In this day and age, it isn’t enough to just market your business. You must also be innovative with your marketing strategy. Gone are the days when a television commercial alone could sell products. Now, many of the products we purchase and use have shifted to digital platforms, and so our marketing strategies must also shift. But while posting content online is a good start, there more to attracting customers. Sometimes, you have to catch their attention in more ways than one.
These digital marketing trends will effectively cater to the needs of your business by engaging your target market more than traditional marketing. Many of these trends are continuously evolving to suit the current audience, technology, and business trends, and while it is difficult to stay ahead of the curve, being adept at navigating the world of digital marketing is the only way to successfully market your thriving (and not-yet-thriving) online business.
Table of Contents
1. Social Media
The use of social media is an effective way of increasing your audience. Facebook is currently the most popular social networking site, with over two billion active users, followed by YouTube and Instagram, each with more than one billion active users. A lot of these people turn to these sites for various reasons, beyond merely looking for friends. Many users turn to these platforms looking for a product or a service to use. This is where you enter.
As a digital marketer, it is essential that you know which of these platforms cater to your target audience. If you want to reach younger audiences, you should try bringing your campaign to Instagram. Learn when and how you are going to make your posts. Don’t forget to hashtag if possible, since hashtags are usually what people search for. So if you want to be found, it isn’t enough to simply use social media, you must use these platforms efficiently.
2. Chatbots
Chatbots are becoming an inevitable part of any digital marketing strategy. A chatbot is an online software technology that uses instant messaging to chat with your site visitors. While most chatbots still use text windows, there are now some that include verbal interactions.
Chatbots are an effective way for users of your site to get the customer support they need 24/7, without having to employ someone to consistently man a computer. And while customer support has usually been viewed as a separate issue from marketing, many companies now realize that one of the best ways to keep existing customers (and attract new ones!) is to have fast, efficient, and readily-available customer service.
One other factor to keep in mind is that the quality of your customers’ experience is going to depend on the quality of the program you use. So be mindful: not all chatbots are equal. Find the one that has a high level of success, and suits your business. Fortunately, chatbots have grown more sophisticated, and with the advent of Artificial Intelligence, their interactions are almost indistinguishable from a real person’s.
3. Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence is a state-of-the-art technology that, for many, is a prime solution to their business needs. Because of the constant development of AI, several brands have already integrated it in various functions. For instance, it already helps in click tracking, customer segmentation, content creation, and retargeting, tasks typically given to people. AI goes through your information and chooses the most applicable ways to efficiently make use make use of your brand. If used correctly, Artificial intelligence can truly make your life a whole lot easier!
Several brands have already opted to use artificial intelligence to target and expand their audience, utilizing the technology to tailor advertisements to each individual customer. AI has the potential to increase your customers in no time.
4. Video Marketing
Over the last few years, digital marketing trends have shifted from written text to viewable content. People simply seem to enjoy watching videos more than reading text. Hence, it would be wise to utilize video marketing.
One reason for this increase is that for many customers, watching videos that portray products and services makes them more confident in buying these products. This makes sense, since most people typically trust demonstrations more than verbal assurances.
However, you should be mindful of the content of the video. Putting out a very long video might actually turn your audience away from watching it, especially now that digital nomads have short attention spans. So in order to keep them engaged, it is wise to keep the videos short, but it is also vital that you talk to your audience directly. Companies that showcase their products in a more personal manner tend to have larger followings. Also, live videos can be a great option, especially when you want your audience to get a glimpse of what your brand offers in real-time. An added bonus of live video, is that you can answer questions as they audience asks them, increasing that connection.
One more thing to bear in mind: the more creative your video is, the better it will sell your product. This will increase production costs, but the return on that investment is more than likely going to be worth it.
5. Voice Search
As voice technology recognition improves, the number of brands integrating the use of voice search in their marketing strategies has also increased.
Certain smart speakers and apps, such as Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant, now allow customers to search for products simply by speaking. This opens a window for brands to make sure they are included in that list of search results, creating an interaction between the customer and the brand with minimal effort.
6. Immersive Technologies
Immersive technologies, such as augmented reality and virtual reality, are already making their way into the marketing scene. Augmented reality allows an image to be inserted in consumers’ view of the world around them. Virtual reality, on the other hand, offers a simulated environment with the use of computer technology. Utilizing these technologies allows the advertiser to immerse the consumer in a world where they can virtually use your product or service. This provides them with a glimpse of what life would be like with your product or service.
7. Omnichannel Marketing
Omnichannel marketing is one of the digital marketing trends to watch out for this 2019. It is a relatively new term that denotes the process of using a variety of platforms to give your target market a multi-channel experience. Omnichannel marketing is different from multi-channel marketing. Multi-channel marketing uses various indirect and direct communication channels to engage customers with the brand. In an omnichannel, you would link all channels in one strategy to bring about the best results.
When brand owners use omnichannel marketing, there is a very high purchase percentage when compared to those who use a single channel. This strategy also helps retain more customers in the long run.
8. Personalization
For consumers, the best way to engage them is by treating them as distinct individuals (hence the use of AI marketing). While generic marketing – a one-size-fits-all commercial – is easier, if you truly want your product to get the spotlight, then you have to personalize your marketing. And by that, we mean personalizing both your content and your emails, among other things.
Consumers are becoming increasingly annoyed by highly generic advertisement. Most people these days simply pass the ads or e-mails by. Amore personal approach, however,not surprisingly leads to more clicks and more sales. When consumers feel that they “belong” to the product or service (or that the service belongs to them), you increase brand loyalty, which in turn increases revenue.
9. Content Marketing
At the end of the day, though, the most important thing to remember is that good content marketing still matters. No matter how religious you are in following the different digital marketing trends, if your content is shallow and generic, then you are far less likely to catch the consumers’ attention. Be sure that no matter what strategy you are using, you still provide the necessary information that your consumers need.
With this, you should have ample knowledge of SEO (search engine optimization) and writing. If you want to write about freelance writing, for example, then you should mention that keyphrase strategically throughout your article. If your product is about organic soaps, then you should have a good grasp of the subject matter in your content, and convey that as you write.
10. Search Marketing
Completing our digital marketing trends list is search marketing. Since we just mentioned SEO, you should realize how important search engines are in marketing your brand. Make sure that your key phrases in your content and media are implemented as organically as possible. Be mindful of the ever-changing algorithms of search engines, however. It is a good idea to keep abreast of how these search engines change their guidelines, so that you can adapt and help your brand reach the first page.
Much like marketing, this is not a one-size-fits-all list. You will need to try several of them out to see which one fits best for you and your company. But remember, as the world grows more complex and interconnected, so must the way we deal with each other, and that includes marketing. To reach the largest number of people, you must adapt the way you reach out to people, and following these trends will help you do just that.
