In this week’s digital news, we break down key trends for the new year in digital marketing AI, content marketing, and Instagram.
Artificial intelligence (AI) for marketing is poised to grow significantly over the next year. This exciting development focus on three primary areas. For starters, more advanced targeting will be readily available. The realms of linear TV, programmatic radio and direct mail are exploding, with AI influencing major shifts. This means AI-based audience segmentation and ad targeting will become truly sophisticated.
Second, marketing tech will see a boost in transparency efforts. More tech companies will drive transparency initiatives while more brands and agencies will demand increased insight. Data players will need to open up the visibility of their databases and technology to stay abreast of emerging data protection regulations and awareness of malpractice. And lastly, the general public will become more AI literate. As machines get smarter, the firms that employ them will need to be more educated. Marketers will gain a more nuanced understanding of how these methodologies align with business requirements including compliance, transparency, cost, goals and timing.
When devising a digital marketing strategy, it’s crucial to pay attention to emerging trends in the digital landscape. The first key trend is the increasing prevalence of video content.Creators should invest in analyzing which types of video make the most sense for their company, and executing on those strategic insights. The more strategic your content creation, the more effective it’ll be.
The second key trend focuses on the world of artificial intelligence. AI is being applied to customer experience, personalization, analytics and so much more. With sophisticated personalization in place, AI can be the definitive link between brand and customer. After AI, data-driven marketing is the third key trend. Fueling campaigns with rich data is becoming an absolutely necessity. Having the infrastructure in place to collect and analyze data is the gift that keeps on giving.
Fourth on the list is social media Stories. Expansions in the functionality and reach of Facebook and Instagram Stories have made them the next big trend in social media marketing. They are already engaging enough people to constitute a serious market. Last but certainly not least, voice technology is on the rise. There is a new type of conversational content and promotion that marketers need to involve in their digital marketing strategy. Voice search is about knowing what consumers want and how they would use a voice assistant. With new voice-enabled apps coming out every day, the sky’s the limit.
Some interesting new results came out of a survey from the team at Venngage this week. The company surveyed 500 digital marketers in an effort to understand specifically how they use images in content and digital strategy. When asked which kind of visuals marketers use most frequently, 40% said stock photos while 37% said original content.
These figures are now neck-in-neck, but it’s clear that original content is becoming increasingly necessary. Forty percent of respondents said that original visual content performed the best of all. While 69% of respondents claimed that visuals were essential to digital strategy, only 37% spent 2–5 hours on visual creation per week. Additionally, 42% of marketers spent less than 10% of their budget on marketing visual creation. For more fascinating insights, check out the full collection of infographics.
Instagram has become a force to be reckoned with in the world of digital marketing. Let’s run down the top marketing trends for the platform in 2019. Firstly, stickers are essential. Since engagement has mostly moved to Stories, stickers provide a free and easy way to engage with followers. Second, influencers are getting more authentic. The influencer marketing industry has exploded, with global ad spend expected to reach $5-10 billion by 2020. Working with on-brand influencers who actually benefit from your product is going to be crucial.
The third trend is the rise of micro-influencers. This trend essentially emphasizes the second trend, as the more granular and specific you can get, the better. A smaller influencer with a more devoted fanbase can often deliver better than a huge influencer with passive fans. Next, tracking ROI from specific posts will be a huge development. The platform is becoming more of a marketplace every day, and advanced analytics are sure to follow. Lastly, the platform’s messaging app, Instagram Direct, is on the rise. Before long, it could be more popular than Facebook Messenger.