Digital marketing has changed the way we all engage with prospects and customers. When effectively executed, a digital marketing campaign can increase the demand for your product or service exponentially.
While the need for marketing is essential, channels, techniques, and strategies are constantly changing. If you want to reach your market, you need to be active online. Social media, streaming content and creating and consuming digital content have made the Internet essential to reach your marketing goals.
As we enter 2019 it’s time to review some of the top trends to watch for in the coming year.
- Facebook Use May Have Peaked – While it’s still the number one social platform, 2018 was a rough year for Facebook. With a major data breach affecting 14 million users and its waning popularity with younger users (41% of users are over the age of 65), Facebook may have peaked. Make no mistake about it, Facebook is still huge, but when you’re planning your social media strategy this year make sure your target audience is still interested in this platform.
- For Younger Users, Instagram is the Place to Be – This image and video-based platform is rapidly growing as the place to be if you’re marketing to younger demographics. With over 1 BILLION users, Instagram is one of the fastest growing social platforms, especially with users under 30.
- Chatbots Are the New Customer Service – Chatbots are specialized software agents that act as a “virtual concierge” talking with users to help them achieve their goals. Bots allow users to get personalized customer support without impacting human resources. Use was up in 2018 and it’s likely to continue growing in 2019 and beyond.
- Video Is a Marketing Must! – 73% of Americans watch videos on YouTube. That means over half of us are watching videos online, and a lot of those videos are created for digital marketing. Today, with advanced metrics, video has become an incredibly accurate sales tool that can capture and convey your brand image better than any other medium online.
- Content Still Matters – Content is still king when it comes to online marketing. Quality will matter in 2019, but this year, you’ll also need to more precisely target your content. Personalizing and measuring effectiveness will help you to move your content forward in 2019.
As we enter 2019 and you begin to develop your marketing strategy for the year, watch and take advantage of these growing trends. Use them to boost your brand and gain a competitive edge over your competition.
If you’re not sure where to start with a social media strategy or you have one and don’t know how to measure your progress, contact us at In2communications. We’ll help you get your social media strategy in tip top shape for 2019!
