4 Things that will forever change online marketing in 2018
Digital marketing is expanding faster than ever and data, tech, and measurement tools are growing at similar rates. Traditional, classic advertising spending is falling by the wayside as brands are learning to spend smarter across leaner strategies and emerging technologies. Today’s landscape of ‘fake news’ accusations, Facebook privacy concerns, Google algorithm changes, and new tech introductions is innovating the way that we do marketing. As the world shifts, so do we.
Automation is slowly growing
Automation in marketing is still a new concept, in terms of being an effective strategy. Consumer behaviours are changing and for brands seeking to spend less on marketing, automation is going to have to become part of the approach. Machine learning and automation already provides brands with insights they may have never had before on details in their sales channels and performance. The more insight automation can be used to deliver, the more effective a sales strategy can be built.
Data accumulation is endless
Marketers have more data today than ever before, helping them build and modify advertising strategies. The arenas in which consumers are engaging with brands deliver innovative insights into how content is being consumed, where in the sales funnel customers are leaving your site, and more. Knowing how to sift through the increasing mounds of data will be key in 2018 and beyond. Thankfully, with the invention of AI-driven tools, data can be more effectively processed. The future of data accumulation will be challenging however for those experienced in knowing what to look for, it will be a very lucrative point in time for marketing.
Welcome to voice search
Voice in search marketing many predict will dominate marketing this year and in the years to come. As more consumers use voice search, SEO strategies are going to have to shift accordingly. Approximately half of Americans already use voice search daily. At the same time, there are more than 20 million Amazon Echo devices out there in the world and competitors such as Google Home are generating millions of dollars in the voice search market. Thereby, optimizing for voice search, creating more conversational campaigns, and building off long-tail, conversational key words is likely the way to go for many brands.
The transformation into mobile content
Smartphones and mobile devices is where it’s at. According to reports, by 2021, more than 2.7 billion people in the world will own smartphones, with 87 percent of those smartphones having internet access. Today, more consumers are doing away with laptops and desktops. Digital marketing and search is focused entirely on mobile. This is where the majority of attention should lay for anyone in the digital marketing space. Though we can argue about what will be the biggest marketing trend in the future, for the present, mobile search and marketing is what’s happening. Content marketing continues to adapt to mobile platforms, becoming more interactive and immersive, and personalized to the user.
These 4 trends in marketing in 2018 is changing the way that marketers like us do business. In order to scale businesses and provide them the opportunity to grow market share, strategies and trends like these are going to make all the difference. The challenge will then be how to create creative, authentic content that reaches the audience. For brands in today’s world, don’t be afraid to inspire and educate and have fun through marketing messaging. Forming real, authentic connection is still what marketing is about – even with all these changes happening.
