Time to go viral? Digital marketing trends to consider in 2018.
Think about it – the modern world lives, interacts, and works for the most part online and, to be successful, your business should too. As digital marketing experts, we understand that and are focused on launching our clients’ marketing initiatives into the digital realm in ways best suited to the success of their businesses.
The world of digital marketing moves fast and is expanding at a rapid rate. That’s why it’s important to keep an eye on current digital marketing trends and investigate (and invest in) those that align best with your marketing goals. Or you can let us do that for you! Let’s start with five major trends that are sure to shape digital marketing initiatives in 2018.
Digital marketing trends worth watching this year
1. Customer journeys take centre stage
Today’s technology allows us to track, analyse, and connect with our ideal customers over time, meaning that we can build a record of their purchases, preferences, and needs. This record is called a ‘customer journey’ and there are a number of different online tools that can help you map and understand your customer’s individual journeys and how best to serve them (and keep them) based on this information. By understanding a customer’s key touch points and preferred communication methods, you can enhance their experience and engage with them more fully.
2. It’s time to get personal
In everything from how they receive messages to the events they’re invited to attend, customers are increasingly craving a personalised experience. And with all the data that digital marketing tools can help you collect, it’s becoming possible (and necessary) to give your ideal customers just that. The time has come to look at how your business can personalise its communications and incentives. Work on enhancing your relationship with your client as an individual (not just a customer you are selling to) and this will go a long way to building brand loyalty and a solid trust-based relationship.
3. Video will show more promise
While it hasn’t made the splash it was expected to, using video as part of your digital marketing strategy is still a good idea for the new year. Video can cut through the noise, make an impact, and provide a novelty factor for consumers who are faced with large amounts of information every day. A solid attention grabber, easy to engage in, and fun to share, if it’s done right, video (be it promotional footage or brand advert) is an investment worth making.
4. Content marketing is here for the long haul
The last few years have seen an increase in consumer interest in content – consumers no longer wish to be offered products through a hard sell. They want relevant, useful information that they can engage in and that will help them to live better lives. Leveraging focused content to turn an interested consumer into a loyal customer should be a key focus in your digital marketing strategy. First step, start or keep generating great content to build your brand and business. Second step, use that content to get the leads in and the sales done.
5. Business needs to be about more than money
As digital connections allow the world to open up, more individuals are becoming global citizens. And, more than ever before, people are aware of the social and ethical concerns of their neighbours and communities. This makes them more likely to question an organisation's social responsibility interests, as well as their values and standards. Indeed, more than 80% of consumers prefer to buy from a business that shows a social responsibility programme at work. Authentic, purpose-driven marketing that is about making the world a better place is a way to genuinely engage with customers. Plus, with a digital platform, this has never been easier to do.
At Switch, we don’t blindly follow trends. When it comes to helping our clients put together their digital marketing strategies, we strive to align our client’s marketing goals with tools and solutions that will best achieve them. And we can help you do just that - tell us what you need from your digital marketing strategy and we’ll help you get there.