Top 4 Marketing Trends We'll See in 2019
One thing is constant in the world of digital - it’s always changing. Year after year, new trends emerge and take the marketing world by storm, ultimately improving the way people do business. 2018 saw a lot of social media growth, the rise of influencers, large SEM updates, and creative video advertising. What will 2019 hold? Stay ahead of the game and achieve your New Year resolutions in 2019 with these digital marketing trends.
1. Live Video
Many of the top social platforms have started to take advantage of the streaming and live video trend. Live videos are a game changer and have changed the way people interact on social media. The approach is much more candid and personal than regular posts. Businesses can take advantage of live videos by demonstrating products and services and interacting with customers.
This live approach feels more honest for viewers because it seems more organic and unscripted. Live videos allow influencers, businesses, and even regular people to grow their social media engagement. With the heavy influence of viral news and media online now, live video broadcasts can sometimes replace traditional news programming. Live video is an extremely interactive experience that still has a long road of experimenting ahead. But so far, the results are promising.
2. Mobile-Friendly Websites
The fact that the majority of websites still aren't completely mobile-friendly is mind-boggling! Smartphones are aggressively dominating the cell phone market and account for upwards of 50% of web page views worldwide. A mobile-optimized website is KEY for generating leads and traffic. Mobile optimization is not just mobile-friendly - it is a website format that caters explicitly to the dimensions of a smartphone and is reformatted to be the best version of itself on that platform. 
It has a more streamlined (usually single column) interface with finger-friendly navigation. The content is quick loading and optimized for visual clarity, as well as cuts down on the need to manually navigate or type in information. Images are sized down to fit mobile and to assist with load times. Websites that are just mobile-friendly can still be a pain to navigate on a small interface screen and have longer load times than optimized ones. Mobile users searching for information can find what they need faster without the cluttered interface of a non-mobile site, and website creators can create unique and innovative website templates to make the mobile browsing experience enjoyable.
3. Influencer Marketing
Influencer marketing uses brand advocates to drive a message. People with large social followings can influence their audience with products and services using marketing tactics that present themselves as organic word of mouth. Although platforms usually have a rule that influencers must mark these posts with the word “ad”, it still does not distract from the casual demeanor of scrolling through social media and seeing an influencer marketing a product.
According to statistics, influencer marketing pays off in more ways than one. 81% of marketers who use it dote on its effectiveness and 70% of YouTube subscribers trust influencer opinions over traditional celebrity sponsors. Influencers are more personable and are entertaining to keep up with. Influencers are gaining millions of followers or subscribers a year, showing that the influencer marketing trend is just gaining traction. The numbers are expected to continue to skyrocket.
4. Personalization & Brands Reaching Out On Social Media
Social media has been consistently booming year after year, and with that, the pressure for companies and brands to build a social presence. Twitter is no longer just for friends and family - it has helped businesses and influencers create a reputation. A company’s social media is a digital footprint - it should be unique and identifiable. According to Epsilon research, 80% of consumers are more likely to do business with a company if they offer a personalized experience. Individuals and potential clients now search out and follow brands they like on social media, looking for a personal connection with them.
Social media is great for organic prospecting, as content that goes viral and gets popular can be discovered by multitudes of people. There is no limit as to who can see content as long as privacy settings don’t interfere. The most important aspect of social media personalization for a business is responsiveness. Responding to companies and individuals who take the time to be interactive with a brand is key to building relationships. It breaks down the wall that used to separate larger companies with current and potential consumers. Now, large brands take the time to respond and even joke with users who mention them or ask them questions.
Honorable Mention: Voice Search
The improvement of voice recognition in smartphones and smart home systems has inevitably increased the popularity of voice search. It is not as advanced as the other things on this list, but it still gets an honorable mention because companies still tend to integrate it into their new productions. Tech giants are eager to improve on voice search and are throwing money into this development to beat out the competition. There are many caveats to voice searching, and it can sometimes take more effort to efficiently voice search something rather than to type it out. Also, it is still difficult to make purchases using voice search.
Digital storefronts like Amazon have found a more natural way to do it by using Alexa and account integration, but typical online shopping is still not optimized for voice. All this being said, digital assistants and smartphones are still finding creative and unique ways to utilize voice search for convenience. Among other things, digital assistants can now turn lights on and off, lock doors, and control the temperature with a simple command. Many households have incorporated this into their daily routine. Using voice search on smartphones also has its benefits during activities like driving, or for those who may need assistance using their hands or fingers. There is no telling how far voice search can take us - but for now, improvements are constantly being made in order to expand its horizon.
The most important thing to remember when it comes to following marketing trends as that they may or may not work for your industry or particular business. We recommend consulting with your marketing agency first to see if any of the above strategies could work for you. Get in touch with our expert marketing team today to start fleshing out your 2019 marketing strategy!
If you’re interested in getting started with digital marketing for your business, contact Teamwork today to schedule a consultation.
