Technology has become the key driver when it comes to marketing today. Clever digital marketing can enable a small startup to hack its way to extraordinary growth. On the other hand, unwillingness to adapt to changing trends can cause the downfall of well-established products. That’s why most companies today are constantly on the look-out for new changes and trends in the world of marketing.
In this article, you will find out:
- What are marketing trends?
- What are some major digital trends of 2019?
- What are the major digital marketing trends of 2019?
What Are Marketing Trends And Why Do They Matter?
If you are one of those companies that have an effective marketing strategy, you may think, why change? Why not just stick to what’s already working? The reason is that the Internet, by its very nature, is constantly changing.
As consumer behaviour and priorities change, tech companies like Google and Facebook modify their algorithms. This allows them (generally) to continue delivering the best experience to (some of) their users. Which is why something that works well today may simply not be possible to execute tomorrow. It may even get overshadowed by something better and smarter.
Brands and marketers need to be aware of how marketing is changing and what disruptions are already taking place. It’s important to take stock of new marketing trends so you can come back to them in your marketing strategy. Here are some of the trends that will be important in 2019:
Digital Trends In 2019 And How They Affect Marketing
Digital trends refer to technology disruptions that are not directly related to marketing. However, their changes cause fundamental shifts in how marketing happens on the internet. This, in turn, results in some breakthrough marketing trends.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
AI (Artificial Intelligence) has been changing at a very rapid pace in the last few years. According to Tech Republic, use of AI increased from 38% of business implementation in 2016 to 61% in 2017.
Year 2019 is predicted to be the year that will see large-scale deployment of AI solutions across consumer markets. This has important implications for marketing also. Here are some examples of how AI is already transforming marketing and will continue to in 2019:
AI Powered ChatBots
We are slowly witnessing the transformation of messengers like Telegram, Slack, Skype, and Facebook Messenger into chatbot platforms. These chatbots are AI-powered and can help customers with a variety of tasks. From being a virtual assistant to an effective marketing tool, AI chatbots are everywhere. Many marketers are turning to bot creating platforms like Botsify and Chatfuel to build bots.
[See related post: Do Chatbots Really Help Your Prospects Or Customers?]
AI Powered Recommendations
Think of Netflix’s recommended for you section or Spotify’s personalized playlist. Marketers are now using AI to take feedback from their customers’ choices and find similar products for them. This helps in upselling and building brand loyalty, and has massive potential for marketers everywhere.
Digital Marketing Trends in 2019
Digital marketing trends span the entire gamut of marketing trends from social media and content marketing to search engine marketing. Here’s our picks for the top digital marketing trends in 2019:
Content Marketing Trends
Content is still king when it comes to digital marketing. As many as 47% of buyers viewed three to five pieces of content before making an intent to purchase. Moreover, 70% of people prefer to learn about new products through content as opposed to traditional ads.
Having said that, content marketing is changing very quickly as well. Here are the two content marketing trends that should be big in 2019.
Video Marketing
The average time that consumers spent viewing videos in 2017 went up by 19% compared to 2016. Video completion rates (videos watched all the way through) reached a phenomenal 69% in 2017.
Videos also have the highest CTR (Click Through Rate) of all digital ad formats. According to a recent Facebook study, people spend 5 times longer watching video content than reading static content. Instagram and Snapchat are also seeing video take over as the most popular medium.
[See related post: The 10 Best Video Tools For Social Media]
There is a lower cost barrier as many viral videos are now made with just a smartphone and editing software. In 2019, most companies will be clamouring to have their brand stories told through videos. In fact, 64% of marketers believe that video will dominate their marketing strategy in the near future.
Native Advertising
Native advertising refers to when a brand pays a third party website to feature content. Native advertising has seen major growth in the last 5 years and continues to be an important marketing trend. That’s because consumers view native ads more than 50% over regular banner ads according to Sharethrough.
It’s important to up your game when it comes to native advertising. Make sure it’s an important aspect of your content marketing strategy. Find publications that suit your brand voice. Some lifestyle brands may prefer a Huffington Post, while some edgier brands may go for Buzzfeed. Entrepreneur and Forbes are great options for B2B brands.
Here’s a great example of a native ad by Google Home on Buzzfeed:
Social Media Marketing Trends
The Data and Marketing Association says that social media marketing will constitute 20% of most marketing budgets in the next five years. Here are the top trends in social media marketing for 2019:
Influencer Marketing
Influencers have become the go-to for marketers. However, influencers are no longer limited to big brands and celebrities with millions of followers. Micro influencers are emerging as an important marketing avenue. Micro influencers have a smaller (100K to 1 million) following which is fiercely loyal and dedicated. Engagement rates for these influencers can be as high as 10-15%.
Finding the right micro influencers who fit your brand is a great way to find new customers. Influencer marketing has been growing of late and will prove to be one of the more significant trends of 2019. Here’s an example of a great micro influencer. Fitness enthusiast Elise Young , has only about 125K followers on Instagram but fantastic engagement rates.
Instagram Marketing
According to Wired there are 4 billion likes every day on Instagram. A post on Instagram gets 23% more engagement on average than a post on Facebook according to BusinessOfApps. This makes Instagram one of the most exciting marketing channels, especially if your target audience is millennials.
Some interesting trends are emerging when it comes to Instagram marketing. The first is the new video platform IGTV, exclusively for mobile users. It’s dedicated to vertical video playback making it a great choice for those who cater to a mobile-first audience.
Instagram stories are another growing trend when it comes to Instagram marketing. Stories allow brands to feature ads, unlike regular posts. However, they need to be engaging, authentic, and unique to make sure they attract users organically.
[See related post: Why Are Your Instagram Stories Bombing?]
The rapid changes that happen in tech-driven marketing catch many of us off-guard. It’s important to keep your finger on the pulse when it comes to the latest digital marketing trends. Even if you don’t implement them immediately, the awareness will help you make the changes at the right time.
[Main image: Pixabay, Nissor; Chatbots: Pixabay ;Video Strip: Pixabay]
Hi, my name’s Pawel Tomczyk. Digital marketing is my passion. Having been in the marketing sphere for 7 years myself, and having started a digital marketing company in 2016 called Cyberius. At Cyberius, we focus on any digital marketing needs that our clients may require, from content creation to crowdfunding and marketing audits.