Top Digital Marketing Trends to Follow in 2019

As an industry that is in a state of constant flux, the digital marketing industry sees innumerable trends emerging ever so often. Digital proliferation is at an all-time high, and is obviously expected to increase even further in the near future. The increased use of Smartphones and other mobile devices means that people are connected even on the go – consumers today are more discerning and demanding. And it’s important for businesses to leverage the various platforms of digital marketing like social networks, email, websites, videos, and apps to engage with customers and have meaningful conversations with them.

So what’s hot in digital marketing this year? Let’s take a look:

Video Marketing

Visual media attracts consumers and conveys the message quickly and efficiently. In fact, internet users demand more video; internet video consumption is doubling each year; in fact, A study by Forbes says that 1/3 rd of time netizens spend online is for watching videos. The study also found that 64% of consumers are more likely to purchase a product online after watching a video about it. ​ Live videos are becoming increasingly popular on social networks, and businesses have been quick to adopt this method of marketing. Though it is still not as widespread as recorded and edited videos, it is certainly catching on.

ChatBots

These are programs that you can ask your queries about products or services when you are on the website of any business. Chatbots are virtual customer service agents who are capable of handling simple queries; if the query is complicated, they pass it on to a human agent. Chatbots are also powered by artificial intelligence, and over time, they can learn and start handling more complex queries by themselves. Chatbots have been instrumental in improving customer service greatly. They can function round the clock, unlike human agents. Most people often don’t realize that they are chatting with a bot, and moreover, unlike email marketing, you don’t get any unsolicited messages! Also, most people enjoy interacting with a chatbot – and most of them have positive experiences. For a business, the advantages are that 1) it does not require a huge investment, and 2) they can take care of customers regardless of what time or day it is. So you can expect to see greater adoption of this technology by businesses in this year and the coming years.

Storytelling

Storytelling was popularized by Snapchat, and later Instagram. These are immersive experiences; multiple pictures or videos presented as a slide show to narrate a story. And they need to be viewed within 24 hours of their publication, after which they disappear – this creates the FOMO: fear of missing out. Today there are over 300 million Instagram users who upload their stories – and businesses have caught on to this trend. They are already investing not just money but their time as well to leverage this innovative form of marketing that is exciting and engaging. It helps companies to humanize their brand. Make announcements of say sales, give sneak peeks into what goes on behind the scenes, as well as give spoiler alerts about new products.

Social Advertising

The expenditure in social advertising is increasing, and in 2019, a lot of it is expected to be for B2B marketing. Companies are thinking more in terms of how they can capture consumer imagination rather than how they can reduce expenditure on social advertising. Innovative methods like targeting, tracking, retargeting and optimization help advertisers create more effective campaigns that truly influence the target audience, leading to improved ROIs, even if the tariffs for advertisements go up.

Growth Hacking

Growing your user base can help you achieve your vision of quick global growth – and growth hacking is one of the newest digital marketing trends. It was first thought up by startups who are looking to boost their turnover. Often, ads are automatically relayed to other sites that are better known, to attract more users. May not always be the fairest, and is also a little in the grey area, but it has worked for a few companies – AirBnB is the best example. Increasing user base obviously helps to increase revenue, and it also gives more ammunition to your sales team.

​User Generated Content

User generated content is exactly what it says – content created and published by users; people who have actually used a product or service and have uploaded a video showing how they used or assembled it, and so on: Product demos, testimonials etc. consumers are more likely to believe these videos than what a business says about itself and its products. An online recommendation by an actual user is perceived as a true validation by other consumers. Studies show that almost 80% of the content available online is user generated; 59% of users are willing to share their opinions about a company or their products if they receive some kind of remuneration for it as well.

​Interactive Content Marketing

This takes the form of contests, polls, quizzes, and more. It helps businesses to segment their target audience and to get close to a specific segment non-invasively. It also offers excellent global coverage in a short time period. The company can build relationships with customers easily, and use personalization to sell products and services. These contests are usually held on social networks that the target users are most likely to frequent – making for more efficient and positive campaigns.

​Conclusion

Have you got on with any of these trends yet? If you haven’t implemented them for your business, you may be missing out on huge opportunities for growth. A reliable and efficient digital marketing agency like IPIX Technologies can help you leverage these trends for your business. Contact us today to know more!