Digital Marketing is taking a turn towards multiple directions in the coming year. As the Internet and the advent of new technologies become more embedded in our daily routines, the elements of a new era of digital marketing will create more impact and higher levels of engagement than ever before. This momentum does not show any signs of slowing down any time soon, so to stay ahead of the curve, here is a helpful guide on some of the top digital marketing trends coming in 2019.
Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning Technologies
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not a new concept, but the value of this technology is often overlooked. It’s uniqueness blends technologies within the internet marketing space – from Predictive Analysis, Machine Learning and Natural Language Processing – have helped many big brands and businesses achieve amazing results, as a study from the Tech Republic shows that AI use has increased two-fold from 61% for business use in 2017 as compared to 38% in 2016.
AI will also deliver personalization to the next level, as marketers will be able to deliver their products and services based on continuous user feedback, to show at the exact right time (e.g., recommended playlists on Spotify or featured Amazon products specific to your search queries). Another development involves Google’s machine learning products, like the Powerful Image Analysis, which allows developers to understand the content of an image (e.g., a landmark destination).
Chatbots
Some examples of AI include automated chat bots for faster online customer service or a smarter automation system to help utilize big data sets within your business, which can cut off a decent chunk from overall marketing costs as well. IBM predicts chatbots are expected to power 85% of all customer service interactions by the end of this year.
Voice
From Google Home, Microsoft Cortana and Amazon Alexa, the spread of smart devices and voice technology has shown digital users a new way to access information from the Internet. A report from Klick shows that by the year 2020, 30% of all web browsing will be done without touching a screen, with an estimated 50% of searches made solely through voice commands. Users will find it even easier to multi-task using voice tech in their daily routines – such as adding items to a grocery list while you’re driving or jotting down speaking notes for future reference.
Content
Content will expand across most platforms going into 2019, as we’ll see more digital users seeking more reputable content, instead of typical advertisements. The more value and engagement that your content generates, the better your chances of being found online.
Ad Targeting
However, advertising won’t disappear entirely. One of its new shapes comes in the form of programmatic advertising, which continues to evolve as an ongoing process for automation technology to be used to buy and sell online media. Companies will combine data and technology to make real-time decisions on how to appropriately advertise to their target audiences, depending on certain demographics, regions, and other variables for continuous campaigns.
Both advertisements and content will come together for an improved user experience through the use of native advertising. Consumers tend to dislike advertisements that pop up or scatter around a website. As a result, they often run ad blockers to keep them away. Native advertising gets around this by creating advertising content that blends in with other types of content, much like a Facebook ad which suggests a recommended product based on your recent search history.
Video
Video marketing will be the focus for digital attention in the coming year. From higher quality production, premium content, and live videos, you’ll see this new trend take over social media by storm. With the development of smartphone cameras, casual video shoots will be a move to the norm for most forms of video marketing.
Tubular Insights predicts 80% of the online content will take up the form of visual media. Video advertising is one area that will evolve outside of typical TV viewing. You’ll find that more cities use billboard space and public transits to give viewers more media to consume outside of their smartphone.
Influencers
Influencers are not a new segment of digital marketing, but they’re expected to contribute a major amount of engagement in various industries worldwide. Individuals with thousands of followers have helped marketing and promotion campaigns gather plenty of attention, especially on platforms like Instagram. In 2019, you’re more likely to see this action take over Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, and other social media platforms.
Authenticity & Transparency
Lastly, the way marketing has been perceived will shift in a new direction. Marketers and sales reps have been seen for years as selfish and deceitful, hoping to enforce unethical sales and advertising techniques for their benefit. Since GDPR came into the field in mid-2018, the way brands use customer data has been under heavier scrutiny. Now with online profiles, reviews and digital breadcrumbs readily available for the world to see, consumers are more aware of the risks and research behind the brands that acquire their attention. We will begin to see companies adopt strategies strictly based off of authenticity and the user experience, opening the door for two-way communication with their audience to form relationships and build continuous trust.
Hi Julius, these are the right trends where every digital marketer must follow in 2019. Website security and user experience are encourages organic traffics. Thanks for the great article
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