Recently, while thumbing through all the email newsletters, client emails, and employee back and forths I receive daily in my inbox, one email stood out above the rest. It was from a Girl Scout and she was selling me cookies. Online.

Now, I’m a sucker for Girl Scout cookies. I remember when I used to sell Girl Scout cookies door to door around my neighborhood back in good ole Elberon, New Jersey. Of course, this was over 35 years ago (don’t do the math, let’s just agree that I’m old and leave it at that) and a 7-year-old girl going door to door selling cookies was a lot safer than it is these days.

Putting my nostalgic love of Girl Scout cookies aside, I was most interested in the tactic the Girl Scouts are now using. You can now order your treats online, without the Girl Scout coming to your door and asking the familiar phrase, “Do you want to buy some Girl Scout cookies?”

My point is — and I do have a point – is that the Girl Scouts have learned to adapt to the changing times. Sure there are still some intrepid Scouts standing out in front of your local Walmart. But now, you can buy your cookies with a click of the mouse.

So my question to you is, are you ready to change with the times? Because a new decade is upon us so you best be prepared for the digital marketing trends and changes coming down the line. And with that, I take you to the future.

Here are my top three digital marketing trends that we should be keeping an eye on for 2020.

Marketing Trend 1: TikTok Went the Clock

Let’s discuss social scandals of 2019. Like this one: have you heard the one about the country who cozied up too much to the emerging social media platform? Ha, no, it’s not Facebook, good one. It’s TikTok and it is something you should keep an eye on.

Pushing the government investigation aside for a minute, let’s talk about this up and comer. Once known as Musical.ly, TikTok is a lip-syncing, party dancing, short-form video service that’s popular with the kids these days. Although its core audience has been mostly pre-teens, it’s starting to gain attention with the Gen Z crowd. You know, the one generation who is on track to being the largest generation of consumers? It’s also caught the attention of politicians and the media. Could TikTok be The Next Big Thing in social media?

Well, although it’s too soon to determine whether this app will be great for businesses or not, it wouldn’t hurt for your business to keep an eye It. Especially if you want to stay ahead of the competition – this may be the way to go.

Of course, this is all dependent on what happens in the near future and the government but I would keep an eye on it anyway.

Marketing Trend 2: The Zero-Click Dilemma

Have you heard of the zero-click search? Oh yes, it is a true thing and you can expect more and more of these searches in 2020.

A zero-click search is exactly what it sounds like – a search that no one clicks a result. That’s because whatever the user is searching for is answered right there on the search engine. And it’s probably hurting your SEO efforts.

Let me give you an example. Go to your favorite search engine and type, “How do I feed a pill to a stubborn cat?” No what do you see? Do you see an answer to your question? I know I do.

So…since my answer is right there, why would I need to click on the link?

Unfortunately, zero-search results are increasing. According to Search Engine Journal, 34.4 percent of all desktop searches and 62.5 percent of mobile searches result in no clicks. This trend has been on the rise for the past two years and does not look like it’s going to slow down anytime soon.

Of course, you want to rank for that coveted top answer position in the SERPs, but what’s the point if no one is going to click on the link? And that’s the dilemma that is now facing us today. Zero clicks mean fewer impressions, lower click-through rates, and less organic traffic to your site. So maybe you have to rethink how you answer a question in your copy and keep this in mind – how will I answer the user’s question AND make them click the link?

Oh, and the true answer to the cat question is tip his head back, throw it down his throat, clamp his mouth all the while shouting, “Don’t spit it out again!” Treats work too.

Marketing Trend 3: Content is King.. But Live Video May Be Queen

We all know that content is king. It’s been drilled into every marketer’s brain at every waking minute. But you know who is the queen? Video.

Video content is becoming more and more an important piece of any well-rounded digital marketing campaign. And I’m not just talking about the little short videos like we put on our social media once a week…I’m talking about the live experience.

Ok, I know that 2016 called and said live video has been around for years. But according to Buffer, although 93.7 percent of businesses use Facebook Live in 2019, this number has dropped over 2018.

But don’t forget it. The daily watch time for Facebook Live videos has quadrupled over the past few years which means more people are tuning in than you may have thought. So when you’re planning out your social media marketing strategy for 2020, remember to do it live!

ENX2 Marketing Can Help With Your 2020 Digital Marketing Needs

A new decade calls for a new outlook. And you want to start it on the right foot, correct? Fortunately, when it comes to a crackerjack digital marketing strategy and a well-oiled machine to go with it, we got what you’re looking for. Why don’t you contact ENX2 Marketing today? Happy Holidays, everyone!