Marketing
Google reports that 85% of online shoppers start a purchase on one device and finish on another. Even further, more than 70% of surveyed consumers in the same study used three additional channels to research a purchase. The takeaway: marketers need to expand their focus beyond one or two channels to setup consistent omnichannel marketing touchpoints. This should reinforce the buyer’s journey across social media, email, website, offline ads, apps, and more, through a personalized experience based on their unique behaviors and actions.
5. Getting Engaged with Interactive Content
A recent study by Salesforce reported that 58% of Gen X consumers and 63% of Millennial consumers feel that providing personal data is a small price to pay for a personalized online experience. More consumers respond to interactive online content that engages multiple senses at once, cutting through the noise and giving them what they need in real-time.
Content marketing will shift its focus to give audiences more of what they want: shoppable posts, AR/VR, 360-degree video, quizzes, polls and more. When your production assets allow users to take a more in-depth journey, you give them a reason to stay engaged and make it easier to become qualified leads.
The future of digital marketing lies in providing authentic, well-researched, personalized, and innovative content to consumers. Consumers are more demanding than ever, and they’re counting on you to cater toward their needs. 2020 has provided you with the tools to make this happen, and now it’s up to you and your clients to leverage these capabilities for your campaigns. Assemble is here to help. Contact our digital experts to discuss your online marketing strategy for the New Year.