There are over 3 billion Internet users and almost 200 million active websites. How do you make your business stand out?
In this age of the Internet, a digital marketing strategy is crucial for business success. Digital marketing is much more than a website and social media presence.
Read on as we walk you through 11 hot online marketing trends for 2019. Follow these tips and boost your business!
1. Artificial Intelligence (AI)
AI is one of the fastest growing technologies on the Internet. AI powers push notifications, click tracking, and retargeting. It helps with audience targeting and expansion.
Use AI for product recommendations and marketing campaign optimization. Surveys reveal 57% of businesses already use AI for improving customer support and experience.
AI delivers personalized headlines and ad copy as well.
2. Programmatic Advertising with AI
With programmatic advertising, you use AI for automated ad buying. By using AI, you target a more specific audience.
Programmatic advertising offers a faster, more efficient experience. It’ll give you higher conversions and lower customer-acquisition costs.
3. Chatbots
A chatbot is also an AI technology. Chatbots use instant messaging for chatting in real-time. January 2019 saw 1.5 billion users messaging on WhatsAPP alone!
Snapchat, Facebook Messenger, and WeChat are all instant messaging apps. Chatbots are smart software technology that mimics human conversation.
With chatbots, offer 24-hour service, instant response times, and answers to simple questions.
4. Content Marketing
Content marketing is the content you put out across all your media channels. You need engaging and unique content. Consistency is also key when it comes to content.
Use consistent, branded content across all your social media channels. Develop a content calendar that covers every social media channel where your company has a presence.
Post relevant, valuable content on your blog on a regular basis using your calendar as a guide. Replicate the content across your social media channels. Include the same content in email newsletters.
You’re looking for a strategy that offers a multi-channel engagement strategy. Read more here.
5. Email Marketing and Marketing Automation
Email is a popular tool for marketing. It’s been around for a while and isn’t going away anytime soon. The newest tool in email marketing is personalization.
With segmented lists, businesses can send different emails to different subscribers. This makes the experience more personalized.
Customers don’t want content that’s not relevant. Using AI, personalize your customers’ content so they’re only getting what’s applicable to them.
Marketing automation software reduces errors by keeping all the records. It sends alerts reminding sales reps to stay on track. It helps with collaboration.
6. Custom Content
Your customers appreciate custom content. When a customer logs into your site, they want a personalized experience.
Behavior-based, personalized emails are more successful than sending out impersonal email blasts.
Note how companies like Netflix track a viewer’s history giving a personalized viewing experience.
7. Video Marketing
Video is one of the most popular forms of social media. YouTube.com has over 1 billion active users. But YouTube isn’t the only way to share videos.
Post videos on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and your website. Video increases your engagement numbers and generates leads.
Video content is more interactive than ever with the 360-degree experience. See that circular symbol in the corner of the video? Use it to slide the moving image to the left and right as the video plays.
Even more fun for your audience, try augmented reality…
8. Augmented and Virtual Reality
Augmented and virtual reality lets customers test products in real time before buying. This takes the risk out of the buying process and creates trust with consumers.
Do you sell furniture?
What if your customer could see that chair in their own home before they bought it? With augmented reality, they can. They hold their smartphone up and the software inserts the object into the setting.
IKEA is already using this technology and customers love it.
9. Social Messaging Apps
Social messaging apps are growing in popularity for business purposes. People spend a lot of time messaging their friends on these apps. Why not market your company’s services where your customers already are?
Market straight to customers inside the apps with personalized, relevant content. Does your company offer free webinars? Do you have a Facebook page with subscribers?
Send event notifications for your webinars straight through Facebook’s Messenger app. This personalized content goes straight to those who already expressed an interest.
10. Micro-Moment Behavior
People are spending over three hours a day, on average, on their smartphones. Smartphone use rivals television screen time. You only have a few seconds to capture your customer’s attention.
Google calls these few seconds “micro-moments.” Targeting your marketing toward “micro-moments” leverages known behavior.
What are those moments? There are four:
- I want to know
- I want to go
- I want to do
- I want to buy
These are the moments in which a consumer performs an online search, gets an answer, and acts on it.
Develop content that provides answers for your customers based on these behaviors.
11. Stories Via Social Media
Stories are popular across all the major social media sites. People love stories, and stories sell. Make sure your brand includes stories in the content strategy.
Social media stories capture a moment in time that disappears. Instagram stories are only available for 24 hours. Stories are a great place for short interviews, product reviews, or behind-the-scenes moments.
Online Marketing Trends for 2019
Take note of these online marketing trends for 2019. If you don’t have a digital marketing strategy for your business, it’s time. You need a clear, written strategy across all your social media platforms.
Take advantage of AI before your competitors beat you to it. Use programmatic advertising that also uses AI. Get on board with chatbots, email marketing, and relevant content marketing across platforms.
Customize and personalize content as much as possible. Don’t forget to include video on your website blog and in your social media. Incorporate stories on all your platforms so your customer gets to know you.
Where possible, take advantage of augmented and virtual reality. Don’t forget about those messaging apps! And be sure and work toward targeting micro-moment behaviors.
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