While the world of digital marketing has been in bloom for many years, there are always emerging trends and insights to consider year-over-year. As technology evolves, consumer habits follow closely and thus new marketing trends are born. Today, we will be sharing some of the top Digital Trends for 2018.
Consumer Habits Drive Changes in Search
Although we know the consumer is highly mobile, it’s important to understand that brands need to be at the forefront of the digital frontier by being “in the right place at the right time.” Through micro moments, marketers are able to anticipate searches before they happen. “In the moment searches” have grown incrementally over the past few years, but a major change in the way consumers find products is searching for the “best.” Although searches that include “near me” and “nearby” are still relevant, searches without “near me” or any location qualifiers are growing in popularity.
Another one of our emerging digital trends, in the way consumers search, is through the use of digital assistants or “voice search.” Mobile empowers people to interact and in the midst of a “micro-moment,” the most intuitive thing to do is verbally ask for assistance. As search continues to shift to the habits of consumers, brands will need to optimize all existing and future content to follow new marketing trends and best practices.
More Industries are Going Digital
In 2018, there’s no reason for any business to not be fully invested in their digital marketing. Where there’s a consumer, there’s a search. We’ve seen emerging trends in the retail and dining space, but many other industries have made strides in anticipating client necessities. Investments in machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) are enabling brands to anticipate consumer needs and provide the experiences necessary to help them along their path to purchase.
It’s important to know your audience and represent them in your brand’s content. With a solid omni-channel strategy and multicultural or hispanic marketing, digital efforts can be combined to create a unified campaign delivering a cohesive and inclusive message. This will also allow your brand to be present and relevant in the digital space.
Video’s Role in the Consumer Experience
Among new marketing trends, video is absolutely the preferred form of content. It’s similar to a search interaction in that it plays an important role in the consumer experience on the path to purchase. Businesses need to learn how to sell information first, then present themselves as a solution through their products or services.
Consumers turn to YouTube in appreciation of videos that help them enrich their understanding of a subject or experience. Just as a search can be catered to a “micro-moment” so can video content and advertising. If you want to sell a product or service, it’s necessary to anticipate consumer needs. If your brand presents itself as a voice to the consumer, rather than a hard sell, you’re indirectly assisting consumers on their path-to-purchase, all while building brand awareness and possible loyalty.
Micro-Influencers Shape Digital Marketing
With consumer empowerment on the rise, the most powerful tool to leverage are fellow consumers who have the potential to influence. Micro-influencers typically have between 1,000 – 5,000 followers and have a higher rate of engagement than macro-influencers who have millions of followers.
More engagement leads to a better opportunity to reach your target audience. In 2018, expect to see a rise in brands’ ability to leverage micro-influencers in their paid social media strategy. Some of the best platforms to find influencers include YouTube and Instagram, as their connection to a large audience is perceived as more authentic.
We look forward to all of the emerging 2018 Digital Trends and their impact on the way brands execute digital marketing strategies. If you’re looking to optimize for voice-search, implement a micro-influencer program or stay at the forefront of new marketing trends, contact us or email info@agencyentourage.com Agency Entourage today!
Image from Thinkstock by Getty Images. Item Number 835825370
