2020 is going to be a big year for a lot of reasons; in particular, it’s expected to be a real turnaround year for marketing. Naturally, many of the trends of 2019, such as video storytelling, will be front and center, but you can also look forward to other changes, as well. Recently, Steven van Belleghem, a well-known Belgium-based trainer, made a fascinating presentation on 2020 expectations for marketing and social media.

Hope you have your pen and paper ready—or stylus—as below is a recap. Since 2020 will be just around the corner, why not get a head start and prepare now?

Smartphones and transparency. This shouldn’t be a surprise for anyone, as smartphones and transparency are top-of-mind for many in the digital advertising world already. Statistically, by 2020, nearly 2.5 billion worldwide are expected to own smartphones, making the Internet more ubiquitous with more ways to access it. Also, with more technology comes more transparency, ultimately making customers more demanding in terms of service. Let’s just say the bar will be raised and companies will be expected to follow suit.

Invest in your own media. With all of the content floating around out there, you will want to link to your own media instead of letting it just run rampant without an anchor. Belleghem encourages marketers to “lure consumers on your own platforms to consume content”.

Design, design, design. He suggests that there is a stark difference between a “classic” story and an “engaging” story. Designers will only become more and more valuable and needed in the years to come, striving to make content relevant and also well implemented.

Do you feel you are on top of all the oncoming trends to hit us in 2020? No one would know better than Steven van Belleghem, so a word to the wise—with next year just 11 months away, don’t lose sight of it!

Salty Red Dog Marketing, LLC is a marketing agency in Darien, CT & NYC. We service businesses with marketing strategies, social media and consultations.

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