There is a dramatic shift in how the media approaches us in today’s date and that’s why we need to keep up with trends. From SEO strategies to regular social media updates, there is a lot we need to do every now and then. For instance, it wasn’t long ago since we first heard of artificial intelligence. These are already a part of so many people and we need to curate content accordingly.
What are the current trends in digital marketing?
To be on point with digital marketing strategies, we constantly need to know what’s trending. Check out the most effective ways to shape up your digital marketing investments this year:
1. Artificial intelligence
The power of AI is soon going to take over the world. It can analyze consumer behavior and search pattern. They extract data from social media platforms, blog posts, and help entrepreneurs know what customers want. They help them find the right products and services.
For instance, Facebook messenger bots help us automate and optimize customer service. It offers information and tips from users by getting into the conversations. Within 2020, customer service is said to adopt chatbot technology by 25% compared to 2% in 2017. Businesses allowing the power of AI will save cost, promote growth, and set trends.
2. Programmatic advertising
The tech behind programmatic advertising is to use AI for automating ads so that it reaches out to more people. For example, real-time bidding and auctions are types of programmatic ads. This form of automation works fast and has chances to convert more people. The process also lowers acquisition cost. Almost 90% of digital marketing agencies in the US will follow this process by 2020.
3. Personalization
Personalized marketing is one of the unique ways of making a long list of loyal customers. It includes personalized content, products, packaging, emails, and more. With so much of online purchase and sale, we can now keep a record of consumer behavior and purchase history. You know the links they clicked and the products that interest them. Personalization improves customer relationships and triggers a sense of belonging.
4. Video marketing
This is no brainer owing the number of videos we scroll through every day on social media. From Instagram to Facebook, there are endless videos that show up every now and then. 70% of consumers tend to share a brand’s video they like and 72% of brands have a conversion rate. It is one of the most engaging ways to reach out to people and show them what you do. Video has more ways to express than images or just content. If you haven’t invested in this yet, it is time you do!
5. Influencer marketing
One of the coolest ways of marketing is having influencers on board. With the advent of social media, this is yet another neat way of promoting your brand. Say a celebrity of an influencer has several followers on their Facebook or Instagram handles. They can promote your products by using them, taking a video or photo. It is an informal way of shooting or publicizing the product, but it feels more real to the people. They charge you money and you let more people know about you, follow you, and buy your products.
6. Social messaging apps
Connecting with consumers at a real level has become more common. Many brands create Whatsapp groups and add their customers (with their permission) to share upcoming product details. Both Facebook and Whatsapp messenger has 1.3 billion active users and over 55 billion Whatsapp texts are exchanged every day. These are booming options that keep you up with trends and up close to your customers.
7. Visual search
Visual search is a way people use images to search for a particular thing online. If their images relate to your product images or content anyway, they redirect to you. There are times people may scroll through your products, like something, and even take a screenshot. However, we don’t always remember the names. Even if the product is something close to what you sell, they might always find their way to you! Visual search helps when people look for books, reviews, landmarks, museums, and more.
8. Micro-moments
An average person spends around three and a half hours of their day on their smartphones. It is an added advantage for brands that can grab people’s attention at that time. Micro-moment is a new form of looking at consumer behavior and was termed by Google. It delivers a marketing message in a crisp and clear form and with the interest of the consumers. As the name goes, it is just about the micro-moments that they spend on you and how eye-catchy you are to attract them.
9. Voice search
Siri and Alexa have become an integral part of families! Don’t believe it? Spend some time on voice search and see how it interactively tells you what you need to know. Voice search is making companies rethink their marketing strategies and by the end of next year, more than 50% of organizations will offer this.
10. Social media stories
The concept of social media Stories started with Snapchat and it took over Instagram, Facebook, Whatsapp, and then YouTube. It is an exclusive way of sharing updates that stay for 24 hours and let people get constant posts from you. You can also add a story to Highlights and let it stay there till the time you remove it.
Tech-savvy marketers also use the feature of ‘Live’ video as it instantly gives a notification to every follower or friend. These are again, interactive ways to always pop up on the newsfeed and show what you do.
Final thoughts
Digital marketing is here to stay and to evolve for the better. Note that you will always need content because words will never be enough to explain what consumers need to know. Make sure you personalize customer’s experiences and also incorporate AI. These two will take you a long way along with social media and video marketing that’s pretty relevant by now.
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