The Latest Digital Trends to Keep an Eye On, this Year
When it comes to Digital Marketing, what works today will probably not work the next year or even the next quarter. Digital marketing is an ever-evolving discipline, and if you want to stay on top of the game, then it’s essential to be prepared for the future.
Here, in today’s post, we’ve compiled a list of the biggest digital marketing trends that you can expect to see in 2018. Be the first to adopt these strategies and zoom ahead of your competitors.
Social Media Marketing Trends for 2018
Video and more Video
Videos became the most popular content on the internet in 2017. You can expect the trend to continue this year.
Nothing is as attention-catching as good videos. Whether you’re engaging with your audience on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Snapchat, video engagement will hit the roof in 2018.
If you’re still not convinced of the effectiveness of video content, here are a few stats to persuade you:
- Users watch more than a billion hours of videos on YouTube every single day
- Facebook users view nearly 8 billion videos every day
- 82% of all Twitter’s users use the platform to see the video content
When it comes to video content, digital marketers can play around with several different types of content like 360-degree videos, stop-motion animation, live streams, unboxing videos, and much more. This gives marketers plenty of flexibility when planning video campaigns.
However, one main point to keep in mind, while creating video content is that it should be mobile-first. In fact, more than 60% of YouTube views and nearly 90% of Twitter views come from mobile devices.
Social Media Influencers will gain more…..Influence
According to MediaKix, “Over USD 1billion is spent every year on social media influencers.”
2017 was the year when social media influencer marketing became mainstream. Digital marketers can expect the trend to continue in 2018, leading to an increase in competition. The key for marketers for 2018 is to work on establishing a long-lasting relationship with social media influencers.
If you’re wondering why you should bother establishing a long-lasting working partnership here’s a real-world example to justify it. In 2016, a premium fashion icon partnered with Louis Vuitton to launch and promote an exclusive line of merchandise.
The partnership broke down abruptly when rival brand Coach managed to seal a deal with the social media influencer, Selena Gomez. This ended up being a huge embarrassment for LV. This is why it pays to establish a long-lasting relationship with any social media influencer, you bring on board.
Another critical aspect of social media influencer marketing to focus on this year will be “Authenticity.” Consumers can very well detect when influencer-brand collaborations are forced. They don’t want just another celebrity or model endorsing your product. They want a person who is using your product and in turn, is promoting it. So, instead of looking at celebrities, look at social media celebrities to partner with your brand.
Storytelling takes on a New Form
Social media “stories” are becoming highly popular. Turn anywhere; you’re bound to come across these. Introduced by Snapchat, these stories have now taken over the digital world. From Facebook to Instagram and even Whatsapp, all the leading social media networks have jumped on the bandwagon. Even YouTube has a version of these stories named “Reels.”
The premise is simple. You can highlight the best moments of your day using stories. What makes these different from posts is that they disappear after a particular period, usually 24 hours. This creates a sense of urgency among viewers and makes them check their feed frequently so that they don’t miss out on favorite stories.
“Stories are a fun, bite-sized way to publish your video content.”
2018 is a big year for stories and make sure to include them in your digital marketing strategies.
SEO Trends for 2018
Optimize for Voice Search
Nowadays, anyone can do a voice search on their Smartphones. No need to type out your queries. Just say it aloud.
In fact, Google reports that nearly 55% of teens and 41% of adults have switched over to voice search.
Additionally, with the rise in popularity and efficiency of digital assistants like Ok Google, Siri, Cortana, and Alexa, more and more people are using voice search.
What does this mean for your SEO strategy?
One, it means you’ll have to focus on long-tail keywords. People who are using voice search are more likely to use longer search phrases than those who type it. Long-tailed keywords will get more specific and conversations. This means your content should be framed in a more conversational and casual tone.
For instance, consider two people looking for a digital marketing company.
A person who is typing this query is like to search using the phrase, “digital marketing company in Gurgaon.”
On the other hand, a person who is using voice search is likely to use the phrase, “Show me digital marketing companies in Gurgaon.”
So, make sure that your content caters to both of these users.
Additionally, with voice search, your content must be framed in a “question and answer” format. Considering the above example, a person using voice search, is likely to ask this question, “How much do digital marketing companies in Gurgaon charge?”
If your content answers this question, then your page rank increases and your content is likely to be displayed to the searcher.
The Increasing Importance of RankBrain
RankBrain is the machine learning algorithm used by Google to sort search results. It’s a type of organic ranking based on how users interact with search results. For instance, if a particular user asks a question and spends a considerable amount of time on one of the results, then RankBrain interprets this as a “positive” sign, moving that result upward.
On the contrary, if you click on the first result you come across, but leave the site after a few seconds, then RankBrain may move this content from the No.1 spot. RankBrain looks at both the time spent on the site and the click-through rates to determine the content’s quality, which in turn affects the results.
So, how do you factor in RankBrain in your SEO strategy for 2018?
First, you have to understand that Organic Click-through Rates are declining. With plenty of ads, answer boxes, carousels, and other related searches, more and more people don’t scroll down to take a look at the organic search results.
The next step is to take a look at successful ads and try to incorporate those words into your organic CTR.
Whatever you do, you have to ensure that RankBrain notices you and improves your search listings.
Mobile Forward Design must be your Primary Focus
“Mobile forward design is no longer an option. It is mandatory to remain visible.”
While mobile responsive design worked fine in 2017, going forward in 2018 and beyond, you’ll have to focus on a mobile-forward design.
Currently, this is the breakdown of usage across devices: 52.65% use mobiles to access the internet, 42.75% use a desktop, and 4.62% log in from a tab. Consumers no longer use mobiles just to access social media sites. They are using it to check emails, do online shopping, read web content and even pay bills and carry out other banking activities.
Make sure that your site is quick to load and easy to navigate on mobile devices. Here are a few tips for mobile-first design.
- Speed matters – if your webpage doesn’t load in three seconds, then you can kiss the visitor goodbye. Three seconds is the maximum threshold for a visitor to wait for the page to load.
- Experience matters, too – Apart from speed, the next factor you have to consider is experience. Currently, more than 60% of all users search from a mobile device. So, don’t just offer a watered-down version of your desktop site to mobile users. Provide them with the total experience.
You will see more of AI and Chatbots
2018 is the year when you’ll have to seriously start thinking about the role of bots in your marketing strategy. While chatbots have been around for decades, they have seen vast improvements of late thanks to AI. More and more brands are deploying chatbots to help with customer service.
Experts, predict that by 2020, nearly 85% of all customer interactions will be handled by chatbots. If you’re wondering who the heck is using chatbots, then it looks like Millennials are the culprits. These tech-savvy youngsters are ready to interact with chatbots rather than individuals while dealing with customer service complaints.
So, this may be the year, when AI-based chatbots become the new “Customer Service Representatives.”
ADOPT A BRAND NEW STRATEGY FOR 2018
These are a few key trends that will shape the landscape of digital marketing in 2018. To stay ahead of the curve, it’s crucial that you revamp your content and online marketing strategy right now.
Whether you’re planning to introduce a Facebook live stream for your products or considering revamping your dusty SEO strategy, Webfries can help you with it. To check out our skills and test whether we’re right for your brand, give us a ring at 0124-438-2633, and let’s bond over a cuppa of coffee with a side of tasty fries.
Let’s get started on the best digital marketing campaign for 2018!