Digital marketing trends your business can no longer ignore

Digital marketing has evolved from running a simple AdWords campaign to elaborate campaigns that that run across multiple channels and touchpoints.

The world of digital marketing is one of constant evolution. The techniques that may once have worked well may today, not work at all.

In order to keep up with the ever-changing scene, marketers must stay in the know with the latest tech trends. Here are the leading trends shaping this year’s digital marketing space.

Social media chatbots

Social media has been a major element in the world of digital marketing, becoming the biggest platform for brands to promote and market their product or services on a large scale.

And now, chatbots are becoming a key feature of social media marketing for many businesses. The technology combines the use of text, voice and messaging to converse directly with consumers through a virtual bot.

Chatbots can be added as an extension on multiple social media platforms as a tool to address basic-level customer queries in real-time. This can also help your business save costs by reducing the need to hire more employees for customer service.

On top of providing immediate information to customers, chatbots can also collect data about users and then use this to improve interactions with them ensuring customers are receiving a high-quality experience.

With 69 percent of customers reporting preferring chatbots for quick conversations, it’s time to consider whether your business would benefit from introducing a chatbot into your marketing strategy.

The rise of voice search

Today, consumers can ask their phones anything from “Where’s the nearest gas station?” to “What is the meaning of life?”. The convenience of voice search makes it the main source of information for many individuals.

In the US, the use of voice assistants is expected to grow by 128.9 percent in 2018, compared to last year. That’s a total of 35.6 million Americans using the technology at least once a month.

But what does this mean for digital marketers?

While this growing trend represents a massive opportunity for brands, it is also a big challenge.

Upon making an online search on Google, users will be presented with endless pages of results.

But with voice search, only the top, most relevant answer to the query will be provided. And so for businesses, they want to ensure that they are that one result that matches an individuals’ query.

To do this, your content must be optimized to suit the requirements of voice searches. Some tips include publishing content that provides clear answers to consumers’ queries, and to ensure you’re using natural conversational language as keywords.

The power of influencer marketing

Influencer marketing is becoming more popular than ever before, expanding exponentially over the past two years.

An influencer can be defined as figures of the digital space who have the ability to influence the behavior or opinions of others. And today, many businesses are leveraging the use of influencers to promote their products or services.

According to Forbes, influencer marketing is growing faster than digital ads, with approximately 66 percent of marketing professionals surveyed reporting using them in their brand campaigns.

But what makes this form of marketing so effective?

This can perhaps be attributed to the growing importance of authenticity and trust that consumers are craving.

Today’s customers are growing more skeptical of brands and their marketing techniques. Advertising through influencers allows a brand to promote through a real person that an online community watches and engages with on a daily basis.

With digital marketing techniques constantly evolving, it is important for marketers to regularly assess and evaluate their strategies. Staying up-to-date with the latest technology trends will be key to reaching marketing success.