Digital Marketing Trends

One thing we can bank on, in our ever changing world, is that technology does not stand still. From Big Data to the Internet of Things, it’s hard to keep on top of the latest trends and fads and even harder to work out what will stay the distance and what really is just the latest craze.

Digital marketing is not exempt. New ways of reaching people and targeting audiences is constantly evolving, after all if people have more technology then it stands to reason that how they shop and interact with the world will also change.

If you already work with a digital marketing or paid advertising agency, they will be able to keep you abreast of the up and coming trends but if you’d like to learn a little more, here’s a snapshot of some of the emerging technologies to be aware of.

Voice Search

If you haven’t got an Alexa or a similar smart speaker you probably will have soon. No longer a fad they are becoming ever more popular with sales increasing year on year. It’s even been predicted that by next year 50% of internet searches will be by voice. Voice search queries use a much more natural language than typed searches so making sure your website is optimised for this change in behaviour will help to keep your website up to date.

Chatbots

Although they have been around for several years, the use of chatbots is on the increase. Many customers are using a chatbot as a preferred method of contacting a company and they therefore play a vital role in customer experience and service. Offering a real-time service, they can be a real benefit to your company and create better customer engagement experiences. You can find out more about Chatbots by following the link: https://www.hubspot.com/stories/chatbot-marketing-future

Augmented Reality

As opposed to virtual reality which places a user inside a 3D environment for them to interact with, augmented reality (AR) takes your existing environment and then places virtual layers on top, to create a new experience. AR is already being used widely, especially in the retail sector. It allows shoppers to look at products in their own home environment helping them to visualise how a product will look and fit before buying.

Live Content

Live streaming has become a big part of social media thanks to Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Live streaming content has the unique benefit of being in the moment which increases engagement levels. It also has the wonderful added benefit of being free. It’s a quick and easy way to reach a much broader audience and increase social media engagement. You can find out more about how to go live on Facebook by following this link: https://www.facebook.com/facebookmedia/solutions/facebook-live

Browser Push Notifications

Browser push notifications are a great way to interact with users. They can be used to remind customers of upcoming events or even remind a shopper that they have a basket waiting to be checked out so helping to improve conversion rates and helping to retain customers.

This is just a brief snapshot of just a handful of new technologies which have become popular in 2019, we can’t wait to see what 2020 brings to the world of digital marketing.