These powerful 2020 marketing trends have been curated and adapted specifically for small businesses in Santa Clarita. Make 2020 your breakthrough year with these 10 strategies. 

Every year, we endeavor to help small businesses in Santa Clarita start the year off right with some of the best marketing content we can find. This year, we’re kicking off our 2020 Marketing Series with the latest and greatest marketing trends our new decade has to offer. 

Check them out, and let us know what you’re planning to include in your marketing plan this year, as well as what’s already working for you. 

We hope this list inspires you to find new and, more importantly, effective ways to reach the audience who’s dying to hear your message. 

2020 Marketing Trends For Small Businesses In Santa Clarita 

1. Personalization

Expect personalization to be the new marketing buzzword of 2020. With the rise of AI marketing, chatbots and funnels, consumers are feeling like just another cog in the wheel — now more than ever. So as we look ahead, marketing that makes people feel like you’re speaking and catering to the individual, rather than the masses, is going to help you stand out from the crowd. 

“Despite the growing surge of artificial intelligence in the digital space, customers still want to relate to a company,” according to Inc.com. “As automation continues to grow, it is important to connect with your customers.”

Small businesses in Santa Clarita naturally stand out when it comes to personalized service and marketing, so this could be an area to really shine in 2020, as customers walk away from corporate and big-box companies for a more personalized touch. Any time you can send a thoughtful message or remember a customer’s favorite order will go far in the next decade. But that also means making sure your email list is properly segmented and your images are updated, rather than relying on the same old stock images. Your brand and messaging should have as much of you in it as possible. 

“Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with your audience in a meaningful way,” says Forbes. 

2. Humanization 

If people were sick of being sold/marketed to in 2019, they’re really not going to like it in 2020. Instead, they want to support brands they believe in and use their purchasing power for good. 

That also means that overly automated marketing and slap-dash content creation are predicted to be less effective as we move into the age of personalized marketing. Gone are the days when quick-and-easy social media posts were enough to attract sales. Today, brands are expected to use their platforms to spread a positive message and build deeper connections with their audiences. Social Media Examiner calls it a switch from a buyer mindset to a belonging mindset. Bottomline: Give your audience something to stand behind if you want access to their wallets. 

“In 2020, a company’s story must be felt by its audience,” says Social Media Examiner. “Brands will put more heart and personality into their brand story by aligning with feel-good causes and taking a strong stance on what they believe.” 

If you’ve never taken the time to compose your “About Us” story for your website or videos, now is the time to do that. Dig into the “why” behind your business, and infuse all your marketing with that sense of purpose. Create a marketing campaign that highlights the positive things your business is doing. Bring your personality to the forefront of your brand. 

These trends may not sound new. If they put you ahead of the curve in past years, they’re a requirement to succeed as we move forward into 2020.  

3. Social Advertising

One of the biggest trends expected to hit 2020 is a rise in frequency and cost for social media advertising. If you haven’t entered the social advertising arena, now is the time to start getting comfortable with the new normal in digital marketing. However, prepare to spend. 

Facebook and LinkedIn ads — the two hottest platforms to get your ROI — are predicted to increase in cost, which could drive small businesses out of the social advertising game if budgets aren’t adjusted for 2020. 

“Facebook advertising is going to get much more expensive in 2020,” says Social Media Examiner. “CPMs will increase, which means it will now cost you more to reach your target audiences. The statement, ‘the business that can pay the most for a customer wins’ has never been truer.”

Of all the 2020 trends, this could hit small businesses in Santa Clarita the hardest if we’re not prepared. Many small businesses rely on the reach of a simple, cost-effective Facebook boost when launching a new offer or promotion. However, there are other solutions that will help small businesses in Santa Clarita capture attention without paying Facebook’s exorbitant prices. (Keep reading …) 

4. Video Content

As social advertising becomes more expensive, it’ll be more important than ever to get your organic marketing strategies right. And the best way marketers suggest doing that is through organic video content. 

“Video represents the ultimate scroll-stopping experience that can and will increase the people who ‘know, like, and trust’ you,” says Social Media Examiner. 

Research shows that video is the most captivating form of content on social media, and it has the best chance at getting your audience to stop scrolling, start watching, and truly engage with your brand. 

“Customers respond well to visual content, [which made] video an important digital marketing tool in 2019,” says Forbes. “It will continue to be important into 2020 and likely beyond that. Don’t overlook live video.”

YouTube will continue to be a powerhouse when it comes to marketing opportunities, especially as more and more people cut the cord on cable TV and switch to streaming. IGTV is also expected to attract more user time, as Instagram rolls out more features. 

5. Audience Differentiation  

Another way to increase the effectiveness of your organic marketing strategies in 2020 is by really getting to know your audience — and catering to people where you find them. 

“Your YouTube audience isn’t the same as your Twitter audience, and neither are the same as your Instagram audience,” says Social Media Examiner. “Don’t try to spread the same marketing messaging everywhere. Take the time to master the algorithm on one platform at a time, and make sure you can put a considerable amount of energy into every platform you manage.”

Cut down on the number of platforms you use. Get to know the differences between each audience, and cater specifically to them with your content. Learn what type of offer works best on each platform. 

The bottomline is: Posting the same content on every channel is no longer serving you. Instead, save that energy for digging deep into each audience you care about, and really trying to connect with the people behind those screens. 

6. Content, Content, Content

Content has been king for a while now, and it’s only heading further in that direction in 2020. However, you can expect a few changes, such as a focus on quality over quantity, more diversity, and more authenticity. Your audience wants you to get real with them in the next decade, and that means only posting when you have something to say. Remember when you used to hear rules about posting once, twice or even three times a day? Toss that strategy out the window as you shift toward content with a purpose. 

“Content that is overused, saturated, or posted for the sake of posting will negatively affect engagement,” says Social Media Examiner. “It’s okay if you don’t have something to post every day. The point of a content strategy is to attract and engage your audience, not to annoy them with sub-par space fillers.”

And when it comes to “diversifying your content,” marketers are suggesting more video, continued blogging, and anything that’s new or different. For example, if you’re on Instagram but don’t post Stories, start making an effort there to give your audience something new to see on your feed. Try live videos, recorded video and custom graphics. Sharing posts from your customers, also called user-generated content, is another great way to bring something fresh to your feed. But most of all, make sure you have a purpose and a message with each post. 

7. AI, VR & Chatbots

If you keep up with digital marketing publications and blogs, then you know artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR) and chatbots are predicted to take 2020 by storm. While these high-tech trends are coming in hot in 2020 — and could become the norm in the next decade — these trends are less likely to trickle down to small and medium-sized businesses this year. The technology will likely become more accessible and affordable in years to come, but for now, it’s being tested by larger corporations who don’t have the personalization and relationship-based marketing advantages of small businesses.

Plus, small businesses in Santa Clarita don’t have as much of a need for these features, since their client bases aren’t so large that it’s impossible to interact with everyone, such as corporate businesses. Instead, we suggest capitalizing on the consumer trends toward personalization and humanized marketing. That’s where small businesses thrive already. 

If you want to get ahead of the game, however, start by enabling the chatbot on your Facebook page, through Facebook Messenger. This is an easy, free way to bring chatbot intelligence to your Facebook page. Simply go to your Business Page, click Settings, click Messaging, and configure your settings under “Starting a Messenger Conversation.”

8. User-Generated Content

In line with the themes of personalization and diversity, user-generated content has been showing up in social media feeds more and more often. Put simply, user-generated content is a post from your audience that talks about your brand. It’s a social media testimonial, such as a client receiving your product or using one of your services. And they’re incredibly powerful. You can even have your employees create this content, too. 

“User-generated content (think customer reviews) provide some proof the product may be worthy of trying,” explains Entrepreneur.com. “Employees are seen as trusted insiders, and customers find those insights more believable than canned company posts or other generic forms of social media marketing.”

If you want to try including this type of content in your social media, try creating an Instagram Story that shares your client’s post. Simply navigate to your client’s post, tap the icon that looks like an arrow or paper airplane, and select “add post to your story.” Include a personalized message and a mention, then publish! Now you’re giving your client a shoutout while they do your marketing for you. 

9. Podcasting

Podcasting has been on the rise for some time now. In 2019 alone, the number of active podcasts increased from 550,000 to 700,000, and that growth is translating into more listeners. 

Almost half of all younger audiences are listening, and the listener-base in general is 68% more likely to be a postgraduate, according to Impactbnd.com. Additionally, podcast listeners are 45% more likely to earn $250,000+ in annual income — a coveted audience for luxury businesses. So what do these numbers actually mean? Podcasts are capturing very specific audiences, and if those audiences are part of your customer base, it could be a smart option for your 2020 marketing plan. 

Many marketing outlets are also predicting that podcasts will become more searchable in 2020, which means you’ll eventually get more search engine optimization (SEO) benefits from your content, as well. 

Finally, people who listen regularly subscribe to 6 podcasts, on average, and listen to seven shows a week, according to Impactbnd.com. Once you capture a listener, you get more time with them, more consistently. In terms of building trust, podcast listeners have proven they’re along for the ride. 

10. Influencer Marketing 

Influencer marketing is one of those things that probably seems out of reach for small businesses in Santa Clarita. How many local celebrities can we have, anyway, am I right? 

On a local level, influencer marketing isn’t necessarily about finding celebrities with massive followings who will talk about your products on social media. In fact, there are ways to tap into this strategy by adjusting it to work for small businesses in Santa Clarita — and it could be your marketing difference-maker in 2020. 

The first step to local, small business influencer marketing is identifying the people who already have your audience’s attention. For example, if you’re a loan officer, then local realtors are already talking to your audience. Likewise, if you’re a women’s clothing retailer, then women in your target age group have their friends’ attention, right? Local fashion bloggers and other women’s retailers also share your target audience. Now you know who you’re looking for, but how do you determine who actually has influence? 

Influence is about more than the number of followers a person has. It’s about how they connect with their audience, the respect they receive from their community, and the amount of engagement they receive on their posts. 

“Look for influencers who have built smaller, more enthusiastic audiences,” explains Hubspot. “Not only do they help brands avoid the potential of fake influencers, but they often drive more authentic engagement.”

Once you’ve identified your influencers, start finding ways to work together. For example, invite them to be part of your content. Have them as a podcast or video guest. Do a photo shoot at your location, and invite them to be the subject. Gift a product or service to them, and ask to shoot the process. 

And always, always, always be clear about what you expect in return. How and when should they share your content? Be clear, and set it up before you begin.

About Our Quality Video Marketing For Small Businesses In Santa Clarita

With years of professional experience, Brian not only has an eye for crisp visuals and engaging shots — but also an ear for powerful storytelling. In his vision, marketing video should communicate the why behind your business and present it to the world in the most compelling visual format possible. With a camera in his hand, Brian can turn a vision into reality and business-as-usual marketing videos into an opportunity to connect. 

Visual Marketing For Small Businesses In Santa Clarita

At SchlickArt, we offer more than photography and video services to the Santa Clarita area and beyond. We do our best to provide our clients with marketing expertise and direction every chance we get. We know you need your images and video to help grow your business — that’s why you invest in them, and that’s why do, too. Please take a minute to search through our blogs to find the visual marketing information that will help your business, or give us a call. We’re happy to help! 

About SchlickArt Photography and Video

SchlickArt, a boutique photo and video studio in Santa Clarita, started in March 2012 with the simple idea that empowerment creates a kind of beauty and authenticity that shines through every camera lens. Built on a philosophy — rather than a product, service or person — SchlickArt has rapidly evolved, meeting professional portraiture, business photo and business video needs as diverse as the community we capture. It’s the desire to take care of you, the client, that drives us at SchlickArt. And we especially love taking care of small businesses in Santa Clarita!