Top 5 digital marketing trends
Whether you’re a digital marketer or a casual social media user; you know how quickly the digital landscape changes. From new Facebook algorithms to the introduction of WhatsApp for Business to the advent of Artificial Intelligence, digital marketing evolves every year.
2018 is set to be no different and is arguably going to be the most exciting year for Digital Marketing, to date. Here are the top 5 latest social media trends that will take 2018 by storm:-
AI and Chatbots
There’s a lot of talk going around about Artificial Intelligence these days. While, stats like “25% of jobs will be taken over by AI by 2020” may be blown out of proportion, Artificial Intelligence has a huge role to play in shaping online marketing trends. Expect more Chatbots that help you on websites while shopping, or simply browsing through websites. In a recent survey over 70% of millennials said they would happily engage with chatbots online, with Facebook claiming that there are over one lakh active monthly chatbots on their platform.
Augmented Reality
While Augmented Reality hasn’t taken off in 2016 and 2017 as a lot of people expected- it shows signs of picking up in 2018. With major Social Media platforms like Snapchat (more on that, soon!) using AR and platforms like Facebook and Apple reportedly building their own AR set-ups, don’t be surprised if 2018 is finally the year for Augmented Reality to kick in.
WhatsApp Marketing for Business
Over 1 billion users and 55 billion messages sent every day; it was only a matter of time before Facebook-owned WhatsApp finally began to monetize their services. From a customers point of view, you might be a bit weary but from a marketers point of view- how can you not be excited!? Businesses can’t, however, spam users but only message them if the user grants permission to them. Businesses can get verified, use their landline numbers to register, and even generate automated replies! Arguably the most significant digital marketing trend, welcome WhatsApp for Business into your marketing plan!
A rise of Snapchat Marketing
“Wait… Snapchat Marketing is dead, right?” While you’re probably not the only one who thinks so, Snapchat Marketing is far from dead, and on the contrary, is on the rise! With Snapchat all set to monetize the platform (think Facebook, a few years ago), paid reach will become a big part of their play. From a brand point of view, in addition to advertising, it might be a good time to get your influencer marketing strategy in place.
Facebook and Instagram Live Stream
Something that has been on the rise for some time now, Live Streams are a popular way to engage with your audience in real-time. According to HubSpot, around 80% of people would rather watch a Live Video rather than read a blog post (maybe our next article will be an Instagram Live)! From interviews to live news and sports to casual frolicking, live videos can be used for just about anything that a user may be interested in.
The face of digital marketing is slowly changing and evolving. With new technology and changing audience responses, brands need to be on top of the ever-changing digital marketing landscape. 2018 can open numerous doors for your business; just make sure you keep your eyes open for the latest digital trends!
