How to keep up with the latest Digital Marketing trends for 2019

Marketing has skyrocketed in the last five years more than it has in the past 50. The rapid progress doesn’t show any signs of things slowing down on social media, in fact, if you haven’t figured out already, digital is the way to go.

The digital marketing space that consists of social media, SEO, Google Ad Words (PPC), content marketing and more is witnessing a dramatic shift.

There may have been a time when you could have dismissed paid advertising through social media platforms, on the basis that they were formerly used for connecting with friends and family, posting fancy holiday snaps and selfies, but that time is long gone. Social Media is now significant in every aspect of digital marketing and in an integral part of most of the trends in this list.

We are now living in a high-tech, internet-connected era, which means that businesses need to be up to date and strategic in their efforts because what worked for you 5 years ago may not be working (as well) now.

Here are my top 5 key digital marketing tools that are trending in 2019.  

1) Social Media Stories

When Snapchat first came out with the concept of “My Story,” Instagram and Facebook jumped on the bandwagon and stories were introduced. YouTube has recently also unveiled their own story format and it’s something to be across. 

People are no longer just browsing through their social media news feeds anymore they are looking at the disappearing stories that last only 24 hours.

Get clever with this by using things like GIFs, emojis, time stamps and even music and tagging each others accounts (don’t forget to use the “@” symbol before you try finding your business partner’s account!).   

Thanks to the fact that many of us still experience FOMO (fear of missing out) and these types of stories disappear after a set period of time, it’s a great way to keep your audience excited and tuning in regularly.

Just remember, be consistent! 

The benefits of using social media stories include:

• Increased traffic to your website or landing page
• Increased brand awareness
• Constant engagement with followers
• Cost-effectiveness
• Great way of keeping your audiences tuned in

2) A/B Split Testing

Marketing is all about testing and measuring your results, which is why A/B split testing is so useful. 

Like all testing A/B split testing allows you to isolate the variables so you can increase traffic to your website or landing page (or increase video views if you like) and create a targeted approach to your marketing.

A/B split testing squeezes the most juice out of your ad spend and gives you insight into the variables that move the needle.

a. Test one element for more results

Testing is important when you're experimenting with different ad sets. Keep in mind that testing multiple sets can still have valuable results and learnings for future campaigns.

b. Have an ideal audience for the test

It is advisable to have a large audience to support your test. Make sure that the audience base you are using doesn’t overlap with any other existing Facebook campaign or else, this may deliver an inconclusive result. 

c. Have an ideal time frame

Best to have at least 4 days test to get the most reliable result. Tests shorter than 1 day may produce inconclusive results and no winning ad sets, while longer time frame may not be efficient for your budget. 

3) Messenger Chatbots

Chatbots are an important part of digital marketing and are especially handy when you generate so many leads that you can’t keep up with the influx of enquiries and conversations (a good problem to have that’s easily solved)!  

Artificial intelligence has allowed for instant messaging to happen with your customers or site visitors at real-time.  

As you know, Facebook allows for your business page to message your subscribers through platforms so you can connect with customers. This created an opportunity for platforms like ManyChat to develop products that would allow us to create Messenger experiences for our customers and clients.

Implementing Messenger Marketing by making your marketing funnel automated will help you promote your biz, generate leads, and grow your brand whilst saving time to focus on what you enjoy doing instead of responding to a heap of messages.

4) Video Marketing

Video Marketing is one of the most important Facebook Marketing tools today. Having a video that can effectively deliver your brand message with a strong call-to-action within 15-20 seconds are the best ones to use to engage and target your clients.

These numbers show the importance of incorporating video into your digital marketing strategy in 2019:

• 70% of consumers say that they have shared a brand’s video
• 72% of businesses say video has improved their conversion rate
• 52% of consumers say that watching product videos makes them more confident in online purchase decisions
• 65% of executives visit the marketer’s website and 39% call a vendor after viewing a video

Read more about these statistics here.

Here are my top 5 tips for creating video:

Tip 1: Stop trying to sell and flood people with value instead. 

Tip 2: Make your social media the go-to place (for tips, inspo, motivation etc.) 

Tip 3: The three “C”s. Make sure your message and your unique selling proposition is clear, concise and consistent. 

Tip 4: Be Yourself. 

Tip 5: Get creative with simple production tips such as soft lighting, using a dark background, incorporating outdoor settings for an engaging “backdrop” and using things like tripods and action kits (if you have one). Remember, simplicity is key. There’s no need to go all out with equipment! 

Instead of just putting your videos up on Youtube, take advantage of Facebook and Instagrams video functions and…

• Upload your videos onto IGTV
• Get your videos subtitled or transcribed
• Publish the transcription on your blog under an embedded YouTube video for more views 
• Upload your videos directly to Facebook and boost the videos to get more views and engagement
• Turn your video into a standalone blog article 
• Use video audio alone and use turn it into a podcast episode

5) Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing can drive your brand’s message to the larger market. Influencers can be well-known celebrities, and more often they are Instagram or YouTube personalities with a huge following who can help spread the word through their different social channels. And because influencer marketing is generally more authentic, over 92% of people trust other consumer recommendations over corporate advertising. 

How about you?

What's your top digital marketing tools that you can share with us?