Digital Marketing Trends For 2019

To be, or not to be, that is the trend. (Will Shake the Spear, the marketer)

Stay ahead, don’t be a Hamlet, and keep an eye on what is going on within key marketing trends for 2019.

Trends change from year to year, it’s a fact. Innovative features, new platforms, latest forms of communication, tale as old as time, true as it can be, and we all can continue this list. However, the hardest part of it is still truly eternal — how to acquire the target audience and how to engage users?

Preparation is the battle half won. Let us find out which trends you can equip your business with to make the most.

W is for Video & Visuals

Video & Visuals were a big thing in 2018, and, oh boy, it is still there and keeps growing. The video is a key area that continues to dominate and invade every platform possible. Starting with IGTV and short-lived content via Stories on Instagram, and back to Youtube live podcasts, all we want for Christmas is video!

According to online marketing expert Marcus Sheridan, by 2019 more than 80% of what we consume online will be video content.

When your client says “we want more authenticity and brand awareness”, — what you’ve got to hear is “we want live videos and interactivity”. From engaging the audience and making brand presence recognizable across the video platforms, to building trust and loyalty with a brand — solid video strategy is the answer to most of your needs.

Millennials, generation Z, the whole audience of the Internet these days wants to feel involved, to interact, to matter. Audience approach is not a passive one anymore, so “going live” will strengthen customer’s trust towards any brand.

The year 2018 was the year of Instagram, no kidding! 99% of influencers spent their time streaming Live, coming up with creative stories and longer IGTV content. But hey, you knew that already! This so-called rise of social TV and vertical videos gives us an excellent tool to affect the customer and thrive online in an upcoming year, too.

According to statistics, 84% of people expect brands to create educational and engaging content.

More and more brands are becoming broadcasters, and users will go for it. Start the biggest development of your business by delivering Video & Visuals to your audience. But don’t be too bold!

Here comes the second trend, that ruled over the last couple of years. Never put all your eggs into one basket.

Multichannel

The cross-channel content strategy is your bread and butter for the 2019 year. It will be crucial for your marketing strategy to compile everything together. Not to mention the E-A-T standard by Google, the August update of it left no room for poor quality content, unreliable links, and sources.

Creating entry points for the customer in every possible channel is your way out. Not so many companies do use this strategy, and that means the ball is in your court, just start playing!

Staying relevant is about being there when your service is needed the most. Can people find you, your page, your profile on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter? Great! But what about YouTube? Google Play Store and Apple App Store? Maybe you remember about Amazon, though you forget about Etsy and eBay?

Yes, it all depends on what and where you do, but the main idea is still the same: the Internet seeps into all parts of our lives, providing customers with connection via not only their smartphones but also watches, cars, TVs and other devices. And brands must be prepared with a solid strategy, quality content, and ways to create a consistent experience for the customer on any possible service channel.

Hootsuite has predicted that by 2020 more than 85% of all customer service interactions will be powered by AI bots.

AI Chatbots 

Don’t you dare forget about these digital Tamagotchi! Artificial intelligence spreads its influence throughout social media platforms enhancing online customer interaction. The expansion of AI-driven communication in 2018 has been indisputable. According to the Huffington Post, 60% of the millennial population already uses chatbots and 71% have implied that they would like to try using one. Chatbot-based customer experience offers more effective technology for customer service to flourish online and is definitely a thing in 2019 marketing trends.

One step ahead from chatbots are the smart speakers, such as Siri, Aleksa, or Kortana.

Voice search

40% of adults now use voice search once per day (source: branded3)

Combine the above statistics with the fact that more than 50% of the Internet traffic comes from mobile devices, and you will have 90% of assurance to create a mobile-friendly website. As if you haven’t already got one! Furthermore, voice searches occur mostly on mobile devices and tablets; those much-celebrated micro-moments on the go. That’s why adding creativity to the voice search design is a must for 2019.

With recent 60% of the mobile (and voice) search that starts like “do I need”, it’s impossible to overlook the importance of a mobile-first approach to Internet marketing and SEO strategies, especially if we are talking about local search engagements. More and more consumers are using voice search in their day-to-day life to find new products and services. If companies ignore voice search, they literally ignore the voices of their potential clients. And that’s how voice search is becoming a new standard service for digital marketing. Be fearless and listen!

Voice search will continue to become the next big thing. Whether 2019 is the year it happens, only time will tell.

David Sayce, digital marketing consultant and director of Paper Gecko

Personalization

Future innovations in digital marketing industry lie mostly in the personalization area. Usability and design, speed and security are those four elephants holding the earth of the marketing industry in 2019.

And, obviously, Google’s recent updates are the World’s turtle carrying the elephants. Earlier in 2018 Google announced its Mobile First indexing policy. Pretty self-explanatory for indexing and ranking Google will be looking at the mobile version of your pages first. Another big change is the launch of the Google Marketing Platform which saw AdWords renamed to Ads and the Doubleclick ad platform and analysis tools like Google Analytics, Data Studio, and AB testing through data studio more tightly integrated.

Begin leveraging your marketing approach with AI-based chatbots, Omni channeling, and visual content. You’ll be miles and miles ahead at the time when your rivals finally join the club.