As we get ready for 2019, there are some digital marketing trends that you can no longer ignore. Most of them revolve around advances in technology and changes in how people search for products and services. Whether your business is small or large and sells to customers or other businesses, the following trends are must-haves for your 2019 digital marketing strategy.
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) used to sound like something from the future, but it’s seamlessly built into our everyday lives. You don’t have to be intimidated by AI (it probably won’t take over your job), but it can make your tasks more efficient.
In the marketing world, AI can help analyze consumer behavior and make sense of how users search for products and services. Artificial intelligence can also be used to improve customer service. By 2020, Gartner predicts that 25% of businesses will use chatbot technology (more on this later).
Programmatic Advertising
Programmatic advertising uses artificial intelligence to automate ad buying. These ads are fast and efficient, and you’re able to target highly specific audiences. Because programmatic advertising is done in real time, advertisers can draw insight during the campaign and make adjustments. This improves campaign effectiveness and tracks potential reach almost immediately.
Chatbots
Chatbots will continue to be an important part of digital marketing in 2019. This technology uses artificial intelligence to respond to customers 24 hours a day. Businesses benefit from chatbot technology because it’s reliable, efficient and economical. Rather than relying on customer call centers, businesses can invest in chatbot software.
Consumers also prefer chatbots because they can have their questions answered immediately. Using AI technology, chatbots can dig up the customer’s history and resolve most issues. Plus, they never lose their patience or talk back. For more pressing issues, customers can be connected to a human.
Video Marketing
Although video marketing is nothing new, it’s important to have it on your trends list. Marketers sometimes get lazy with video marketing because it requires more resources than written content. That said, video content is a great way to shake up your content marketing strategy and appeal to a wider audience.
Aside from YouTube videos, also experiment with live broadcasts on social media. You can interview people, give viewers a tour of your business, show how products are made and more. Fortunately, creating high-quality videos is more accessible thanks to improved smartphone cameras.
Influencer Marketing
Influencer marketing is similar to word-of-mouth recommendations. It involves real people sharing their experiences with your product or service. Influencer marketing is an asset to your marketing strategy, so you definitely want to make room for it in 2019. Rather than paying to promote ads to a specific audience, you pay influencers to spread information.
To prepare for a robust influencer marketing strategy, look to form relationships with influencers in your field. These individuals can be bloggers, journalists or social media celebrities that have a loyal and engaged following. As you find influencers that have an audience you want to tap into, you can reach out and ask them about trying your product.
Voice Search
Last on our list is voice search. People are using voice search for more and more applications, so businesses must think about how this affects their digital marketing strategies. Plus, artificial intelligence is getting smarter at understanding user intent.
The best way to make your website voice search friendly is by using a conversational tone and incorporating long tail keywords into your content. Think about how people might say something, not type it.
If you focus on the above trends, you will be in a good position for 2019. So, let’s close our books on 2018 and celebrate the successes that another year of business has brought us.
