Marketing is one of the most dynamic and fast-paced fields out there. Marketers that want to excel must always be in touch with current trends, events, and technologies. Needless to say, staying at the top of your game is not easy—but there is something that can help.
This list will help you figure out what trends and technologies you should keep a close eye on this year. With everyone streaming live and buying Alexas, we’re living in exciting times that will most likely change how brands communicate with their customers forever. Will you embrace the trends and become a pioneer? Read on and see.
1. Video marketing
With the rise of video-based social media platforms like Youtube and Twitch, as well as Instagram’s video and live features, this medium has gained significant traction. Companies are already taking advantage of this trend by offering sneak peeks of products, live demos and Q&As, and even bringing in influencers or celebrities to promote their offerings. Social media stories are also taking off for when you want to post quick and frequent updates without flooding your followers’ feeds. Needless to say, this trend will definitely continue to grow and evolve in 2019, so if you haven’t hopped on the bandwagon yet, you definitely should.
2. AI and machine learning
These technologies are revolutionizing every field, from hospitality to manufacturing. But how could you leverage AI in your marketing campaigns? It’s easier than it sounds. Marketers can leverage it to generate content, curate it, run predictive analytics, score leads, target ads, adjust pricing, and so much more. These technologies are particularly useful because they allow marketers to focus on more strategic tasks, while they do the “grunt work”.
3. Email marketing
It might come as a surprise, but this tried-and-true technique is still going strong—and it won’t be going anywhere anytime soon because of how effective it is in both B2C and B2B campaigns. In fact, 59% of B2B marketers say email is their most effective channel in terms of revenue generation and 80% of retail professionals indicate that email marketing is their greatest driver of customer retention. So instead of dismissing email marketing as “outdated”, get excited about it, because it’s unbeatable in terms of ROI.
4. Chatbots
Human customer service agents are costly and don’t always deliver a consistent experience. Luckily, a viable alternative has been on the market for a while: chatbots. Not only are they available to your customers 24/7, but they can also give out a lot of useful information like shipment times, appointment dates, locations, and much more. You’ll still need some agents on call, but they won’t have to deal with menial requests anymore.
5. Influencer marketing
Nowadays, the difference between a cult product and an average one can be a simple recommendation from the right influencer. Many brands promote their products and stay relevant by partnering with related influencers—and it definitely pays off. Much like celebrity endorsements, they let brands tap into the promoter’s fan base and shed more credibility on their claims. If you run a local brand, partnering with a notable influencer from your area should definitely yield significant results.
One important thing to note is that the laws regarding such partnerships are still changing and some countries may even view press samples as sponsorships. With that in mind, make sure that if you decide to sponsor an influencer, everything is done in accordance with local laws.
6. Micro-moments
This term was coined by Google to describe a new consumer behavior that you can leverage to deliver your marketing message clearly and concisely while attracting the consumer’s interest in the span of a few seconds. When people decide where to eat, what to buy, or where to go, these are all micro-moments—and you need to seize them. Generally, they occur when people reflexively turn to their devices to learn a piece of information or buy something. These want-to-know, I want-to-go, I want-to-do, and I want-to-buy moments can be a game-changer when it comes to shaping and directing the customer journey to your website.
7. Voice search
More and more household are using virtual assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google. But how does this affect you? To take advantage of this trend, you have to tailor your content to show up on voice searches. That means gearing your SEO towards long-form search queries, such as “where is the closest sports store?” Or “what is the best marketing automation software?”. These queries are more conversational in nature since they’re generated by asking questions.
Looking forward
Trying to keep up with everything that’s going on in marketing—and online, in general—is enough to make you dizzy. With new technologies and devices popping up everywhere almost constantly, keeping your content at your audience’s fingertips is becoming more and more challenging. Hopefully, the list above gave you an idea of what you should implement in your own campaigns to take your brand further.
