Five 2020 Marketing Trends for Your Small Business

It’s a new decade and time for a rundown of the top 2020 marketing trends that we’re particularly excited about. And while we basically ignore design trends (there’s no quicker way for your visual branding to look dated than to follow a trend) we’re definitely up for the kind of marketing we’re expecting to see in 2020.

But before we go full force into the 2020 marketing trends, let’s talk about some marketing that you shouldn’t get rid of.

Because some things just never change:

Don’t Neglect Your SEO

If you want to consistently drive new traffic to your website, SEO should always be on your mind.

And once your essential SEO is setup (you can read more about SEO for beginners in this blog post) your SEO focus should be on quality content creation.

Content is and will always be queen!

This mean keeping your site updated on a regular basis with fresh, quality content. There’s a few ways you can go about doing this.

• Consistent blogging
• Adding to your portfolio
• Adding content to older blog posts
• Adding/updating products and services

And while you’re at it, add a way for website visitors to get onto your email list. Because people might not want to buy from you- yet!

Make them remember you exist by delivering a high-value freebie in exchange for people’s email address and then setup a regular email newsletter. But once again- be consistent.

Tell a Great Story

People love a good story, and if your business isn’t harnessing the power of storytelling marketing, then you’re already missing out.

People love a story about themselves. They love brands that draw them into a story and shows them how they can be the hero of their life.

The key is positioning your clients and customers as the hero while your business is the guide.

I could go on about storytelling marketing. Oh wait- I already have.

Check out our series all on storytelling marketing featuring some of your favorite movies.

Meet People IRL

There’s something impersonal about digital marketing. And while it can get you a long way, one of the best ways to help future clients and customers become aware of your digital world is meeting people in real life.

Don’t think of it as marketing. Think of it as being social.

The worst way to approach in-person “networking” is to see it as a business opportunity.

If you buy tickets to an event simply because your ideal clients will be there and your client hunting, then you’ll be on marketing mode the whole time, and people will notice.

So what do you do instead?

Look at this as an opportunity to actually get to know each other.

Now I’m the first to admit that I’m awkward and not very good at “networking.” I don’t think I’m interesting and I’ve got a case of RBF that makes me look less than friendly.

So what do I do?

I listen. I try to make the conversations about other people’s businesses and also get to know people outside of their business. And then the conversation eventually comes around to me.

And then I’m awkward and will inevitably mention my love of Star Wars or Forensic Files and them BAM! Someone nearby hears that and they know they’ve found someone they can relate to.

Do these people become clients?

That’s not the point. The point is to expand your community.

But yes- some have become clients and others have referred us to people they know that need our services. And sometimes it’s just nice to have someone to talk with.

Now for the 2020 Marketing Trends.

Video is Still Hot

Not really new, but definitely still gaining momentum.

According to Animoto, 93% of brands got a new customer because of a video on social media. They also found that YouTube (all video) has replaced Facebook as the #1 platform that affects consumer behavior.

So why do we like YouTube as a platform for hosting your videos?

SEO.

Google owns YouTube.

Google likes when you post to YouTube.

Google likes when you add your YouTube videos to your website.

And all of this leads to higher quality content on your website, which will help with SEO.

If you’re not comfortable with video of your face, there’s a few things I’ve learned that have helped me, who hates going on video and can’t stand the sound of my own voice.

• Don’t go live. Prerecord your content, take your time to get it right, but eventually publish. Done is better than perfect. And if you hate your face/voice- you don’t need to rewatch. I have found, however, that watching your early videos does help with becoming better on camera.
• Batch your videos- that way, even though you’re doing something you don’t want to do, you’re getting it over with.
• Use your voice and not your face- create a slide show in Keynote and record with your voice narrating.
• Create a stop-motion or slide animation- There are several apps out there with premade video templates where you can drop in your videos and some text and you’re good to go. No face, no voice. Do a double check on quality. Many look outdated with their font choices and limited branding abilities while others look kind of fuzzy/pixelated. Or you could learn to easily do this in Photoshop.

Lifestyle Branding (Our Favorite 2020 Marketing Trend)

Did you noticed how loud the world became in the 2010s?

Oh good- I thought it was just me.

One big shift in marketing in 2020 is going to be relatability.

People are looking to be a part of something more- something with personality.

There are two types of clients- ideal clients and price-shopping clients.

Let’s ignore those price shopping clients. You don’t need them.

Now ideal clients- they want to be a part of your world because not only do you solve their problem, they relate to you.

They want a human element. 2020 is going to be the year of humanized marketing.

One way to do this is to appeal to a particular lifestyle.

We considered the lifestyle we live and infused it into our branding because we did not want to be the same-old corporate marketing and design company.

We incorporate our geekiness, our love of vintage rock, and film into our marketing, even if it’s subtle (see passion projects below).

Do we do work for these types of projects?

Sometimes. But sometimes our clients just appreciate that we’re human. Even clients that don’t like Star Wars as much as us will email us about watching Star Wars with their kids. It’s nice to not be all-business-all-the-time.

2020 marketing trends are all about humanizing business! To make people feel like they’re more than a paycheck to you.

So what lifestyle will you incorporate into your marketing? The possibilities are endless but the end result should make your marketing humanized and relatable.

Interactive Content (The Most Fun 2020 Marketing Trend)

Continuing with the humanizing theme that is clear in most of the 2020 marketing trends, people love to share about themselves.

And they love to share things they love.

And they love to not be sold to day in and day out.

There’s a very fine line on platforms like Instagram.

Do you use it to just sell? No- absolutely not.

Do you never mention your work and just post fun stuff? No- that’s not right either.

But we have found with some recent experimenting, that people love interactive content.

They love sharing their thoughts, opinions, anything about themselves.

Our biggest success in doing this is with Bingo boards on Instagram Stories.

Share the board and people will share it back.

It gets more eyes on your content, and more awareness for your brand. You’re sharing a part of your lifestyle (yes- it all goes back to lifestyle) without selling or promoting.

So what can you make that’s interactive? Here are a few ideas:

1. Bingo Boards
2. Checklists that people can check off
3. Fill-in-the-blank quotes (ex. My Word of the Year is __________________)
4. This-or-that graphics where people circle their preferences from two columns
5. Fill in the blank lists (and example around Christmas could be your top five Christmas movies)

The possibilities are only limited to your creativity. And people are coming up with new interactive content ideas for Instagram Stories all the time. Pay attention, take note, and think about how you can take what someone has done and make it work for you. But please- don’t just copy. Do your own thing.

Passion Projects

Want more of the work you love doing?

Then start doing it!

Of all the 2020 marketing trends, this one will also get you more of the work you want. Score!

This is essential for those of us in any creative fields.

If you want to get paid and work with more clients in a particular style or for a particular type of content- make your own passion project around it.

Lauren Hom talks a lot about this on her site and also has a course, Passion to Paid, where she walks you through how to create a passion project that you can eventually monetize. I’m enrolled and it’s definitely worth the time and cost to get you out of any creative rut and start getting paid for the types of projects you dream about.

Without even thinking about monetizing, Nathan (our art director) spent the last few years working on various passion projects of his own illustrating various characters from Marvel, Disney, DC, and Doctor Who. He was honing in on his skills, building his creative confidence, and working on designs that he loved.

He was later commissioned to create designs of Joker, Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman for Six Flag theme parks. Not for free- for money.

So what kind of projects do you really want to do? Create a passion project around it.

And if you’re serious about learning more of the in’s and out’s of marketing this kind of project, I highly recommend Lauren’s course.

A Personalized Sales Process (The Most Important 2020 Marketing Trend)

Have you caught on to the biggest 2020 marketing trend yet? It’s about humanizing!

Last decade was definitely all about the rise of the influencer and the rise of social media marketing.

But is was also the decade of hiding behind your computer, comparing yourself to others, and imposter syndrome.

The whole idea of imposter syndrome wasn’t even on my mind until I started comparing myself to strangers on the internet who just might possible be living in a slum, living with their parents, living off their partner’s income, or living a lie.

So where has this left us?

Feeling disconnected and not good enough.

Feeling like we are just a dollar sign to businesses we buy from.

But not anymore.

Buyers are wanting a to be a part of a story (see storyteller marketing above).

Customers are wanting a personalized experience.

And if you can provide it to them, you’ll stand out from other competitions that are just wanting the sale.

So how can you do this?

If you’re a product-based business…

People like options. Are you giving them enough? 

Our friend Kat at The Content Planner has done a great job of doing this this year with the addition of color selections. In the past she had one color for her planner each year, but this year customers had the choice between the two colors, Sunshine Yellow and Powder Blue.

She also sold a limited edition black planner, which sold out in minutes. With these options, Kat was able to give her customers a voice in what planner they would represent in 2020.

Is there a way to personalize your products? People like items made just for them.

You could go 100% custom, like our client Donna Marie’s custom paintings, or you could have products that are semi-custom. Miracle Eye, a handmade clothing line will custom tailor any of their pieces for you.

If you’re a service-based business…

Are you dead set on your packages or are your allowing for customization?

The past decade was definitely a time of packaged services, and while I 100% understand the ease of marketing these types of services, if you aren’t open to offering some sort of customization, you’re missing out on business because nobody’s needs are exactly like someone else’s.

For instance, I was recently inquiring about Pinterest management services. 

The package the business was offering was great, except for one part.

The pin designs were a part of the package, and being a graphic design studio, we insisted that we create our own pins.

The business was fine with that but would not lower the price of the package even though we would be doing a big chunk of what was included in the package.

It’s this kind of inflexibility that makes clients feel like they’re just a dollar sign.

Are you getting to know your future clients’ needs before prescribing a solution?

As service providers, it is our job to first understand the problem and then offer a proposed solution.

Not every business has the same problem, so not every business will have the same solution.

The easiest way to do this is to hop on the phone with potential clients and get to know their business and where they’re struggling.

All you have to do is listen. This call is not about you and your services. It’s about determining the root cause of frustration so you can position your solution in a way that shows value.

Which leads me to…

Are you sending the exact same proposal to each client, or are you customizing it?

If you’ve gotten this far, you know the answer is customization.

Yes, systems experts will tell you to just offer one package and just use the same proposal for each client.

That is so 2010.

Yes, it cuts down on your time, but if a client receives a customized proposal they will feel heard and understood.

The trick is to have a proposal template that you change up with each client as needed.

 

 

Here’s some tips:

1. Change up imagery as needed to reflect the client’s business in the first few pages and not yours.
2. On the cover page add the client’s information and on the first page, write a quick note to the client, explaining that the proposal was put together to solve X problem and include when you will follow up.
3. Add a goals page. This page will change with each client and will sum up all of the goals that you took notes on during that call, as well as customized benefits of your proposed solution. For instance, if a client says on the phone that their website is a mess and they don’t want to send press outlets to it, say something like “You’re website will be press-ready and your business will receive more local visibility.”
4. Have a process section that you make slight changes to depending upon the project’s scope.
5. Include a customized timeline (from a template) so the client can see how long each stage will take.
6. In you proposal deck, include several portfolio pieces and only include the ones that are similar to the work you will be doing for a client. For instance, if we are sending out a proposal for a website design, we’ll only include a couple of portfolio pieces that involved website work.
7. Add in the exact services you propose to provide. These could be the exact services for every client, or they could be a tweaked slightly for each project. It all depends on your services.

The more your services cost, the longer your proposal needs to be because you need to make the value of your services clear. A boring word-processing doc or invoice from Quickbooks ain’t gonna do the trick.

2020 Marketing Trends Wrap-Up

These are all marketing trends that we can get behind because in the end, we’re hoping that 2020 brings in an era that is more connected, more caring and more human that in the past decade.

So to recap:

1. Keep your eyes on search engine optimization.
2. Open a story loop for your clients.
3. Get out there and meet people IRL.
4. Add video into your content plan.
5. Create a strong lifestyle brand.
6. Experiment with interactive content.
7. Start a passion project.
8. Design a personalized sales process.

Which are you most excited to add to your marketing arsenal? Let us know in the comments!