In today’s tech-driven world, right from the moment we wake up to the time we hit the bed – technology plays a crucial factor in all aspects of our life. From controlling home appliances via an app, playing music via our Bluetooth-enabled speakers to voice search, carrying out our work – technology is everywhere. And, the growth of technology doesn’t seem to slow down, anytime in the future.
As we come to the end of 2018, here’s a sneak peek of the top digital marketing trends that will rule in 2019. Make sure to adapt to these trends and stay ahead of your competition in 2019.
1. Artificial Intelligence
Everywhere you turn around these days; you are bound to hear the words – AI. While AI is a hot topic these days, not many are aware of its potentials. There are plenty of misconceptions surrounding it. Simply put, AI is a bunch of computers with advanced software that can analyze situations quickly. AI can make better sense of the large volumes of data, to find out patterns and trends.
The potentials of AI are many – you can use it to scour your business database to provide accurate, real-time insights, which your team can use to better their marketing efforts. For instance, you can use AI software to take a look at your existing customers, scan their social media conversations to target customers who are likely to convert accurately.
AI helps to make better sense of large volumes of data, which in the past was labor-intensive and time-consuming.
2. Chatbots
Though Chatbots have been around for a while now, they have evolved significantly in the last couple of years. Juniper Research suggests that by the year 2022, chatbots will help businesses save over $8 billion every year. While chatbots present several benefits, most businesses have been slow to implement them. With the rapid evolution of Chatbots, you can expect more and more businesses to use them in 2019 and beyond.
Chatbots provide excellent customer service. They can help provide customers with the right answers to repetitive questions like, “What’s the price of this product?” “What does the product ABC do?” “How is shipping calculated?” “When can I receive my package?” and so on.
Apart from answering these simple questions, bots can also be used for other customer services like – warming up clients to make the purchase, scheduling appointments, and getting them to convert. And, the best part – today’s chatbots can converse just like humans, thereby establishing a better connection with the audience.
If you are considering whether to invest in a chatbot or not, here’s a quick guide. First, decide what you want the bot to be used for – sales or customer service? Once you have figured your goals, you can then use the right bot technology to meet your specific goals.
3. Smart Speakers and Audio
2018 was the year – when smart speakers became mainstream. Google Home, Amazon’s Alexa, and several others – today most households own and use at least one smart speaker. From asking simple queries like “What will be the weather today?” to more complex commands like “Play music that cheers me,” smart speakers are the next big disruptors.
To capitalize on the smart speaker and audio trend, we recommend that you start by optimizing your website for voice search. Remember, that there’s a vast difference in the way people search using keywords and using voice. Audio queries are generally conversational and longer.
For instance, a person searching for a restaurant near them would type, “Restaurants near me.” On the other hand, when asking the same query to Alexa, the phrase used would be, “Hey Alexa, which restaurants near me are open for dinner now?”
When optimizing your website for voice search, you have to include these phrases and questions in your website naturally. For instance, you can include an FAQ section and answer questions that your customers are likely to search for.
Alternatively, you can also write blog posts that provide the answers to these questions. For instance, if you are looking to answer the query above, you have to include the phrase, “We serve dinner 6.00 pm to 11.00 pm Monday to Sunday” naturally in your website content.
By including such phrases, Google and other search engines are likely to rank your site higher for voice search. If you are looking to overhaul your website and make it search-friendly, you can get in touch with our web and SEO experts, here at our Digital Marketing Company – Webfries.
4. Local Influencer Marketing
While influencer marketing has been making waves in digital marketing for the last few years, the recent shift in trend is toward – local influencer marketers. You can expect this to be a huge digital marketing trend in 2019.
While it’s true that a celebrity endorsing your product brings you plenty of views and likes, studies say that celebrity-endorsed campaigns see low conversions. Customers are more likely to trust local influencers, who have authority in the field.
For 2019, try to partner with local influencers to create long-term campaigns that deliver results. Start by making a list of relevant local influencers in your field on popular social media platforms like – YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter, and others.
Follow them to identify whether their posts suit your brand persona. If yes, start a conversation with them and see how it goes.
5. Live Video
Video is still a huge draw in digital marketing. The recent trend is – live videos. With that said, video marketing requires extensive research and a well-planned customer strategy.
The first step is to create a robust content strategy. Gather the team and brainstorm ideas. Place yourself in your customer’s shoes. What would they expect from your company – tutorial videos, product demos, live Q& A sessions, behind-the-scenes tours of your office? Remember that you can repurpose video content in several ways – blogs, audio, white papers, infographics, and so on.
The next step is to pick the right platform for live video. You have plenty of options like Instagram Live, Facebook Live, Periscope, YouTube Live, and Livestream.com. Keep your videos engaging and fun.
The Last Word
While there are several other digital marketing trends for 2019 like – Programmatic Advertising, Personalisation, Visual Search, and Micro-Moments – we recommend that you start with the five trends listed here.
And, get in touch with our Digital Marketing Company to find out how you can leverage these trends to stand out from the crowd and drive business in the New Year.
Cheers to a Wildly Successful 2019!