The Top Digital Marketing Trends That Will Dominate 2019

2018 was a year of improving and building upon the digital marketing trends that were popularised in 2017. Last year saw the continued uplift in influencer marketing, interactive content and augmented reality. But now we have entered 2019; many people will find themselves wondering what this year has in store. Although, it is too early to pinpoint exactly what’s going to impact the digital marketing landscape, there are a few predictions.

1. Social Media Will Become More Integrated into Other Services

Social media platforms are set to become even more integrated with other services. They may also start to share even more data to create an even more seamless experience across third-party services and applications. This will help the social media companies retain their influence and dominance.

2. The Continued Rise of The Smart Speaker

Smart speakers have made serious traction in the consumer technology over the past 3 years. So, what does that mean for the digital marketing landscape in 2019? It’s very likely that we are going to see more and more online publications and businesses embrace the power and influence of voice search and publish audio content to these devices. As a result of this, it is likely that we are going to hear more advertisements on the devices. Google, Amazon and Apple might also launch their own advertising platforms for their devices, making it easier for other companies to buy and sell audio ad space.

3. AR & VR

Today’s consumers want two simple things, and that's to be engaged and to be an active participant in the brand’s messaging. Augmented and Virtual Realities can fulfil both of these needs, offering businesses tremendous opportunities in the area of customer experience. Virtual and Augmented Realities are becoming increasingly commonplace as a digital marketing tool for businesses. The VR and AR market is reportedly worth 27 billion dollars globally. And, this is expected that in only four years, it will reach the size of 209 billion dollars. Big numbers!

4. Chatbots Will Become the Norm

Nowadays, failing to respond to the changes that come as a result of disruptive technology and the digitisation of industries is likely to lead to failure, loss of customers, and interest from the target market.

Terms such as blockchain, artificial intelligence, connected clouds and financial technologies are spoken mainly of and discussed among professionals and ordinary people, following the on-going evolution of technology. Another major concept that is taking dominance in the business world and digital marketing landscape is the use of chatbots, and they are not going to be disappearing anytime soon. Chatbots have gained massive importance in business in recent years, and companies from a range of industries leaning towards this alternative means of communication.

Here are the top 8 reasons why businesses should use chatbots in 2019:

  • Increase first contact resolution.
  • Streamline call routing to relevant departments.
  • Flag high priority calls through sentiment analysis.
  • Increase and or create opportunities to upsell products.
  • Profile customers based on chatbot communications and integrations.
  • Integrating profiling data into existing CRMs.
  • Automate and streamline post call administration.
  • Leverage chat analysis to understand chat trends.

5. The Rise of Digital Leadership and The Social CEO

The Social CEO has a unique power that can boost the reputation of any company. CEOs who interact online can build relationships with their target audience and prospective customers and put a face to their company, their strategy and their leadership. Social CEOs can talk about a variety of different topics on their channels. From product launches to industry-related news, social CEOs can use their voice online to become an industry thought leader and professional influencer. Not only will this boost the reputation of your brand, but it will also bring a more human voice to your business.

6. Traditional and Live Video Streaming Will Keep Growing

YouTube, Facebook and Instagram’s live video services have changed the way businesses approach their digital marketing efforts. In fact, in 2016 more than 80% of internet users watched more live video than the year prior—due primarily to the rise of more modern streaming services and their availability. And, that statistic is a couple of years old now. See where this going?

Don’t let your brand be late to the live video party. The final couple of months of 2018 saw 67% of live viewers say they are more likely to purchase a concert ticket to see a band or attend an event if they’ve seen a live stream of a similar event online.

Marketers should consider adding video to their 2019 digital marketing/social media strategy. Some ways of doing this are by running video ads on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook, creating video content in-house, or partnering with an influencer for paid placement or product endorsement in their social media videos.

7. Programmatic Advertising Takes the Stage

Last year saw the growth of programmatic advertising. This technology that was once reserved for primarily media buying is quite literally taking off and is expected to account for over two-thirds of the worlds digital display advertising by the end of 2019. In 2018, marketers were heavily investing in automated ad buying, and this is only going to increase this year.