The new year is here, and not much has changed since December 2019. To help you stay ahead, we asked numerous digital marketing experts to share their most successful strategies from the past year, and they delivered some gems!
Here’s a compilation of what topped the charts for marketing gurus in 2019, along with the 16 best marketing strategies we recommend for 2020 and beyond.
1. Use content for education
Content has always reigned supreme, and 2019 was no exception.
Robin Barendsen, head of digital marketing at WehaveAnyspace, highlighted that 77% of B2B marketers utilize content marketing, citing statistics from the Content Marketing Institute’s 2019 trends report.
“The majority of B2B content marketers leverage educational materials like informative blogs, white papers, or quizzes to nurture leads and foster audience trust, a cornerstone of inbound marketing,” he explained.
Image source While this might seem obvious, brands should generally focus on crafting content that’s relevant, authoritative, and, crucially, educates their target audience. RELATED: The Top 20 Marketing Campaigns of 2021 (And the Ones That Missed the Mark!)
2. Tailor your marketing messages
Peter Wilfahrt, managing director of digital agency Versandgigant, emphasized the importance of personalization in 2020. He urged marketers to delve into analytics, understanding demographics, affinity categories, and in-market segments to tailor each message. More on this shortly.
“Very few brands truly personalize their messaging,” he remarked. “And we’re not talking about simply adding the recipient’s first name to an email greeting … it’s about delving deep into your prospect’s psyche to uncover their fears, aspirations, and desires.”
Brock Murray, COO of digital marketing agency seoplus+, echoed the sentiment of making consumers feel valued. However, he advocated for automation, allowing advertisers to craft dynamic ads that adapt to individual searchers. This customization, Murray pointed out, is something consumers actively seek.
“Furthermore,” Murray added, “timeliness proved crucial. Users don’t appreciate being inundated with content, particularly irrelevant content. All content and markup should be clear, concise, and valuable. Transparency and respecting user privacy are non-negotiable in any digital marketing strategy.”
Frank Spear, content marketer at WordPress contest plugin RafflePress, shared how personalization exceeded expectations in 2019.
“We integrated personalized content across our strategy,” he revealed. “Our opt-in ads adjust based on user reading history, ensuring relevant promotions. This demonstrates to consumers that we understand their needs. Additionally, email subscribers can choose their preferred content type.”
Free Guide: Sam White, marketing manager at CBD site Soul CBD, explained that effective personalization stems from efforts like behavioral segmentation—grouping audience members by actions like first-time or repeat purchases, abandoned carts, and page views without conversion.
“Demographically similar behavioral groups can exhibit vastly different behaviors,” White noted. “This segmentation allows us to tailor communication to each group’s interaction style with the brand.”
Vivek Chugh, CEO of checklist app Listables, corroborated the effectiveness of data-driven segmentation. It allows Listables to customize messaging and target the right audience, making it a key 2020 marketing focus.
3. Use data to fuel your creativity
Natalia Wulfe, CMO of digital marketing agency Effective Spend, observed platforms like Google and Facebook increasingly controlling audience targeting while phasing out manual bidding. Their algorithms now excel at identifying ad images and copy that yield optimal click-through and conversion rates.
“This shift underscores the emergence of creative as a performance driver, on par with placement and targeting,” she stated.
Consequently, Effective Spend revamped its creative design process, prioritizing data.
“We analyze existing creative performance metrics, pinpoint weaknesses, and then design new creative to address those shortcomings,” she explained.
4. Invest in your own research
One of the standout marketing strategies of 2010 was investing in original research. Tamas Torok, head of online marketing at Javascript development company Coding Sans, shared their success with publishing original research on software development trends since 2017. These reports have earned backlinks from authoritative sites and attracted thousands of subscribers.
“Our approach worked because it was novel,” he explained. “New data attracted links, and the visually appealing presentation encouraged social media sharing.”
Coding Sans plans to release at least three new original research reports in 2020. Matthew Zajechowski, outreach team lead at digital marketing agency Digital Third Coast, echoed this sentiment. He found that using proprietary data to create long-form content with graphics attracted backlinks from numerous high-authority publications.
“Publishers constantly seek fresh angles on familiar topics,” he added. “Proprietary data provides that unique edge, and graphical presentation makes sharing effortless. We identify writers and publications covering relevant subjects and present our data as new research or studies.”
5. Breathe new life into your content
Don’t neglect your existing content.
Cyrus Yung, co-founder of SEO company Ascelade, emphasized updating old content. This strategy has served Ascelade well, considering Google’s freshness ranking factor and the inevitable decay of content over time.
“Websites often have older, well-ranked articles with backlinks that start experiencing declining search traffic,” he explained. Mark Webster, co-founder of online marketing education company Authority Hacker, shared that in 2019, Authority Hacker shifted its focus from solely creating new, high-quality content to refreshing older pieces.
“We experimented and discovered that simple updates, tweaks, and, crucially, updating the article date to reflect the latest revision instantly boosted rankings,” he revealed. “Google’s preference for fresh content is no secret, but the ease of this win was unexpected.”
The cost-effectiveness of refreshing content compared to creating new content makes this technique a “major win,” according to Webster. Jeroen Minks of PPC agency Vazooky Digital also highlighted updating existing content as one of his most effective strategies from the previous year.
“Updating each article and page individually resulted in a significant organic ranking boost, leading to increased website traffic and new customers,” he said. “Part of the optimization involved collaborating with other experts, which generated more external links and improved social media presence.”
6. Tap into HARO
Responding to journalist queries on platforms like Help A Reporter Out (HARO) gained traction in 2019. Journalists are always on the lookout for experts across various domains.
Olga Mykhoparkina, CMO of chat platform Chanty, hailed responding to HARO queries as their most effective marketing activity, surpassing even guest blogging and fixing broken links.
Chanty secures five to ten backlinks weekly through this method.
A sample HARO request from Twitter. “We’ve developed a methodology to identify and prioritize relevant queries, ensuring timely responses,” she shared. “This has earned us backlinks from high-authority websites like American Express, Forbes, CMSWire, and Inc.com.” “The result? Significant organic traffic growth and a noticeable domain authority increase in just a few months,” she added. Vartika Kashyap, marketing manager at project management software firm Proofhub, agreed, highlighting HARO as a valuable source of authoritative backlinks that boosted content rankings. “The best part?” asked Alexandra Zamolo, head of content marketing at communications platform Beekeeper. “It’s completely free. It just requires dedicating some time to craft well-written quotes relevant to your industry. Pretty amazing, right?” Discover how to leverage HARO for backlinks and PR here. RELATED: 50 Power-Packed Marketing Tips in 5 Minutes
7. Explore new avenues for guest blogging
Another way to expand your content’s reach? Embrace guest blogging. Pamela Bourgault, a digital marketing specialist at digital marketing and social media reporting platform DashThis, shared how DashThis scaled its content strategy by welcoming client contributions to their blog.
“This benefits both parties,” she explained. “Clients can showcase their expertise through guest posts, while we enrich our blog with relevant information and generate leads. These articles often drive substantial organic traffic and qualified leads. Some client-authored articles continue to generate over 200 leads monthly.”
8. Reiterate: Video is king
Video remained a dominant digital marketing tactic in 2019, and it’s a non-negotiable in 2020 as well. Stuart Leung, vice president of marketing for vaping brand Breazy, emphasized that videos foster stronger consumer connections, increasing purchase likelihood. Consider tutorials, testimonials, and behind-the-scenes glimpses. Chris Savage, CEO of video software company Wistia, pointed to the rise of streaming platforms. Businesses, inspired by Netflix, are creating long-form original content to cultivate brand affinity. Wistia responded by launching its late-night-style talk show, Brandwagon.
“In the series, I interview marketing leaders to uncover the strategies behind their triumphs,” Savage shared. “We have surprise guests, and our team even transformed a ’91 wagon into the ultimate Brandwagon.”
Wistia utilized social media to promote trailers and clips, allowing viewers to binge-watch the entire show. The result? Steady growth in brand search volume and increased time spent engaging with the brand, according to Savage.
9. Harness the power of livestreaming
Morgan Lathaen, marketing specialist at printing company Thumbprint, noted the surge of livestreaming in 2019, predicting its continued dominance in 2020. It’s free, quick to produce, reaches a wider audience, and offers genuine user engagement.
“Live content surpasses newsfeed posts in generating impressions,” she added.
10. Give explainer videos a try
Another video content goldmine? Explainers. Raj Vardhman, editor-in-chief of remote work resource GoRemotely.net, shared how his site leveraged explainer videos in 2019 to simplify complex concepts.
“With Google favoring video content, these are essential for both marketing and SEO,” he added. Larissa Murillo, Marketing Manager at SEO and website marketing tool Marketgoo, took it a step further by creating an educational Udemy course instead of a purely promotional one.
“Our goal was to boost brand awareness for our SEO tool and utilize the course to teach SEO basics and demonstrate our tool’s capabilities,” she explained. While attributing signups was challenging due to students manually entering URLs instead of clicking links, Murillo highlighted the reusability of the videos in other content formats like blog posts.
11. Explore the world of podcasts
Digital marketing consultant Ryan Scollon declared podcasts “a game-changer in 2019,” with a surge in digital marketing shows. Marketers can either guest star on established podcasts or launch their own. Both options offer substantial benefits with minimal drawbacks, according to Scollon. “Podcasts are an effective way to cultivate a loyal weekly audience without needing to be on camera,” he elaborated. “It’s also a great platform for repurposing existing blog content.” Stacy Caprio, founder of Accelerated Growth Marketing, found guesting on podcasts highly effective for driving site traffic and boosting brand awareness in 2019.
“The key is to target podcasts with dedicated audiences in your niche to maximize overlap,” she advised. “This approach works best when the podcaster has a large, trusting audience who perceive their interview with you as an endorsement worth checking out.”
12. Make local SEO a priority
According to Dan Rice, marketing manager at recruiting firm Talent Locker, optimizing and prioritizing Google My Business was their most successful strategy in 2019. This free tool allows businesses to manage their online presence across Google, including search and maps.
“We integrated this into a comprehensive digital marketing campaign aimed at increasing brand awareness,” he explained. “Consistently posting updates and directing users to our Google My Business listing generated impressive results. It’s not just beneficial for local SEO; it significantly drives brand name searches as well.” Digital marketing consultant Leslie Whittaker echoed this, pointing out that while most businesses claim their Google My Business listing, few optimize it. Additionally, businesses often miss lead generation opportunities by neglecting Google’s constantly evolving features. How strong is your online presence? Find out in 90 seconds with the free LOCALiQ Grader! “Google My Business is crucial for businesses with physical locations,” she stressed. “It’s often the first point of contact for potential customers, especially locally, and offers a quick way to boost leads.” Whittaker shared examples of client success: A Midtown Manhattan spa witnessed a 398% increase in search appearances, an 84% rise in phone calls, and a 153% surge in website traffic by focusing on their Google listing. A newly established Long Island dermatologist with a new listing achieved 8900 search appearances, 280 site visits from the listing, and 300 phone calls. Erin Sparks, CEO of digital marketing firm Site Strategics, attributed Google’s push for customer interaction with its properties to the new real estate and lead funnel features. “From the ‘Get a Quote’ functionality and Custom Service Menus to the relatively new Google Guaranteed Local Service Ads, Google clearly wants businesses to connect with customers using its tools as quickly as possible,” he added. Master local SEO with the free Local SEO course in Marketing Lab!
13. Automate your email marketing
Maciej Baranowski, manager of customer engagement at career advice website ResumeLab, shared their success with automating email marketing campaigns in 2019. This automation allows them to send nearly four times as many newsletters, offsetting the initial dip in conversion rates. “Ideally, we want both high volume and high conversion rates, but the math clearly shows the tradeoff was worthwhile, and we’ve been thriving ever since,” he said. Automated email also allows for enhanced customization through A/B testing, incorporating infographics, setting up sequences, customizing by time zone, using CTA buttons, and data-driven optimization.
Image source “Each week, we gain deeper insights into crafting the ideal newsletter,” Baranowski explained. “The initial effort has resulted in a smoother, smarter, and more efficient approach that we’re excited to further refine.”
14. Don’t underestimate voice technology
Voice search continued its upward trajectory in 2019, remaining top-of-mind for marketers. This includes chatbots. Paige Arnof-Fenn, CEO of marketing consulting firm Mavens & Moguls, highlighted their cost-effectiveness in converting visitors into leads by addressing FAQs. Optimizing for voice queries and long-tail keywords also remain crucial. Arnof-Fenn predicted that brands mastering branded skills with user-friendly and less intrusive ads will be the ultimate winners.
Image source Faizan Ali, who handles PR for WordPress resource site WPBeginner, shared how incorporating semantics and optimizing content for voice search yielded numerous featured snippets for WPBeginner, contributing to a 37% traffic increase in 2019. Furthermore, Alexander Kehoe, operations director of web design firm Caveni Digital Solutions, revealed that Caveni utilizes natural language processing to evaluate the quality of its human contributors, enhancing customer value.
15. Explore the potential of augmented reality
Expanding on personalization, Polly Kay, senior marketing manager at window treatment retailer English Blinds, shared the success of interactive content that allows customers to preview products. English Blinds achieved this with a tool enabling potential buyers to upload images of their home interiors and experiment with different window treatment designs. “This idea stemmed from hair design websites allowing women to upload their picture and virtually try on different hairstyles,” she explained. “Our testing yielded remarkable results for several reasons. Most notably, it allows customers to visualize how our products would look in their homes before purchasing, boosting sales.” Following a successful four-month trial of their Virtual Interiors tool, the brand plans to explore further interactivity in 2020.
16. Leverage smart bidding
Wulfe highlighted the significant advancements in AI-based ad targeting and bidding capabilities offered by Google and Facebook over the past year. Her agency has embraced these technologies across “at least 90% of our search and social ad campaigns.” This is because smart bidding options like Google’s Target CPA can rapidly analyze historical data to optimize ad spend, targeting high-converting search queries, ad creative, audiences, and demographic segments. To provide the algorithms with ample data, Effective Spend tracked crucial user activities on client websites and connected client CRM data to each digital channel. This helps differentiate between low-value and high-value conversions.
“The more engagement and lead value data you provide, the better the algorithm can optimize your ad spend, targeting leads most likely to convert,” she explained. “We’ve experienced this firsthand and are fully committed to this approach in 2020.”
Key Marketing Strategies for 2020
Here’s a recap of 16 expert-backed digital marketing strategies to test drive this year:
- Educate your audience through content
- Personalize your marketing efforts
- Prioritize data-driven creativity
- Invest in original research
- Refresh and update existing content
- Utilize platforms like HARO
- Expand guest blogging opportunities
- Harness the power of video
- Integrate livestreaming
- Leverage explainer videos
- Explore the world of podcasts
- Prioritize local SEO
- Automate your email marketing
- Optimize for voice technology
- Experiment with augmented reality
- Embrace smart bidding
The Ultimate Marketing Strategy Guide
Intrigued by past or future trends? Explore our Best Marketing Strategies archive:
- Top Marketing Strategies to Test in 2019
- Dominate 2020 with These Marketing Strategies
- Winning Marketing Strategies for 2021
- Unlock Results with These 2022 Marketing Strategies
- Achieve Success with These 2023 Marketing Strategies