Why read about the latest digital marketing trends which will dominate online marketing in 2018? They couldn’t be too different from the new marketing strategies announced a year ago, when 2017 was just around the corner, right?
Well, we know you may be busy, but if you are also planning your digital marketing strategy for the New Year, use 10 minutes of your time to discover the new digital marketing trends just entering the marketplace; you might be surprised!
The Digital Marketing Trends for 2018:
Native ads for the best visibility
Old-style, intrusive advertising is becoming less and less effective. A famous saying claims that the best marketing doesn’t feel like marketing, and the same happens with advertising. The intense focus on content creation has led to an increase in the popularity of native ads. Native ads represent a type of advertising which matches the style and function of the platform hosting it. Readers have the impression that the advertising is made by the platform’s editorial staff, but in fact the material is produced with the specific intent to promote a product or a service. These ads are not as aggressive as traditional ones, and yet they are more visible because audiences see them as more entertaining and authentic.
Personalised and customer-centric content
Many businesses looking to create a top-notch online marketing strategy consider personalised content, which mostly involves creating a dynamic website and a smart marketing automation plan that delivers top content. This is part of the larger digital marketing trend of addressing each member of the audience in a personal manner rather than pushing the same message to all potential customers, like it happened with traditional marketing.
Influencer teams
Growing a team of influencers is one of the latest online marketing tools recommended by Neil Patel. This method can be used by small businesses as well in order to drive the sales of a product or service. The idea is to use the power of at least one industry expert and make them share your product and content if they love it and consider it relevant to their audiences. Just like the previous trend, it is an instrument allowing you to reach people who are sick of invasive ads.
Rise of chatbots
Would you like to provide better customer service to your clients, but your resources are limited? Consider the use of a chatbot, or a computer program that conducts a conversation and convincingly simulates how a human would behave in a conversation. This allows you to save costs and not see your employees burning out after answering to the same questions every day.
Voice search and Recognition
Voice search has become increasingly popular as Google have released Google Home. These smart speakers were first released in the United States in November 2016 and allow users to speak voice commands for Google’s intelligent personal assistant. Features of this product include listening to music, controlling playback of videos and photos, receiving news updates, and controlling smart home appliances. Domino’s Pizza has introduced use voice recognition in a new order system allowing customers to order directly through Alexa (Amazon’s version of Google Home) using their voice. This technology will only continue to get more popular with everyday smartphone users and more & more business’ will add this technology into their marketing strategies.
Micro-moments
Experts researching the latest digital marketing trends have observed how important micro-moments are when consumers are drawn to brands. Google defines them as intent-rich moments when a person turns to a device to act on a need to know, go, do, or buy. Businesses which want to be ahead of their competitors need to anticipate these micro-moments for their target audience and be there when they occur. The way to achieve that is by using online analytics tools.
Augmented reality
The rise of virtual reality platforms has made augmented reality as an online marketing method a possibility. Imagine integrating digital data into real-time experience or maybe removing certain elements. You could walk into a grocery store and see only foods that suit your diet or that are needed for a new recipe you just have seen online.
With over 39 years’ experience in Print Media, Sales and Marketing, Online Services & Marketing plus Financial Service industries. John brings a wealth of knowledge to Visual Marketing Australia. As a Certified Google Partner, his Digital Marketing knowledge includes: Web Design & Development, SEO, Mobile App. Development, Online Marketing, Online Video Marketing and Email Marketing Solutions. With 12 years experience in using Zoho CRM it is a natural progression to become and Authorised Consulting Partner so we can now add Sales and Marketing Automation to the list.
