Each year, new digital marketing techniques come out, existing ones get smarter and the market gets savvier and more bombarded with marketing. Improvements in marketing continue to happen at a faster pace, still grounded on that one goal: getting our audience’s attention.
The only change that will continue occurring is where that attention goes, and that’s what your business needs to be leveraging. Here are 5 digital marketing trends benchmarking the future of digital marketing:
1. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Everybody talks about (and are cautious of!) artificial intelligence but only a few really understand and utilize it. Think of AI as a bunch of computers analyzing consumer behavior and search patterns, utilizing data from social media platforms and blog posts to help businesses understand how users and customers find their products and services.
You can use AI for tasks like scouring your databases and providing insights to your team. Facebook messenger bots can help automate and optimize your customer service. You could leverage AI in finding prospects who look like your existing customers or scan social media conversations to provide you real-time intel on your competitors.
2. PERSONALIZATION
Personalizing your marketing is the way to go this year, and that means personalized content, products, emails, and more. As they say: Personalization = Maximizing enjoyment + Minimizing search time.
The availability of data like purchase history, consumer behavior, and links clicked made custom content easier. Most marketers believe that personalization advances customer relationships. A study by Marketo shows that personalized, triggered e-mails based on behavior are 3x better than batch-and-blast e-mails
Businesses like Netflix and Amazon are already leveraging the power of personalization. Netflix immediately shows you the evidence of this: the banner, carousels, order, artwork, text, and search are all personalized for you.
3. CHATBOTS
By 2022, it’s estimated that chatbots will help businesses save over $8 billion per year, especially in the banking and healthcare industries. Right now, 1.4 billion people are already interacting with chatbots.
This AI-based technology uses instant messaging to chat in real-time with your customers or site visitors. Many customers prefer interacting with chatbots as they give answers promptly, accurately recall your entire buying history, and never lose patience. These virtual assistants offer outstanding customer service, meeting customers’ expectations and automating repetitive tasks – which means you can focus on more important work.
For example, Uber uses chatbot technology to communicate with customers, making it easy for them to hire cars even on Facebook Messenger, from Slack or via Google Maps. Passengers can use the menu to choose the type of ride, make a request, track the location of the car, send friends a time estimate of their arrival, and even make payment.
We have to keep in mind, though, that chatbots are not meant to replace complex human conversations.
4. LIVE VIDEO
The only thing better than a video? Live video. Think behind-the-scenes, office tours, product demos/releases, and live Q&As.
In doing live videos for marketing, it’s important to create a robust content strategy. What are all the things your customers would find useful, helpful or fun? Keep in mind that video should be your starting point, but these assets can be leveraged across multiple platforms and turned into other forms of content like audio, blogs, or infographics.
It is also important to pick the platform you want to focus on — Facebook Live, YouTube Live, Instagram Live, or even Periscope and Livestream.com. With the recent Facebook algorithm change, YouTube Live and Instagram Live are less crowded and the chances to be viewed is more viable. Keep your videos fun, personal, and engaging.
5. VOICE SEARCH
The increasing use of voice search is already a signal for companies to rethink their digital marketing strategies in 2019. Smart speakers like Alexa, Siri, and Google Home are on the rise, with 39 million Americans using smart speakers and 65% of them saying they wouldn’t want to go back to life without them.
Voice search plays an important role in providing all the relevant information that people are searching for through audio content. Many brands have already included voice search in their digital marketing strategies to deliver value-based content effectively to their customers.
For all voice technology, remember to write in a conversational fashion and think about keywords that people will speak rather than type.
With that said, trends still do not replace good marketing. The marketing pillars that would make you stand out from a crowd remains to be good branding and helpful, authentic content. Leveraging the latest trends, coupled with establishing a solid foundation for your brand would yield successful results for your business.
Need a website for your business? Mawnster Marketing offers a wealth of Digital Marketing Solutions and packages that can help you put your best business foot forward. We can help you put up a website with videos, banners, infographics, and blog posts that will showcase your brand to the world. We also offer Pay Per Click campaign creation, Search Engine Optimization, Website Development, and Social Media Marketing. Drop us an e-mail at info@www.mawnstermarketing.com, call us up at (703) 895-0737, or contact us online for all of your Digital Marketing queries and for more information.
