The digital marketing landscape is disrupted so much that what worked a few years ago is now completely ineffective. Evidently, companies need to update and change their strategy to meet the changing ways of marketing.
Once, posting social media content regularly was one of the best strategies you could adopt to reach a wide audience and grow a following. Today, you need to do much more.
Customer expectations are rising and the competition is getting more and more fierce. Companies that want to be visible in an overcrowded industry will have to be creative and yet conforming to the trends that are taking shape for 2019.
Let’s see a few of the top trends that can help you maximize ROI on digital marketing efforts. Also, have a look at the Digital Marketing course.
Omnichannel Marketing
We know it gets thrown about a lot, but it’s not just a pretty buzzword. Omnichannel marketing resembles multi-channel marketing where you set up various touch-points on different platforms that reinforce your product or brand image and ease a customer into the buying journey.
The only difference being, omnichannel is more universal.
An omnichannel marketing strategy is one in which all marketing touch-points work in harmony on every available channel of customer interaction. To be part of the omnichannel trend, the least you can do is set up a consistent experience across all these touch-points.
Eighty-one per cent of marketers believe social media sits on top of their marketing strategy, followed by 78% who believe their website is their strongest marketing material, and email marketing allures 69% of marketers.
Besides that, businesses can leverage podcasts, PR and press releases, live chats, mobile apps, offline ads, chatbots, and VAs.
An omnichannel marketing strategy is all the more critical for B2C businesses, as studies reveal that 70% of consumers use three or more channels to research before making a purchase.
Omnichannel is not just essential to acquire new customers, but it also helps in retaining existing ones by providing a positive customer experience.
Voice Search Optimization
The advancements in the field of Natural Language Processing, Artificial Intelligence, and Machine Learning have all contributed to the rising popularity of virtual assistants.
By 2020, half of all searches will be voice searches, according to recent predictions by ComScore. Voice search differs a lot from our traditional text-based search.
When you type in a query on the Google search engine, hundreds of pages show and you can attempt to be one of them; hopefully on the first page.
But, when you ask Siri a question, it will only give you a few results. More often than not, it will only give you one. Now, you are aiming to be that ONE result Siri chooses for her master.
One way to do this is to make your search phrases conversational rather than typed and bookish. Consider what your customers might say, not what they might search.
It also makes sense to create content that flows like a dialogue, better aligning with voice search.
Chatbots
We are continuing to make a case for conversations in today’s digital marketing efforts.
Chatbots have seen success in all industries, including real estate, hospitality, healthcare, travel and tourism, and events management. The use of chatbots is rapidly growing.
Grand View Research maintains that the global chatbots market is reaching USD 1.2 billion by the year 2025 with a CAGR of 24%.
Chatbots are available 24/7, without excuses, can be made to converse in multiple languages, and are quicker at answering queries, at scale!
Forty-five per cent of consumers prefers using chatbots as a primary mode of communication.
Facebook Messenger bots have gained immense popularity, right after website chatbots, which are improving customer experience and becoming effective tools for marketing.
If you have been waiting, now is the perfect time to get the technology in place and leverage chatbots to promote product features, streamline customer service, gain more customers, and retain existing ones.
Video Digital Marketing
Videos are still in trend as one of the most popular content formats. Seventy-three per cent of all Americans engage with videos on YouTube. However, limiting to YouTube might not be the solution for you.
Experiment with videos on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook to see what’s working the best for you.
Video digital marketing can now be combined with accurate user metrics to provide insights into the success of an effort. Capture and convey value over videos to your target audience and grow a following.
Live streaming is another face of the same coin. Thanks to popular channels such as Twitch, we can witness a spike in streaming services.
When influencers and brands interact with their followers over live streaming videos, it creates brand trust, reaffirms loyalty, and becomes a huge drawing magnet for the audience.
Micro-moments
Since more and more consumers are getting things done over mobile, marketers are leveraging micro-moments to attract their audience’s attention by fulfilling their decisions in the instant.
For instance, consider your customer is performing a search for a nearby place to eat. If you are a restaurant, you can create targeted content and advertising to draw leverage out of these micro-moments.
There are four basic micro-moments you can utilize:
– I want to know
– I want to go
– I want to do
– I want to buy
In these moments, customers want what they have in mind, and they get drawn towards the brand who are delivering on their needs at the moment.
AI and ML
How are these even remotely connected to digital marketing?
Well, according to Forrester’s Global State of AI Online survey, 57% of businesses are using AI to improve customer experience and support, followed by 44% using the technology to improve upon the existing products and services.
AI can help businesses achieve success with marketing by facilitating deeper personalization- be it of product, services, or content.
Personalization is a chief driver of marketing results for businesses both in B2B and B2C arenas. AI and ML can help you ride the hyper-personalization wave that awaits complete utilization.
Stay on top of the latest trends in digital marketing and gain leverage in terms of conversion, a loyal customer following, retention, and more. Upskill with Great Learning’s PG program in Strategic Digital Marketing and get an edge among the digital marketing fraternity.
