What 2019 Holds for Digital Marketing
Digital marketing is a fluid thing. While its importance grows annually, the methods by which it is practiced change frequently.
To put this another way, you can’t ignore digital marketing. And if you work in the digital space, you’d be wise to keep up with its breakneck pace. Today, an effective digital campaign supports the needs of your business and ensures your customers are getting what they need.
If that excites you, I’ve got great news: 2019 is going to bring some new digital marketing trends to the industry.
Here’s what you should be looking forward to:
5 Digital Marketing Trends for 2019
What’s in store for digital marketing this year? Here are a few exciting trends to watch for:
1. Facebook May Fall out of Vogue
If you’ve been following Facebook’s recent events, you know the social platform had a rough 2018. In addition to a data breach that affected more than 14 million users, the platform has struggled with “fake news,” and experienced a drop in popularity, as a result.
While Facebook is still the top social media platform in the U.S., 41% of its users are over 65, and it’s quickly falling out of favor with millennials and younger users. That means that 2019 may be the year that Facebook relinquishes the throne to another social platform.
2. Chatbots Will Become More Popular
Chatbots have been growing in popularity in recent years. The go-to choice for companies that want virtual concierges to interact with their customers, digital chatbots serve the important purpose of filling gaps in the customer service environment.
While chatbots mostly use text chat windows, they’re also capable of verbal interactions. In recent years, chatbots have appeared on platforms like Facebook, and 2019 stands to see their usage grow across many different spaces. In fact, Digital Marketing Institute predicts that 80% of companies will use them by 2020.
3. Video Marketing Will Expand its Reaches
Right now, 73% of all Americans use YouTube. To put this another way: half of all Americans are watching online videos, and many of those videos are digital marketing-focused.
With this statistic in mind, it’s easy to see why digital video marketing is growing, and why it’s one of the most critical efforts to focus on in 2019. Through platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and your personal website, you can create compelling video marketing campaigns that educate and excite your users.
4. Great Content is Still Important
Don’t let all the video and AI fool you: great marketing content is still a critical part of the digital environment.
While there’s an increasing emphasis on long-form and niche-specific content, quality is always going to be more important than quantity. This year, focus on increasing your content efforts to give your customers more of what they need. Don’t forget - content marketing costs 62% less than outbound efforts and is three times as effective!
5. Email Personalization Will be Essential
Email marketing continues to be one of the most valuable forms of digital communication, and this will remain true in 2019. The platform is evolving, though. While generic marketing emails used to be the go-to, personalization is essential today. If you want your campaigns to succeed this year, personalization is the most important factor to focus on.
Digital Marketing Success in 2019
Digital marketing is changing all the time, and 2019 stands to bring several exciting things to the industry. From increased personalization to smart, time-saving chatbots, there’s a lot to look forward to in the coming year. Which of these trends are you most excited about?