Need to get ahead of the digital marketing game? Zebra 360 Online has got your back! Here’s your need-to-know guide to the digital marketing trends set to conquer 2019, freshly delivered for you.
Unsurprisingly, 2018 saw the evolution and development of many of 2017’s trends, with augmented reality, video content and influencer marketing climbing to new prominence. Will that trend continue for 2019? While only time will tell for sure, here’s the horses we’d pick for the 2019 digital marketing trend race, backed by solid data from Social Report and other industry monitors.
1. The internet and the TV will finally meld
This has been coming for ages- but it appears internet will finally surpass TV for ‘hours watched’ next year. Data from Social Report suggests the two mediums will draw level with 2.6 hours [vs 2.7 hours] spent online on average, 45 minutes of that accounted for by mobile videos.
The likely outcome for marketers? TV ads will likely see a sharp decline, with budgets instead focused on conquering web and social media spaces. Be ready to roll them out as customers see fit.
2. Social media will conquer the world
Another unsurprising development, but an important one. Social media companies are already integrating into many third-party applications, allowing people to sign in [and identify themselves digitally] with their Facebook or Linkedin profiles on a variety of third-party sites. It’s highly likely this trend will boom in 2019, and we’ll see more shared user data and a more seamless user experience of these services, in turn bolstering the smaller websites to better services too. Of course, this comes with a side-helping of extra data for the social media companies, more demographics and increased social media dominance all around.
3. Video will boom
We’ve already seen the rise of this 2019 digital marketing trend in the previous two years. From an increased demand for vlogs and video content to the rise [and remarkable impact] of the Live Video feed on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook this year, video seems to be eating up the market. Social Report suggests that 4/5 of internet users consumed more live video in 2018, with streaming services leading the charge. 54% of internet users already subscribe to video services. It’s probably time to start brushing off your own live video skills if you want to stay ahead of the trend wave!
Live video won’t totally overtake the rest of the video market, however. Video in all its forms seems to be taking over the internet, with up to 85% of measured traffic featuring some form of video content. Whether you find live video or more traditional video better for your marketing needs is one thing, but it’s clear that some form of video content needs to be an anchor point in your 2019 digital marketing strategy.
4. AI will continue to influence
Chatbots are perhaps the AI development that has had the most influence on the digital marketing space in 2018, and we fully expect their use to grow in 2019 too. The novelty has faded already, of course, but we’ll likely see them rolled out smarter, slicker and more seamlessly across a wider variety of applications. It makes sense, after all. Smart chatbot use prevents users having to install yet another native app, or fight with yet another designer’s work, just to order a soda and burger online.
How can chatbots play a larger role in your marketing strategy? Are yours simple to use and able to help you bolster sales? It’s time to start refining your bot usage.
5. The boardroom will come online
As of 2016, only 40% of CEOs used social media, and by far the bulk of that usage [70%] was via ‘staid’ and formal LinkedIn. The business landscape is changing, though, and users are expecting access to even these top level executives more easily. The concept of the ‘social CEO’ won’t exactly be new to 2019- we’ve already seen CEO’s, company innovators and top executives rise to the challenge of a social world with more social engagement across the board, some successfully and others less so. 2019 may well be the year this trend matures though.
That ‘less so’ should concern you a little, however. After all, we’ve recently seen skincare maven Brandon Truaxe make rather a messy reputation for his brands with some unwise emotional outbursts and a misinterpreted phrase or two. 2019’s marketing strategy needs to ensure your CEO and other top faces are prepared to engage productively with the sometimes hostile internet crowd, in a way that will grow your brand and people’s perception of it.
Together, these digital marketing trends look set to dictate the 2019 marketing landscape. How have you aligned your marketing strategy to accommodate them? Let Zebra 360 Online help you future-proof your business and its marketing strategy today.
