Top
digital marketing trends in 2018
1. AI
might be the performer of the year
Yes, it's
true that AI (artificial intelligence) is being adopted in nearly every consumer-facing industry today.
But have you considered how AI could help your business on the backend? You
know about chatbots and Siri, but what about using AI for trend analysis and
customer profiling? This year, AI will help brands dig into the data, then
reach their target audiences with more precision and effectiveness.
2. 2018 is
seeing more video ads
According
to recent reports, video marketing is set to capture about 82% of the
internet's traffic by the end of 2019. You can expect to see more video ads on
all web platforms, especially social media. What may change is the duration and
content of the videos as brands compete to hold viewers' attention.
3. IoT is
being used like never before
2017 saw
the emergence of numerous products and applications for IoT, and its scale
continues to grow. Together, IoT and data are expected to revolutionize
industries like healthcare, education and manufacturing. They're not only
improving the efficiency of these sectors-they're changing the very way these
businesses perform their work.
4. Mobile
marketing won't flinch
After
several delays, Google is soon expected to release its mobile-first algorithm.
What remains to be seen is how this mobile index will impact the search
results. It'll no longer be enough to have an SEO-optimized site—or even just a
"mobile-friendly" site. Google will examine the mobile performance of
your website (and all of your competitors') and rank you accordingly.
Regardless of the devices your customers use, mobile compatibility is going to
take precedence if you want to retain your search rankings.
5. Content
marketing is going visual
The basis
of any form of digital marketing is, essentially, content. However, the nature
of content marketing is shifting based on the expectation that content is going
mobile. There's also a trend towards visual content as people have started
engaging more with videos, images, data visualization, and infographics.
6. SEO is
going mobile
As we
already pointed out, simply having an SEO-optimized website might not work
wonders for you this year. With Google shifting to the mobile-first algorithm,
your SEO's website auditing checklist is going through a revamp. On top of all
the other signals Google likes to see, brands should re-examine their websites
and get them optimized for mobile viewing now—rather than waiting to take a hit
later.
7. Dark
social offers new opportunities
It's
estimated that about 70% of social sharing is classified as "dark
social." This includes links shared on native mobile apps, via email
messages, and in chat conversations (like WhatsApp or Slack). Though marketers
don't have perfect visibility into this data, it's becoming easier to track.
Brands are taking advantage of this by targeting audiences with ads, 1:1
messages, and chatbot experiences.
8.
Advertising is exploring the blockchain
It's not
just for Bitcoin anymore. Today, the blockchain is offering new ways to track
and verify online advertising. Imagine being able to verify each time an ad is
consumed and for what duration—and then compensate the consumer for their time
and attention. The blockchain can prevent ads from being over-served, ensure
that influencers have real followers instead of bots, and verify voting for
sponsored contests. Expect blockchain to take on more roles as the technology
is adopted.
9.
Dedicated apps are on the rise
Dedicated
apps offer the benefits of a mobile-optimized website in a more convenient,
accessible format. With Google's app-indexing, brands are investing more in app
development and discoverability. Often, these apps provide a better brand experience.
Though apps have a long way to go before replacing websites, the love for apps
is driving their growth and adoption.
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