That’s a wrap on this year’s Together Digital 2020 Kickoff Meetup! Created in 2016 by Founder, Alaina Shearer, Together Digital, is an organization dedicated to accelerating the advancement and growth of women in digital by giving them the most powerful tool in their arsenal: one another.
I had the opportunity to attend this year’s conference on behalf of Matter to hear women from all facets of the digital industry — including software engineers, digital/data analysts, UX/UI designers, lifestyle influencers, digital marketers and web strategists — put forth some insights on what we can expect in the marketing and public relations industry in 2020. Below are a few themes and trends that stood out this year:
#1: Privacy
Have you noticed you need to accept terms and conditions on most new website that you visit? That is not going away, says Marilee Yorchak (Executive Director, Digital Analytics Association). California has already adopted GDPR standards and 19 other states will follow them by the end of 2020. Make sure your company policies are compliant.
#2: Rise of Micro Influencers
According to Gabriella Wesley (Marketing & Communications Manager + Influencer), big brands are moving away from using their entire influencer budget on the Kardashians of the world. Instead, they are pivoting to micro influencers or those with up to 10,000 followers to drive impact and spread their spend. In addition, they are picking these micro influencers in markets like Denver, Portland and Austin – rather than in New York City or Los Angeles – to reach their target audiences in a more authentic way.
#3: Ethics & Data
Personalized content continues to perform at a high level but think about how much data those new algorithms need. Understanding the ethics of data and design are critical to prevent mismanagement (and avoid potential lawsuits) according to Jill Farley (Senior Web Strategist and UX Architect, Palantir.net). For example, how much info on a doctor’s appointment form is TOO much? Share the minimum of what you need to in order to protect your data and know where it’s going.
That’s our take on the trends coming out of Together Digital. What trends or developments at the conference stood out to you this year? Let me know.