It is beneficial to be aware of the current digital marketing trends as this may assist you in creating your own campaign or in understanding what the third party firm is suggesting. Knowing what the latest digital marketing trends are will allow you to assess whether the proposed strategy is a good idea or not; some businesses may be reluctant to try new methods until they have been proven. Unfortunately, this can mean that you are constantly playing catch-up instead of leading the way. Sticking to the old digital marketing trends may seem safer, but as digital marketing evolves exceptionally quickly; what worked last month could quickly become ineffective. Embracing the latest digital marketing trends will ensure you don’t miss out on any opportunities:
Apps
Google adjusted its set-up last year to acknowledge the increase in mobile access, websites now need to be mobile-friendly, but, you also need to consider which apps to use. Any app which is indexed will contribute to the search rankings; this is leading to a massive increase in the number of apps using indexing. Apps are generally seen as more responsible for an individual and possibly more convenient; this has increased the likelihood that businesses will use apps in the future instead of creating a mobile website.
The app can be loaded onto any mobile device and give instant access to a wide range of information without the hassle of adjusting the screen size and resolution to allow for a mobile site.
Mobile
The trend of using a mobile device to access the internet has already started and it looks set to continue and expand. Mobile devices are quicker and more convenient than many desktops; in fact, several countries are already reporting more mobile searches taking place than desktop-based internet searches.
However, it would appear that many businesses are not creating mobile-friendly sites; their efforts are still concentrated on their desktop site. The consequence of this is the potential of losing a huge number of potential customers. Most statistics show that nearly fifty percent of visitors to a website are now coming through a mobile device; the evidence is clearly backed up by the amount of time people spend on their cell phones; everywhere you look someone is using one! If these visitors arrive at your desktop orientated site and struggle to access or read the content they will simply go elsewhere; you lose the customer and any potential sales now and in the future.
It is possible to purchase software that will automatically configure your site for access from any platform; alternatively, you can use the services of a professional web developer to get the right result. It is predicted that many sites will go responsive during this year; this will allow your webpage to automatically adjust to any device and look perfect!
The Virtual World
The virtual world already exists inside gaming consoles. It is possible to lose yourself in a world of make-believe and practically live your entire life in the alternative world. However, these worlds have, so far, been a mixture of online connectivity and imagination. The latest trend is to take this one step further and have a virtual reality headset. No longer will you simply control a player on a screen; instead you will immerse yourself in the world, take on the game as though it is actually you fighting; and all through the power of the new virtual reality headsets.
A 3D virtual world which can be connected to so easily will provide a range of possibilities for marketing; it is likely to affect the way that digital marketing is approached. Video and direct messaging will become linked through virtual reality devices; businesses may need to have a presence in this emerging field so as to be at the top of their game.
Wearing Technology
What started with the sports watch has rapidly developed into a range of watches which all link with your cell phone. An increasing amount of data is available on your wrist, without needing to even take your phone out of your pocket.
The prediction is that this technology will continue to increase in popularity and the next few years will see a growth in the number of people using wearable technology. In order to get your message across on such a tiny screen, you will need to change your approach to the type of articles you produce. Instead of a traditional descriptive article, it is likely that the list style document will fit a wearable device better.
Marketing designed to be used on wearable technology will also need to be able to handle voice commands and even allow their content to be searchable via voice command.
Increased Investment
Businesses are starting to realize just how important it is to invest in digital marketing and what a big difference it can make to the success and growth of any firm. As a result of this many businesses are increasing the budget they allow for digital marketing. It is expected that businesses, in general, will commit to spending much more on digital marketing throughout the next year, estimates regarding the value of this additional investment vary but some suggest it could be as much as $ 10 billion. If you are in business and do not have an online presence then you are effectively giving away customers to one of your rivals.
Video
Scientists believe that the attention span of the average human is shrinking; this has been partly attributed to the rise of technology and the reduced need to focus on any task for an extended period of time. It has also been shown that this is a side effect of the massive amount of distractions that people face every day. This trend is set to continue with attention spans getting shorter. There will always be a selection of society which enjoys reading a good book or a long blog posting, but, many people are happier with the short sharp shock of a one hundred and forty character post on Twitter. Increasingly the trend will be towards video and, ultimately, virtual reality videos which will allow potential customers to sample your products virtually! Video is actually set to grow at an alarming rate, experts reckon that as much as eighty percent of traffic will be generated and respond to video within the next two years! This is a trend that you simply cannot ignore.
Email marketing has been around for many years and may, at times, seem like it is being replaced by new technology and easier to adopt campaigns. However, this is not the case. Emails provide a personal link to any customer and can still generate an excellent conversion rate. Sending a batch of personalized emails, via a software option is incredibly easy and can be very productive.
Current research shows that the average conversion rate from emails is actually higher than the rate from social sites or web searches. The main reason for this is that if you have a customer’s email address they must have already visited your site and possibly bought something from you. In effect, they are already aware of your brand and, hopefully, of the quality of your product and your customer service. When you email them updates and new offers you are providing them with personal service and building their loyalty. Email marketing may be a long-established way of building a customer base, but it is still an effective one. Including this in your marketing strategies for the future is essential.
Social Media
It is clear that social media has become a part of everyone’s lives; if you do not have an online profile then you will know someone who does. It is highly unlikely that this will change, social media may evolve and change, but it will remain an active influence in the world of business and social circles.
New technology and new developments are likely to increase the ability to communicate with each other and this will make it more important to target your social media campaign properly. Instead of looking to build a huge group of followers, your attention should be on creating a small group that is actively interested and can relate to the product or service you are offering. This form of targeting will allow you to direct the appropriate campaign to the right group of people and the result will probably be better than if you had targeted a much bigger group of people.
To ensure you get the segmentation right the trend is developing where you have different marketing campaigns for each sector of your market. Each campaign has its own landing page and the lists of contact details are kept separately.
Quality Content
The early days of internet marketing saw many opportunities to artificially raise the standing of any business. Many firms managed to get to the top of the search engines by simply posting the right amount of content in the right places. However, as the search engines have refined and improved their search parameters it has become increasingly difficult to ‘jump the queue’ using these methods. The consequence is that the quality of the content is rapidly improving.
This is a good result for the average business owner who has limited time and resources. A well-crafted post, once or twice a week, should have the same effect as a whole host of poor quality articles. As the search engines continue to improve their algorithms the emphasis will increase; quality is always preferable to quantity.
Design
It is difficult to design a good website, you need quality information, ideally, a video and some articles, as well as contact information, calls to action and it must all be wrapped in a well-presented bundle. However, it is also essential that the page can load quickly onto any device. In the modern world, with limited attention spans, people are very unlikely to wait while a webpage loads; they will simply move onto another site. Designing an attractive but easy to use the site will be imperative in order to attract the right customers and build a successful business.
Interactive Trends
One of the most promising recent digital marketing trends which are set to continue is the development of interactive websites. It will not be enough to simply supply top quality content, in order to build a customer base you will need to engage your customer and encourage them to share with their friends. The easiest way to create this successfully is to have an interactive website. Quizzes have proved to be an exceptionally popular addition as there are few people who can resist the draw of a good quiz and they will then eagerly share their results with their friends afterward. This will then cause their friends to visit your site and complete the quiz; the effect will quickly snowball.
This approach may not lead to direct sales but it will help to promote your brand recognition and improve your standing with the search engines and the wider community. This can be used to gain leverage in the future and convert additional customers.
Summary
There are many different upcoming digital marketing trends and it may seem difficult to stay on top of the variety of techniques. However, digital marketing is not an exact science; you cannot predict the response to a specific campaign or whether one developing trend is the right one for you. Certainly, all businesses should look at optimizing their website for all users, regardless of the device they are viewing it on. Indeed, looking to add quality over quantity is an excellent path to take. However, many of the strategies and digital marketing trends can be tried and assessed; if they do not fit with the needs and direction of your business you do not need to follow them. The best strategies are built upon techniques you understand fully and the ability to create good relationships with your customers. This is the ultimate aim and all the different strategies and digital marketing trends are simply there to help you achieve your personal goal. As with anything, what works for you may not work for someone else, adopt the best approach for your business.
