2018 has been a big year for digital marketing as it has witnessed several trans formative trends, including the rise of voice search and the growing influence of video content. Now that 2019 is approaching fast, there is a need to understand what lies ahead. While there will be some trends that will continue to rule the internet landscape, others will bow out and yet others will surface as new developments. Though nothing can be said with surety, experts have made some predictions related to the upcoming internet marketing trends that are expected to make it big in the digital landscape in 2019. Let us check them out.
User-generated content (UGC) will gain precedence
While conventional content strategy will continue to determine your business ranking, user-generated content (UGC) will emerge as another key aspect of selling and branding. The reason is plain and simple- people have more faith in humans rather than brands. If you have real-life buyers sharing their reviews, testimonials, stores or videos related to the products and shopping experiences, this UGC will add more credibility to your website and brand.
Real users may become blind to ads but they cannot ignore genuine content which is shared voluntarily by people. UGC is not only capable of boosting your sales but also in propelling your brand higher. Therefore, you should be geared up for leveraging this form of content in the coming year. Encourage users to share reviews and product stories on your site and social media as well.
Voice search will grow bigger than ever
The trend of voice search is poised to grow even bigger in 2019. Billions of searches performed today are voice searches and this number will increase as people are already falling in love with the ease of speaking rather than typing while searching on the internet. The rise of voice assistants such as Apple Siri, Amazon Alexa, and Google Assistant is a significant indication of this booming trend. All you need to do is to speak up your query and these assistants have the results ready for you.
From the business perspective, this trend requires you to tweak your internet marketing strategy so that you can keep pace with it. Start by getting SEO-ready, with focus on conversational keywords rather than the conventional search keywords that you have been using. You need to get well-optimized for the mobile as well as a majority of voice searches are done using mobile devices.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) will gather steam
Like voice search, AI is another technology that is already there in the digital landscape but it will also gather more steam in the coming year. Chatbots or virtual assistants are the most widely used form of this technology. A majority of internet sellers have them integrated with their websites and mobile apps because they are as good as human assistants. They enable brands to reduce dependence on human assistants while keeping their customer service on top.
Chatbots are powered by Artificial Intelligence that makes them capable of understanding human language and provide contextual answers to their queries. They are also used to gather relevant user data and information, which can be analyzed by businesses to gather rich customer insights and use them to create effective targeting strategies. In 2019, you will have to make your business AI-ready if you are not already there.
Micro-moments will no longer be “micro”
The coming year will see micro-moments becoming “major”, as far as buying journey is concerned. As the buyers are bombarded by content, offers, ads, push notifications and emails, they have reached a saturation point. There is such a lot of information overload out there that brands are already having a hard time beating each other to get the buyer’s attention. This is where micro-moments come to their rescue as these help them to capitalize on the user’s impulse to drive purchases.
Rather than hand-holding the customer to make them complete their buying journey, you need to drive them reflexively towards closing the transaction. The idea is to hit them with the right content or offer at the right moment so that they buy instantly rather than think and decide. You can do this by getting smarter with strategies such as personalized push notifications, location-based marketing, and cross-selling and up-selling.
Social Media will continue to rule
Undoubtedly, social media has been the mainstay of digital marketing for several years and it will continue to rule in 2019 too. This is where all the consumers actually are and if you think that you can sustain without building a robust social presence, you will end up nowhere. This is the time to revamp your social media marketing strategy as you need to get progressive with technologies such as video content, automation, and influencer marketing.
The key to building a winning social presence will be to go multi-channel rather than focusing only on a single platform. Repurpose your content across the relevant platforms; for instance, if you are running a fashion site, give attention to your brand page on Instagram and YouTube. Being where the buyers are and delivering them the content they are looking for is the secret to success.
Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality will be the reality now
Selling on the internet involves engaging your prospective buyer and holding him long enough to drive a conversion. This is possible only if you think different and provide them something compelling in the user experience. AR and VR are the technologies that are already playing a key role in creating engaging brand experiences and these are poised to become even bigger in 2019.
Several major brands have already set some goals for sellers by using these technologies as a part of their digital campaigns. Now is the time to have them integrated into the shopping experiences you deliver so that your website or mobile app is immersive enough to encourage the buyer to stay and shop. The gaming industry is also trying to engage their audience by developing Best AR (Augmented Reality) Games. These games are being popular with updated technologies of Mobile phones.
A lot of effort will go in embracing these trends and you will need reliable technology partners to do so. You can explore this website to understand the significance of choosing a professional digital marketing company that can help you in keeping pace with the upcoming trends. This will be one wise investment for your business because being prepared is the only way to sustain and grow in the increasing competition out there.
