2017 was a great year for marketers, manufacturers, dealers and consumers alike. With each passing year, we see new online marketing trends that emerge and help in taking the business to new levels of success. Online marketing is a field where the rules and strategies change as technology advances. If you do not stay updated according to these changes, you may lag behind in the competition. We have brought you the top digital marketing trends for 2018 that will assist you in enhancing your online marketing strategies for this year.
1. Live Streaming
Online marketing will see a rise in live streaming because it has become an important element for ecommerce businesses to get audience attention. Video content is continually becoming more popular which can be known by the fact that in the year 2017, video streaming was 75% of the entire internet traffic. It is believed to become more prominent this year. It has been witnessed that live streams are watched 3x longer than pre-recorded video. However, it is essential to consider the dominating platforms, for example, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or Snapchat. You can make the live videos more alluring by adding interactive features and enhancing the feed quality.
2. Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Artificial Intelligence, when mixed with big data and machine learning is capable of having a considerable influence on the ways businesses market to their customers. With the help of AI, you can provide them with hi-customized content delivery, product suggestions that are automated based on their lifestyle and requirements. Although AI can be costly, it is an investment that is worth doing because it presents remarkable results to the businesses.
Related Article: How Artificial Intelligence Can Benefit Ecommerce Businesses
3. Explainer Videos
You can incorporate explainer videos in your website and marketing plan. These are brief and simple videos that explain the customer about your company’s product or service. They not only help in fuelling the interest of the customer in your product but also play a vital role in driving results. The explainer videos generally have the visual element that assists the viewer to comprehend the entire write-up in just a couple of brief sentences. It has been observed that websites that provide an explainer video, it is more likely for the customers to watch the video instead of reading the whole text that is written on the page.
4. Chatbots
As technology advances, it is evident to see the rise in businesses incorporating chatbots as an important communication asset that assists in driving marketing tactics and enhance customer support. As a matter of fact, it is expected that by the year 2020, 85% of interactions will be taking place with the help of chatbots. Chatbots are directed by a predefined workflow that assists in driving customer engagement and by solving queries or providing suggestions, thus promoting quicker conversions.
5. Brand BloggingÂ
There will be an increase in the number of brands who will create new content as well as new blog posts. They may focus on topics like latest business trends, updates from the company, interactive customer stories, featured guest posts and much more. Through this, marketers can interact with the customers and establish strong connections with them.
6. Growth Hacking
Referred as the growth driven methods, these are marketing ways that are particularly aimed to have a boost in the revenue. Despite new ways, SEO remains among the top ways to develop and grow a website due to the fact that you receive more traction from the customers who are already asking regarding the products or services that you have to offer. It is essential that you keep bringing changes in your strategies as the technology enhances as it helps in accurately providing the customers what they are seeking from your website.
Keep in mind the aforementioned tips and witness the rise in your business as the year commences.
Zahoor Bhat has over 10+ years of experience as an online editor and media manager. He has worked with major online news and content sites as a media manager. He is well versed with major content management systems and web platforms such as WordPress and social media networks including Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Google Business, Yelp, Instagram & Linkedin. He is an expert in content creation, proofreading and finally making it live. Being a social media expert, he is able to make relations with social media influencers and make sure to generate leads and grow business via different social media platforms.
