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The state of inbound marketing in 2020

Picture of Raza Kazi

20 mins read

2020 is now in full swing which means it’s time for businesses to adopt new trends, whip out the playbook to use fresh tactics and implement new technology. The marketing world is dynamic and ever-changing, so you need to stay up-to-date with all the new developments to keep your competition in second-place in this never-ending marathon.

How do you know you’re up-to-date and ahead of the chasing pack? Actionable marketing statistics that go beyond just throwing numbers at you from each direction. We’ve scoured the web to collate bucket fulls of data to show you the true state of inbound in 2020. 

Don’t worry, they’re not just meaningless figures where you leave with more questions than answers. I’ve broken this hefty blog post (definitely bookmark it to come back to it) into a handful of sections and explained what these statistics actually mean for you and your business.

 

 

The state of inbound marketing

 

Inbound is global…

There’s a reason inbound tactics have worked for so long and haven’t disappeared as many other methodologies have. It’s global, it’s popular and it works. HubSpot’s research found that inbound can now be considered a global phenomenon. Just take a look at the figures for yourself after marketers were asked whether they primarily conduct inbound marketing.

  • North America: 79%
  • Latin America: 75%
  • Europe, Middle East and Africa: 75%
  • Australia and New Zealand: 76%
  • Southeast Asia: 64%
  • Global: 74%

What this means: You can’t afford to not adopt inbound marketing tactics. Brands in North America are already leading the way with those in the EMEA region a little behind. With an average of 74% of respondents primarily conducting inbound marketing on a global scale, it should highlight just how popular this proven technique is.

They’re not just numbers plucked out of thin air with no substance either. We recently sent one of our Content Marketers on a mission to find some of the best inbound marketing campaigns out there from big brands. If you fancy checking out what the likes of Innocent and Monzo have done, make sure to check out the blog.

 

Inbound vs. outbound

It’s probably the most famous battle in all of marketing and even though inbound is the preferred method, some are still reluctant to make the switch from the old-school outbound technique. HubSpot’s research showed that inbound is the preferred method between marketing teams.

Inbound marketing: 75% say inbound marketing is effective and 25% say it’s ineffective.

Outbound marketing: 62% say outbound marketing is effective and 38% say it’s ineffective.

What this means: More people working in outbound claim their method is ineffective which pretty much tells you the full story. Compare that to inbound and you’ll notice more say it’s effective while a fewer number admit that inbound tactics don’t work for them. Obviously, you need to make sure you do things the right way and put a focus on all areas such as SEO, content creation and automation for it to truly work.

In some cases, outbound can be slightly effective in the short-term but it can only go so far. If you want to level the playing field and compete against the biggest names in your industry then inbound tactics are the ones you should try.

 

Your content marketing strategy

Content is perhaps the most important part of your inbound marketing efforts. The purpose is to create and share relevant, engaging content to your target audience. That’s how they’ll learn about your brand, service, product, expertise and more.

When you invest in content marketing, you improve your ability to engage your buyer personas, you can convert more leads, boost brand awareness and connect with your audience. Although many assume content is on the decline because of other trends on the horizon, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

  • 70% of marketers are actively investing in content marketing. (HubSpot Research)
  • Over three-quarters of internet users say they read blogs regularly. (Quoracreative)
  • 92% of marketers report their company views content as a business asset. (Content Marketing Institute)
  • 56% of businesses want to increase their spend on content creation. (Content Marketing Institute)
  • 84% of people expect brands to produce content that entertains, provides solutions and produces experiences and events. (Meaningful Brands)
  • Content marketing gets three times more leads than paid search advertising. (Content Marketing Institute)
  • The top three most common content marketing metrics which marketers currently track include website traffic, social media engagement and engagement time. (HubSpot February 2020 Survey)
  • 72% of marketers said having a good content strategy was a major key to their success in 2018. (B2B Content Marketing)

What this means: Don’t even think about giving up on content. Content marketing will continue to drive visibility in 2020 but along with being found, make sure your content is both credible and compelling. To stand out from your competition, you need to focus on creating optimised and personalised content experiences.

Also, there’s no one-size-fits-all marketing campaign. If your business operates on a global scale, then make sure you adapt your content marketing strategy for regional needs and differences of each market - while always conveying your main message. Here are some tactics you should try out this year:

  • Think about where you can share your content to better service your audience.
  • Rather than always creating new content, focus on optimising historic content so it’s always fresh and full of value.
  • Prioritise backlinks to boost authority and establish yourself as an industry leader.
  • Identify poor-performing content and share them through other distribution channels to see if they’re more successful among audiences members there. You never know, what doesn’t work on Twitter might be a huge hit on LinkedIn.
  • Content isn’t always words on a blog. Think about videos and podcasts as well, depending on the way your audience prefers to digest content.

 

The state of SEO in 2020

In the world of SEO, everything revolves around the user experience. It all hinges on providing relevant information somebody searches for - in ways search engines can identify. Like content marketing, SEO is crucial in inbound marketing efforts as search engines are getting much better at understanding search intent. 

As they’re now providing more unique and granular search results, it’s the perfect time to focus on your SEO efforts to increase your website’s visibility and rankings. 

  • Over 64% of marketers actively invest in SEO while over 52% of marketers invest in technical SEO updates to their website. (HubSpot)
  • 61% of marketers say improving SEO and growing their organic presence is their top inbound marketing priority. (HubSpot)
  • SEO has 20 times more traffic opportunities than PPC on both mobile and desktop. (Sparktoro)
  • 53% of marketers are actively trying to rank for Google Featured Snippets. (HubSpot)
  • 57% of B2B marketers say SEO generates more leads than any of their other marketing initiatives. (Junto)
  • In a HubSpot survey, the top three ways marketers measure the success of their SEO strategy are keyword rankings, time spent on page and organic traffic. (HubSpot)
  • Organic SEO is about 5.66 times better than paid search ads. (New Media Campaigns)
  • Around 55% of marketers consider SEO either ‘very important’ or ‘extremely important’ to their overall marketing strategy. (HubSpot)

What this means: SEO isn’t going anywhere. What you need to start doing is obsessing over search from your users’ point of view, rather than always bending to the will of Google’s algorithm updates. There are always new advancements in the marketing world where trends can die just as quickly as they become popular.

Taking a look at the stats, over half of marketers still put their focus on SEO and even more continue to invest in it. Why? Because it works. Keep building a technical SEO foundation and ensure your website’s infrastructure is solid. It’s the best way of delivering a great user experience and lays the groundwork for your SEO efforts. Think along the lines of page speed and mobile optimisation.

Search engine algorithms will always change (Google’s changes nine times a day) but you need to focus on keeping up with the way people search - not just the algorithms. The reason many see success with SEO in 2020 is because they continue to provide a killer user experience and make their websites technically sound for visitors.

People aren’t going to stop using search engines, so SEO isn’t on its way out. It’s just as important as ever and something you should look to invest in even more.

 

The rise of social media in inbound marketing

By 2021, it’s thought there will be 3.1 billion users on social media. That’s a pretty big market for you to tap into with your social media efforts but understanding how to market on all the different platforms is a skill in itself. In 2020, it’s all about investing in your audience and making sure you continue to fine-tune this underrated inbound marketing tactic.

Facebook

  • Facebook is the #1 social channel used by marketers as it provides the highest ROI. (HubSpot)
  • 1.4 billion people use Facebook Groups and there are more than 10 million groups live on the platform. (Facebook)
  • Facebook is the second most-used platform globally, followed by YouTube. (Pew Research Center)
  • Only 18% of marketers currently use Facebook Groups. (HubSpot)
  • The Facebook platform reaches over 60% of internet users. (Facebook)

What this means: Facebook is still the dominant social media platform - no question. Sure, we have plenty of new ones making an impact but for marketers, Facebook still provides the highest ROI so it makes sense to utilise it to its potential. As the final point mentioned, over 60% of internet users will come across Facebook. That’s a huge audience that could see your marketing efforts.

Points two and four should be a key takeaway here. There are 1.4 billion people using Facebook Groups and over 10 million groups on the platform yet only 18% of marketers are taking advantage of that. With the whole situation surrounding Facebook’s ‘meaningful interactions’, it makes sense to utilise the popularity of these Groups.

We even launched one in light of this and it’s still going strong.

 

Instagram

  • Instagram has over one billion active monthly users. (Oberlo)
  • Advertising on Instagram has the possible reach of over 849 million users. (SocialMediaToday)
  • 200 million Instagram users visit at least one business profile daily. (Instagram)
  • Instagram users will spend an average of 28 minutes per day on the platform in 2020. (eMarketer)
  • One-third of the most-viewed Stories are from businesses. (Instagram)

What this means: You know that marketing budget, time and other resources you have? Make sure you dedicate some of it to Instagram. The platform is huge (as you’d expect, considering Facebook owns it). Like Facebook, it has billions of daily users which means there’s a wide audience for you to attract.

In fact, more people are now spending time on Instagram than Facebook and for the first time ever, Instagram saw more time spent per day than Snapchat. And if users are spending 28 minutes per day on the app and 200 million of them visit a business profile, are you doing enough to make sure it’s yours they’re checking out?

This year, make Instagram a key part of your social strategy. It’s in a great place at the moment so you can’t afford to neglect it.

 

LinkedIn

  • LinkedIn now has over 500 million users and continues to grow year on year. (Business Insider Intelligence)
  • 61 million LinkedIn users are senior level influencers and 40 million are in decision-making positions. (Marketing Solutions)
  • Only three million users share content weekly. (ITC)
  • When it comes to delivering content and securing audience engagement, LinkedIn is the most effective social media platform. (LinkedIn)
  • 44% of members visit LinkedIn each day. (Sourcecon)

What this means: LinkedIn is a freakin’ gold mine. Your eyes should light up if you’re looking for a platform to share your inbound efforts and reach senior level influencers and decision-makers.

There’s a gap for you to take advantage of. Of the 500 million total LinkedIn users and 250 million active monthly users, only three million share content on a weekly basis.

That’s just 1% of monthly users. So three million users get nine billion impressions each week and they’re enjoying it because nobody else is filling that gap. Make sure to start sharing your inbound content on LinkedIn each and every week.

 

Email marketing is still alive and kicking

Another big area of inbound marketing and somewhere you might already put a lot of effort into is email marketing. Sure, marketers tend to struggle to break through the noise and have to fight hundreds of other marketers for the audiences’ attention, but email engagement rates are high in 2020.

That’s because customers prefer connecting with brands through email which obviously boosts ROI.

  • Roughly 80% of marketers have reported an increase in email engagement over the past 12 months. (HubSpot)
  • Recipients are 75% more likely to click on emails from segmented campaigns than non-segmented campaigns. (MailChimp)
  • 15% of marketers say their company doesn’t regularly review email opens and clicks. Only 23% say they've integrated their website and emails to track what happens after a click. (MarketingProfs)
  • 86% of professionals prefer to use email when communicating for business purposes. (HubSpot)
  • Almost every report on open rates suggested mobile is responsible for at least 50% of all opens. (Campaign Monitor)
  • By 2022, it’s expected 347.3 billion emails will be sent each day. (Statista)
  • 81% of SMBs rely on email marketing as their primary customer acquisition channel and 80% for retention. (Emarsys)
  • Emails with personalised subject lines generate 50% higher open rates. (Yes Lifecycle Marketing)

What this means: Email marketing is still a go-to method in the inbound methodology but there’s no denying it’s tough. With so many emails sent out each day, you face a real battle trying to get people to open your emails and click through.

The good news is email marketing is still a healthy avenue and HubSpot themselves have shared some areas to focus on this year. They advise integration, segmentation and experimentation should get an extra push this year.

Although, that doesn’t mean ditch other tactics which you know work well. For example, the stats show personalisation is still massive for open rates, so don’t sacrifice that entirely for newer trends.

Do what’s working, weave in some of the new techniques and see which tactics help your email marketing efforts reach new heights.

 

Keep investing wisely in paid search

Although inbound revolves around organic traffic, some of the channels are flooded which nicely paves the way for paid advertising to get to the top of people’s feeds. However, it can only really work if you evaluate trends and analyse data from past campaigns. 

Go in blind and you could waste your hard-earned cash. Utilise insights from what has and hasn’t worked in the past and you’ll have a better idea of how to effectively use your budget.

  • Around 52% of people prefer to click on paid advertisements at the top of Google’s SERP. (PPCResellers)
  • Instagram, LinkedIn and Pinterest remain relatively easy to win on in terms of spending to expand your online presence. (Social Media Today)
  • 75% of people say paid search ads make it easier to find the information they’re searching for. 33% click on a paid search ad because it directly answers their search query. (Search Engine Land)
  • PPC ads are more effective when used in conjunction with SEO tactics. (New Media Campaigns)
  • 46% of internet users can’t easily tell the difference between PPC ads and organic links from search engine results. (PPCResellers)
  • 43% of new customers buy something they saw in a YouTube ad. (Contently)
  • Google reports search ads can boost brand awareness by as much as 80%, making it likelier that consumers remember your brand and interact with you. (Valve and Meter)
  • Marketers and advertisers are putting 51% of their budget into mobile ads. (HubSpot)

What this means: There are plenty of opportunities which suggest your paid search efforts deserve a slice of your budget. Although, this tactic might not work as well as you’d hope by itself. For best results, combine it with other popular inbound techniques like SEO and use the right platforms to really reap the rewards.

Also, stick with what works but don’t be afraid to experiment. The stats above clearly show that paid search is worth investing in, but you need to find the right balance of making sure it’s optimised for devices and catering to what your audience wants. 

If people find paid search ads easier then listen to them. However, don’t put all your eggs in one basket by going all-in on one platform. Sure, Facebook might work for you nicely right now but if YouTube ads are on the rise alongside Instagram and LinkedIn, then revisit your strategy to find what works.

That’s how those tactics are looking right now. In inbound, however, there’s a whole separate entity you absolutely need to put your focus on - inbound video.

 

The state of inbound video

A decade ago, video was seen as more of a luxury. It was expensive and inaccessible. There were probably easier (and cheaper) ways to attract audiences and explain products and services to them.

Not anymore.

You can get started with your iPhone or a cheap camera and microphone. People now watch videos more than ever before. It’s no surprise why. 

As humans, we find videos more memorable, popular and engaging than any other type of content.

When you think about the impact it has on increasing exposure and conversion, it’s not just a nice-to-have anymore. It’s a necessity as it’s much more powerful in terms of storytelling. Wyzowl’s research has also strongly suggested that video remains a key priority for marketers. 

The research revealed that 85% of businesses use video as a marketing tool. Right off the bat, do you want to be one of the 15% that’s not taking advantage of the channel consumers are craving? What’s more, 92% of marketers using video claim it’s an important part of their strategy - the highest it’s been since 2015.

I know which statistic matters to you the most, though. Back in 2015, 33% of video marketers felt that video gave them a positive ROI. Fast forward to 2020 and that figure has shot up to 88%, which is another 5% increase from last year. You can probably pinpoint this to the growth of video, how there’s a greater understanding and the ability to now track its impact.

In the same study, 99% of respondents said they’ll continue to use video in 2020 and 95% plan to increase or maintain their spending. On the other side of the fence, 59% of people that don’t currently use video say they expect to start in 2020.

What this means: Video content is important in the digital world. The statistics prove that video content works and many are even seeing positive ROI from it. The fact is, video is the type of content consumers want to digest. They’re not always interested in 5,000-word blog posts whereas they can find the solution to a problem within minutes via a video. Consumers are in control, videos work and it’s time to invest.

 

Video trends

By now, it should be clear that video is here to stay. You either take advantage of its untapped potential now or watch your competition reap the rewards instead. To show you just how much video content is growing, check out these video trend stats:

  • 81% of businesses use video as a marketing tool - up from 63% over the past year. (HubSpot)
  • Six out of 10 people would rather watch online videos than TV. (Google)
  • By 2020, there will be close to one million minutes of video crossing the internet per second. (Cisco)
  • 92% of users watching videos on their mobile device will share it with others. (Wordstream)
  • People are 1.5 times more likely to watch video on their mobile phone. (Facebook).
  • 72% of customers would rather learn about a product or service through video. (HubSpot)
  • Mobile video consumption rises by 100% each year. (Insivia)
  • By 2022, online videos will make up more than 82% of all consumer internet traffic. (Cisco)
  • 55% of people view online videos every day and 78% watch online videos every week. (HubSpot)
  • A Facebook executive has predicted that the platform will be all video and no text by 2021. (Quartz)
  • After Google, YouTube is the most popular website. (Alexa)
  • People view more than one billion hours of video each day on YouTube. (YouTube)
  • 59% of executives say they’d rather watch a video than read text. (Wordstream)
  • 75% of all video plays are on mobile devices. (eMarketer)
  • Viewers retain 95% of a message when they watch it in a video, compared to 10% when reading it in text. (Insivia)

What this means: It means the trends are only going one way and that’s upwards. Just look at how much video is being consumed, the different channels, how many people prefer it over other forms of content etc. Consumers are asking for this - the opening is there so it’d be a backward step to still force other types of content when it’s clear what they really want.

 

Video marketing

With the trends in the bag, let’s dive into the actual video marketing statistics. These show the proven power of using video to increase brand awareness and take your marketing efforts up a notch.

  • YouTube videos get over five billion views every day. Yes. Every day. (VideoNitch)
  • Videos attract 300% more traffic and help nurture leads. (MarketingSherpa)
  • A website is 53 times more likely to reach Google’s front page if it includes video. (Insivia)
  • 64% of consumers will make a purchase after watching branded videos on social platforms. (Tubular Insights)
  • Including a video on your landing page can boost your conversion rate by up to 80%. (Unbounce)
  • On average, people spend 2.6x more time on pages with video than without. (Wistia)
  • Around 50% of internet users look for videos related to a product or service before visiting a store. (HubSpot)
  • 50% of viewers aged 18-34 said they’d stop what they’re doing to watch a video from their favourite creator. (Google)
  • Video increases organic search traffic on a website by 157%. (Conversion XL)
  • Adding videos to emails can increase click-through rates by 300%. (HubSpot)
  • 25% of companies publish videos every week. (Buffer)
  • 85% of consumers want to see more video content from brands. (HubSpot)
  • After watching a marketing video, 65% of executives have gone to the marketer’s site and 39% have called them on the phone. (Forbes)
  • 97% of marketers say video has helped users gain a better understanding of their products and service and 52% of marketers say video content offers the best ROI. (HubSpot)

What this means: All of these stats show what video marketers have enjoyed to this point. They took the video baton and ran with it and have reaped the rewards for their video content efforts. Just because there are so many brands loving the video side of things, it doesn’t mean you can’t take advantage of it either. 

As I said, the demand is there, the platforms are there and the stats speak for themselves. Video only results in positive outcomes.

 

Social videos

Another area where marketers are seeing the results of creating video content is social media. More social networks have started to follow Facebook’s lead to make video a priority across all channels because - you guessed it - there’s a demand for it. Here’s just how important it is to focus on social media as a channel for video content.

  • 81% of businesses prefer using Facebook for their video marketing efforts. (Buffer)
  • 65% of people use YouTube to help them solve a problem. (Google)
  • Mobile video ad spend is expected to be around 72% of total digital ad spend in 2020. (eMarketer)
  • Social media posts with video have 48% more views. (HubSpot)
  • Social video gets shared 1200% more than text and images combined. (Wordstream)
  • 45% of Twitter users want to see more videos from celebrities and 90% of Twitter video views happen on a mobile device. (Twitter)
  • Social video gets shared 1200% more than text and images combined. (Wordstream)
  • Around one-third of the internet uses YouTube - that’s almost two billion people. (YouTube)
  • YouTube’s highest-earner in 2019 made $22 million...he’s 7-years-old. (USAToday)
  • Video campaigns on LinkedIn have 50% view rates. (LinkedIn)
  • Snapchat users watch 10 billion videos each day. (Mashable)
  • 62% of people claimed they were more interested in a product after seeing it on a Facebook Story. (Marketing Land)
  • Facebook has over eight billion video views each day (TechCrunch) and 75 million people visit Facebook’s video platform every day. (Adweek)
  • Social video generates 1200% more shares than text and image content combined. (G2 Crowd)

What this means: You can’t afford to neglect social media when going all-in on video content. Sure, having videos on your website and all is great, but the statistics show just how much potential there is on each social media channel. YouTube isn’t going anywhere. Twitter users want more video. Facebook is on its way to becoming purely video. You have plenty of options so take advantage of them.

Nobody would blame you for looking at these stats and thinking we’ve reached saturation point. The ship has sailed, you missed out and it’s time to focus on the next trend.

That’s not the case.

There are still plenty of underutilised opportunities you can and should explore in 2020. The Wyzowl study found that YouTube (85%) and Facebook (79%) are the most-used, go-to platforms for video marketers.

It’s also definitely worth looking into LinkedIn as it’s quickly emerged as a successful channel for video marketers with 87% of them describing it as successful. TikTok is another platform that’s still untapped. Only one in 10 video marketers have given it a try with 66% claiming they’ve seen success. That’s a decent figure to suggest it’s a good idea to try, especially since the platform has taken the world by storm recently. 

Even if some of the viral videos on there are a bit cringeworthy, it’s worth a go.

Don’t let the number of brands that have already put a focus on video marketing put you off. You don’t need to be a global powerhouse either to see results.

Our Founder and Director, Rikki, made a video every day in September 2018 with some great results. Check it out here. All of the stats highlight the success and showcase just how universally-popular this type of content is to help you achieve your goals. 

Plus, he did it all off his phone. It just goes to show you don’t need to nab the company credit card right away for hi-tech equipment. 

The biggest takeaway? Just start! Take that first step and you’ll be glad you joined the video revolution. If you’re looking to get started with video marketing, we’ve got some great resources to help you along the way.

 

Trends to look out for

Think of inbound like the world of fashion. Marketers all over the globe are all-in on existing tactics and technology, but newer trends rule the runway whenever the new season comes around. Although some stick around but continue to evolve, we sometimes see brand new trends set to dominate the digital marketing landscape.

2020 is no different. It’s time to tighten your martial arts belts and take these trends seriously if you want to stay ahead of the competition. Here’s what to look out for.

 

The rise of the bots

If you made chatbots or conversational marketing a part of your 2019 marketing strategy, great. You’ve made an excellent start. Now it’s time to put an even bigger focus on it. Not only do you save massive costs on hiring someone to monitor your website on a full-time basis, but they also help customers make faster decisions. 

Here’s why you should be all-in on chatbots:

  • Google search volume for ‘chatbots’ has grown 19 times in the last five years. (Google Trends)
  • 40% of people don’t care if they’re helped by a chatbot or a real human. (HubSpot)
  • 67% of businesses believe chatbots will outrun mobile apps in the next five years. (Medium)
  • Over 50% of customers expect a business to be open 24/7. (Oracle)
  • This year, customers will manage 85% of their interactions with businesses without interacting with a human agent. (Gartner)
  • By 2023, businesses and consumers will save a combined 2.5 billion hours through chatbots. (Juniper Research)

What this means: Get on the chatbot train. They’ve already made a huge impact and will continue to transform the world in 2020 and beyond. Not only is there a big opening for you to step up your conversational strategy game, but the fact you can save so much time means you’ll only do yourself a big favour. 

If you’re brand new to chatbots or need a little bit of guidance, we’ve got you covered. Here are some useful chatbot and conversational marketing strategy resources you can bookmark and refer to.

 

Voice search

Alexa, Homepod, Cortana, Google Home - everyone seems to have a voice-enabled assistant at home and are now conducting their searches through voice. The technology is improving so it’s more than a novelty now.

Here’s why voice search is a trend you need to be on top of in 2020:

  • 41% of adults use voice search at least once per day. (DBS)
  • About 30% of all searches will be done without a screen by 2020. (Gartner)
  • 72% of people who own voice-activated speakers say their devices are used as part of their daily routines. (Google)
  • 50% of all searches will be voice searches by 2020. (comScore)
  • As of January 2018, there were an estimated one billion voice searches per month. (Alpine.AI)
  • 65% of people who own an Amazon Echo or Google Home can’t imagine going back to the days before they had a smart speaker. (GeoMarketing)
  • 89% of people with voice assistants talk to them every day and 33% talk to them more than five times a day. (Invoca)
  • 49% of consumers would prefer voice assistants over human interactions because it’s faster. (CapGemini)

What this means: The possibilities for the future of voice search are endless. Just as smartphones and social media have become permanent fixtures in the digital world, so too will voice technology. Adopting a strategy helps to create a unique and optimised customer experience which fosters relationships and builds brand loyalty.

It’s pretty easy to see why. Voice search interactions take less time than text-based ones. That makes for a convenient life for busy consumers and instant gratification whenever they interact with a brand that utilises voice search.

It’s also helping change the face of SEO. As voice searches tend to be posed in the form of full questions, you can start using relevant keywords and phrases which reflect what prospects are asking. If you’re successful with voice-optimised SEO, it also means you can benefit from an increase in traffic (and snatch that almighty snippet spot on Google).

 

Personalisation is still key

Although it’s not a new trend, personalisation is still vital. If you aren’t using it to your advantage then you’re in the minority as the competition never sleeps in marketing. Now we’re in 2020, consumers want adverts with depth so your content not only needs to be more focused than before and highly specialised, but also incomparably personable.

  • When an email isn’t personalised, 52% of customers say they’ll find somewhere else to go. (Salesforce)
  • 74% of customers feel frustrated when website content isn’t personalised. (Loyalty360)
  • 79% of consumers say they’re only likely to engage with an offer if it’s been personalised to reflect previous interactions a consumer has had with the brand. (PRNewsWire)
  • Marketers see an increase of 20% in sales when using personalised experiences. (Campaign Monitor)
  • 80% of shoppers are more likely to buy from a company that offers personalised experiences. (Epsilon)
  • 77% of consumers have chosen, recommended or paid more for a brand that provides a personalised service or experience. (Forrester)
  • 63% of people are highly annoyed by the way brands continue to rely on old-fashioned strategies of blasting generic ad messages repeatedly. (Marketo)

What this means: The louder you scream, the less people care. Now, all of your focus needs to be on tailoring your messaging and offering to each unique visitor. Dale Carnegie once said: “a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.” It’s why we all feel a certain way when brands address us by our first names - and your audience expects it too.

Using personalisation helps you effectively target specific audiences. It also helps you stand out from the crowd by creating better and more unique content which leaves a special, lasting memory. Just look at the ‘Share a Coke’ example from Coca-Cola. Everyone was scrambling to find a bottle with their name on it.

As a result, you can build deeper relationships with customers and finally give a face to your business (while boosting sales and conversions, obviously).

 

Focus on customer experience

In 2020 and beyond, customer experience will be a top priority. Customers don’t just base their loyalty on price and product but they stay loyal to companies based on the experience they receive. If you can’t keep up with their demands, your customers will leave you.

Sounds harsh, but it’s true. 

However, if you can provide the best experience then you’ll create brand advocates that are basically your loyal walking billboard. Even Adobe’s Annual Digital Trends report revealed customer experience is the single most exciting opportunity for 2020.

  • 89% of businesses are expected to compete mainly on customer experience. (Gartner)
  • Around the globe, 96% of consumers say customer service is an important factor in their choice of loyalty to a brand. (Microsoft)
  • 67% of consumers and 74% of business buyers say they’ll pay more for a great experience. (Salesforce)
  • Attracting a new customer is 6-7 times more expensive than retaining a current one. (Salesforce)
  • More than 50% of organisations will redirect their investments to customer experience innovations. (Gartner)
  • 87% of organisations agree traditional experiences no longer satisfy customers. (Accenture)
  • Loyal customers are seven times as likely to test an offering, five times as likely to buy again and four times as likely to refer following a good customer experience. (Temkin)
  • 89% of consumers have switched to doing business with a competitor following a poor customer experience. (Harris Interactive)

What this means: Don’t neglect your existing customer-base. Sure, keep continuing with your efforts to attract new customers but there’s so much value with your current ones that keeping them delighted should be a main priority for you in 2020. A good way to start is look into software which helps on that front.

HubSpot is great for it. The Marketing and Sales Hubs are perfect in supporting the attract, convert and close phases but there’s also the Service Hub which can help you excel at the delight stage. Not only does it align your marketing, sales and service teams (which is a huge plus) but it also offers the tools you need to interact with customers and resolve their issues.

Live chat, tickets, surveys, knowledge base articles, reporting - there’s plenty to help you get started on offering an unbeatable customer experience. If some of the big businesses are going all-in on customer experience, then it’s a good sign that you should too.

That’s what inbound looks like in 2020 but by this time next year, the state of it could change entirely and the horizon will look completely different. Trying to manage all of this and keeping up with the trends can be a challenge, especially if you don’t have the time, bodies or resources to get the most out of each inbound tactics.

We can help with that.

 

We’re Avidly. Here’s how we can help

Our team is packed full of inbound marketing experts with years of experience. The fact is, trying to specialise in each area from content to SEO can be a challenge but with us, you’ll always have an expert working alongside you in each relevant area of inbound marketing. 

If you’re looking to grow your business and want to incorporate inbound marketing into your strategy, then give us a call and find out how we can help.

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