2018 saw a rapid boost in digital marketing. Trends that were only heard of, came to life this year. With so many new concepts trending month-on-month and technologies rising at a racing speed, there’s surely a lot 2019 has in store. Most marketers these days have realized that it is not enough to only remain competitive, it is important to stand out by staying ahead of the curve. If you think websites, blogs, social channels, video etc open doors for you, let us tell you that there are many other channels available out there. If you are wondering what we are talking about, take a look at digital trends, we believe, will bring about massive changes in the digital world in 2019.
1) User Generated Content:
User Generated Content (UGC) is something that cannot be ignored in the coming year. People trust brands as much as they trust humans so creating authentic, eye-catching content is the best way to attract attention. Ensure your content is different from that of your competitors. It should be unique, attractive and designed as per consumer requirements. Personalize your content, if necessary as it helps enhance customer relationships and makes your customer feel wanted and cared for. UGC helps to build trust, ensures your audience engages with your brand and eventually has a positive impact on your strategy.
2) Location Marketing:
Businesses have always understood the value of marketing to people based on their location as there is great value in knowing your audience’s location and reaching out to them at the right place and time. Today’s geomarketing activities are way more advanced than traditional strategies that were used in the past and are only going to get better. For instance, today we have apps like Waze, the world’s largest community-based traffic and navigation app that works on smartphones and tablet computers with GPS support that targets audiences in real-time. It connects you to people on the move and in turn helps to drive footfalls by getting users to see your ad. The growth of mobile integration, big data management, and consumer’s trust in technology all play a huge role in making location-based marketing more and more efficient by the day.
3) Artificial Intelligence:
Artificial Intelligence will slowly but surely take over the world! Or at least that’s what we predict. A technology that can analyze consumer behavior, their likes, dislikes, requirements, search patterns and tap into consumer data from blog posts, websites and other platforms, is here to stay…don’t you think? AI helps businesses understand how consumers find products and services and also assists in ad buying – which means, it helps businesses to target specific audiences in real time. This makes planning strategies easy for businesses which in turn helps them save costs, increase growth and get ahead of their competition. When it comes to AI, chatbots are extremely popular as they provide guidance to consumers and solve consumer queries, sometimes even faster than humans.
4) Video Marketing:
Video marketing became big in 2018 but it is expected to become bigger in 2019. Infact, it is expected to become the leader of digitization in 2019. Approximately 70% of consumers watch / view / share a brand’s video. Video helps build confidence in a consumer about a brand’s product or service. It allows them to engage and interact with the brand and thus improves conversion rates. Most consumers are likely to view a video ad as long as it is unique, entertaining and attractive. Ever since smartphones have come into play, there has been a significant growth in video consumption as it helps convey the brand’s message effectively and in a more enjoyable way.
5) Consumer Intent:
Consumer intent helps you drive growth. It is one of the most important things to consider. People make decisions in an instant when they are hungry and are looking for restaurants, when they want to shop and are looking for shoes etc. The best way for a marketer to succeed is by reaching out to a consumer in the first 10 seconds of their search. Nobody has the time to wait for you to convey your message so remember to be quick while doing so. A marketing message that is delivered clearly and concisely within a span of seconds to an interested consumer is sure to get great results. Understanding consumer behavior and analyzing intent is the answer – doesn’t matter what the question is!
6) Voice Marketing:
The increasing use of voice search has made it extremely important for companies to reconsider their digital strategies in 2019. Voice search is expected to rise and how in the years to come. By 2020, almost 50% of all searches are expected to be voice searches. It is easy, quick and convenient – just what consumers are looking for these days. It provides information by simply hearing a consumer’s voice – no visual content, no spending time on the screen! Artificial Intelligence is getting smarter by the day and the number of errors made by voice assistants are significantly decreasing. Many brands have already started including voice search in their digital strategies but the number is only expected to rise in 2019. So, if you’ve ever thought of ordering pizzas or burgers on Siri or Alexa, fret not…it will soon be possible!
7) Augmented & Virtual Reality:
Augmented and Virtual Reality helps consumers to engage and actively interact with a brand. Consumers can try on what works for them in real-time, before actually making purchases. If you like a pair of sunglasses, try them on virtually, see how it looks and then proceed to payment. Similarly, for a piece of furniture – place it in your room with the help of your smartphone, see how it looks and then decide if you should buy the product or not. How cool is that? With so many opportunities, customers are sure to have great experiences as businesses are already embracing the power of this new technology. It is assisting them to create brand awareness and loyalty at a racing speed. According to Statista, the AR & VR market is currently worth 27 billion dollars and is expected to reach the size of 209.2 billion dollars in the next four years.
As a marketer, the only thing to keep in mind is that technology is changing at a rapid pace. It could be good or bad for many in the moment but it only promises good things to come in the near future. With so many changes expected to happen in the digital environment, as a marketer, you either adapt to them or get left behind!