Ready to jumpstart your digital marketing campaigns this new year?
Digital marketing is critical for every business, and not only because we are moving towards a fully digital age.
A successful digital marketing campaign can also directly affect the number of customers walking through your doors. It can establish the online presence you need to stay competitive in your industry.
To stay on top of your digital campaigns, it’s important to know what’s trending. Working with current marketing trends means taking advantage of the latest marketplaces so that you can drive traffic immediately.
In this post, we’ll discuss the top digital marketing trends of 2018.
1. Artificial Intelligence (AI) Is On the Move
Those rumors you keep hearing about AI really are true: it’s making its moves in the world of digital marketing and will continue to make an appearance in 2018.
Right now, AI isn’t threatening marketing jobs. But it is leveraging digital platforms and becoming an important part of marketing strategies.
Chatbots, for example, are becoming the norm on websites everywhere. Chatbots streamline the customer service aspect of your business, answering customer questions and directing communications efficiently.
Virtual reality is still taking tentative steps in digital marketing, but it’s worth keeping an eye on. Virtual reality can enhancing the online shopping experience in a dramatically new way.
2. A Push For Content That’s Designed for The User
This is one of the most important digital marketing trends for 2018. Content marketing is moving to the fore. With it is a new demand for content that keeps the user in mind–really and truly.
Some people call this customer experience marketing. But it really is digital content marketing that caters directly to users’ personal experiences. This may mean more personal and less gimmicky campaigns.
Or it may mean developing content that is more specific and less generic. Consumers are choosy about the ads they want to listen to. They’re much more likely these days to engage with brands that know them and respond to their needs.
Learn more about rich content creation through Digital Beanstalk.
3. Social Media Is (Mostly) Taking a Back Seat
Social media isn’t dead, but it’s not as hot in 2018 as it has been in the past few years. Yes, you should keep going on those social media campaigns, but the standards are higher.
Social media is still useful to digital marketers who are generating specific and highly targeted content. If you want to stick with social media and still make a difference, you’ve got to hone your audience and develop content that reaches niche markets.
4. Email Campaigns Are Essential
Email isn’t taking a back seat in 2018, and you shouldn’t let it. Email campaigns are at the top of digital marketing trends because, well, they work.
E-newsletters give businesses a chance to engage with subscribers on a personal level. It also is less intrusive and gives you a chance to promote content from your website without being constrained to a social media post.
5. Video, Video, Video
We can’t say enough about video for 2018. When it comes to digital marketing trends of the year, video is leaping from the charts.
This has a lot to do with the fresh demand for original, useful, and personal content. Video has always been a great channel for such content. And with the rise of live video, businesses are finding ways to connect with users in an original and engaging way.
Facebook Live is making an appearance this year. And don’t underestimate the power of YouTube with your digital marketing campaign.
6. Honesty Really Is the Best Policy
Consumers in 2018 are choosy (did we mention that?) and are hungry for brands that are honest. This is why transparency is actually one of the biggest digital marketing trends of the year.
Being transparent and blunt in your digital marketing won’t hurt your campaign–it may grow your customer base. Consumers want products that are what they say they are and businesses who mean what they say.
Work more of that transparency into your digital marketing to build long-lasting consumer relationships.
7. Don’t Lose LinkedIn
Okay, we know we said that social media is taking a back seat in 2018. But LinkedIn is the one sturdy exception.
While Facebook and Twitter are losing ground, LinkedIn may be moving in. This is because LinkedIn is specifically a professional network. With the push for jobs and demand for more intelligent networking, it makes sense that this social media giant should move to the front.
You can build this into your digital marketing strategy by establishing a large presence on LinkedIn, connecting employees, and building brand visibility from a professional perspective.
8. Security is a Priority
The past few years have seen a few hefty data breaches, and consumers are listening. One of the most subtle digital marketing trends of 2018 is the emphasis on security.
Consumers are more protective about the data they share online, and they’re going to be looking for brands that keep their privacy central. Offering your consumers security can go a long way in boosting your digital marketing success.
9. Local Is Boss
Perhaps jumping off of the push for security, people are also looking more inward in 2018. An emphasis on local businesses and commerce will transform the digital marketing scene this year.
Take advantage of the push for local by incorporating local optimization in your website. Work those local citations and take advantage of Facebook Local.
10. Get Ready for Voice Searches
Hey, Siri, search for comic book stores near me.
Voice searches may seem like a thing of the far-off future, but they’re actually here. With new voice search technology appearing on Amazon and beyond, it’s important to prep your digital marketing strategy for this new trend.
This will mean shorter keywords and phrases in optimized content and an emphasis on rich snippets.
Digital Marketing Trends of 2018
There’s a lot to watch out for in 2018 when it comes to the marketing scene. Stay on top of these trends so that you can be ahead of the curve.
Consider incorporating chatbots and live video into your digital marketing strategy. Be prepared for voice searching and don’t forget about the power of email campaigns. Give your customers the gift of security and develop content that really does have the user in mind.
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