Digital marketing is constantly changing. It came into our lives as consumers adopted technology into their daily routines and advertising gurus found ways to communicate meaningful brand messages alongside digital media consumption.
While your brand might be executing a number of intelligent digital marketing strategies, all companies should heed to our world’s constant evolution and chronic state of change. When it comes to the digitization of society and the world around us, changes are being made more rapidly than ever before and with them, the use of the digital sphere is bound to change vastly over the years.
If you do not already execute a digital marketing strategy, Executive Digital can help you get up to speed. If you have a strategy in place, prepare to make shifts and leaps this year to be an early adapter to new digital marketing trends and to lead the marketing style in your industry.
New Trends in Digital Marketing 2018:
Mobile Ease and Interaction
Mobilization is not new, but it is still prominent and needs to be addressed as a leading area of effort and resources in your company. Consumers are shopping and interacting most often with brands on their mobile devices. This means your website shows its best version on mobile, your online store offers an excellent experience on mobile and all facets of your brand experience you want to share with consumers are optimized for viewing and engaging within the palm of your shoppers’ hands.
Resources can be poured amply into mobilization in 2018 without any fear of risk. The mobility of your brand is critical to remaining relevant in consumers’ lives and earning their loyalty and purchase preference.
Be Your Own Media Outlet
Nobody wants to go searching for their media anymore. Consumers know brands have the same access to global information and inspiring content creators that the most popular media outlets capitalize on to gain a following. As a brand loyal to its consumers, your site and social platforms are now a media outlet for your consumers, sharing innovative videos, webinars, stories, photos and more.
Understanding the customer journey is what fueled advertising into its monstrous success and gave the advertising and marketing industry its trusted purchase funnel. Today, we have new mediums on which consumers are shopping, namely social media, and their habits are pretty easy to track.
While some of us used to flip through magazines and galavant around town looking for similar items from favorite editorial spreads, consumers today swipe vertically down Instagram looking for pieces of interest. When an item catches their mind – say, a small square scarf around an influencer’s neck – all the scroller has to do it is tap a finger on the item’s place in the photo. A photo tag pops up with the brand of the scarf and takes the consumer to its page where they might follow the brand or check out the website. While a purchase is not necessarily made that day, a brand connection is established.
Understanding consumers’ behavior on social media is critical for 2018 as the platform becomes a viable and common marketplace.
Professional Video Live
We watched the rise of live video in 2017 and at the beginning of 2018. Brand faces or guest influencers fumbled awkwardly in front of the camera, initially shying away from the unseen attention of thousands or millions of virtual viewers tuning in.
The shy act is up, and viewers are beginning to expect a touch of professionalism in video live. Invest in your spokespeople, offer training and pre-plan the shapes your live video will taking before streaming begins.
Purchase Funnel Personalization
The embrace and boom of individuality has certainly gained its prominence over the last decade. We are excruciatingly aware that consumers are not same, even if they are purchasing the products or following the same brand lifestyle.
Each step of the purchase funnel must account for individuals’ varying needs and strive to personalize each message along the way. Birthdays, hobbies, habits and purchase projections should all be activated at the various stages of leading consumers to buy your product or service. The brand relationship that was once between company and public is now between company and consumer, singular.
Voice Assistant
Voice assistants are on the rise in the world around us – Siri, Alexa, Google Assistant. While the last few years saw a steady adoption of voice search and caused companies to tailor marketing and SEO campaigns accordingly, this year will see the adoption of an even more involved voice interaction. The more accustomed users get to speaking with a virtual assistant, the more this engagement is expected about interaction with your brand. Where can you deliver voice interaction with consumers? Think about the possibilities of a virtual shopping assistant or a voice assistant built into your company app.
Mobile Check-Out
Too many steps at check-out are too many reasons to forget the purchase and send the consumer looking for a brand that is up to technological speed. Mobile check-out must be swift, easy and convenient for the consumer. Ensure that the process is user-friendly and requires as few steps as possible by remembering users, linking accounts and offering a one-touch purchase button option. The more quickly users see the option to buy, the fewer chances they have to change their minds. In 2018, mobile activity exceeds any other platform activity, so convenient mobile check-out is essential.
Executive Digital
Executive Digital is leading clients through the digital revolution in marketing and advertising. Reach out to our team for a free consultation. As we evaluate your current online presence, brand voice and digital marketing strategy, we will determine missing links and the platforms of opportunity to round out your marketing strategy and optimize your brand efforts for the year ahead.
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