Digital marketing is a rapidly changing arena. Staying up to date is difficult for all companies no matter their size. In 2018 digital marketing trends will shift towards increasing use of Marketing Automation and efforts to improve customer experiences. Grabbing consumers attention (as inexpensively as possible) in a busy and fragmented online world will be the top priority.
Marketing Trends in 2018
Faster internet speeds and highly visual social media platforms mean that the public desire more engagement with visuals and videos in online interactions with consumers. The use of VR/AR is still very much in its infancy. Yet, many young teenagers are already using these technologies in video games. Video marketing is very much “in” at the moment. This is because it doesn’t require much cognitive effort on the viewers part to understand the message. In an age where we’re faced with information overload, this is very important.
47% of online consumers are now using ad blockers of some kind. This will put pressure on companies to make their advertising more targeted and personalized. Brands need to reduce the possibility of annoying the wrong audience and reaching people more open to their message. It will also lead to an increase in native advertising. This is a softer approach to advertising which blends in with customers day to day scrolling activities.
Social media Influencers will still be used by many companies to promote their products. 70% of teenagers say they relate to YouTube influencers more than traditional celebrities. However, its likely companies will now focus on those that generate revenue. Tying this spend in with analytics and conversion rates will be especially vital.
Content marketing will see a lot of investment this year. Companies will seek to educate consumers more about their products. They will give consumers added value through “Freebies” like E-books and white papers etc. 68% of marketers say their business is increasingly focusing on customer experience in marketing.
Overall
Our predictions for digital marketing trends in 2018 are summarised in our infographic below. If you would like to discuss how they will affect your business going forward then please get in touch with us.