We’re almost halfway into 2019 and the projection of this trends is only set to increase. Not all will directly affect you or your business, but they’re certainly worth knowing.
So, let’s get to it.
1. Video Marketing
2018 was the biggest year for video marketing thus far, but 2019 will be even more significant as businesses of all sizes begin to use video marketing in all aspects of their marketing plan. Video marketing is projected to account for 80% of total internet usage by 2020. If your business is yet to join the visual content revolution, then now is the time. Creating video content doesn’t have to break the bank either, some stabilisation equipment (tripod, mount, gimble or even a selfie stick!) plus an up to date smartphone and you’ll be good to go, you can also edit the complete content directly on the device. Have a look here for just one example of how easy this can be.
2. Chatbots
‘Hey Cleo, what’s my bank balance?’ Just one of the phrases I ask through a Messenger Bot on Facebook on a regular occasion. Consumers do not like to wait around for a response from your business, but, thanks to chatbots (AI powered live chat tools) customers can receive immediate responses to basic, or repeatable questions. As this AI response becomes more advanced and readily available, we can expect to see more companies embrace this technology. For now, if you’re rocking a Facebook business page, you can switch on an auto-reply for any new messages to your page, learn how to here.
3. Storytelling
In other posts, I often refer to ‘documenting’ your processes, your business life, or your life. Documenting is storytelling. It is human to love a good story, so it’s easy to see why many brands are focusing on creating story lead content into their digital marketing plan/strategy. With social media continually growing/changing from a traffic delivery method into a customer engagement experience, companies will aim to keep their customers happy through creative storytelling and transparency about their brand purpose. Read my post about owning your field in social media; you’ll learn more about documenting there.
4. Increase in the cost of Social Advertising
Gaining organic reach to provide steady traffic and engagement has become a rare occurrence, more businesses are turning to paid social media to gain any form of response. With more businesses taking to social platforms for their outreach will certainly mean cost increases, forcing companies to choose between increasing their social budgets or finding other chance to drive brand awareness.
5. Growth Hacking
Although many will call it a buzzword, growth hacking remains top of mind for entrepreneurs looking to grow and scale their businesses quickly. A phrase coined by Sean Ellis, growth hacking involves experimentation of different marketing approaches to grow sales exponentially. For 2019, expect to see marketers explore SEO and video marketing (#1) as growth hacking methods.
6. User-Generated Content
We’ve been subjected to user-generated content before. However, brands now understand the value of the opinion from a “real person”. Customers trust other customers more than ads or celebrity endorsements. 66% of consumers believe different consumer opinions posted online, which is why so many brands are turning to user-generated content to boost sales. User-generated content will most probably already exist around your brand, use your reviews or testimonials on site to join the trend.
7. Interactive Content
Gone are the days when companies would upload daily text blog posts and receive massive traffic. To engage users in 2019, brands will have to use more interactive forms; quizzes, polls, and videos (Instagram is rocking this on Stories, get involved!). Polls are already preloaded into most social media platforms, utilising these will help you engage your consumers and understand how they reply.
Building a marketing strategy doesn’t have to be rocket science; neither does picking the new approaches you wish to choose. Just because the above tips are what’s on trend at the minute doesn’t mean you have to use them all.