A lot happened in the digital marketing world in 2018. Some of the more significant happenings were when Facebook, Twitter, and Google gave statements before the Senate. While these moves made advertisers uncomfortable, it only slightly affected how we use digital marketing.
Most digital marketing agencies, including our agency, use a variety of digital marketing methods: Google Ads (many people call this PPC – which is no longer a correct statement), SEO, Facebook ads, Instagram ads, Snap Chat filters, video and mobile marketing, programmatic methods, and dozens of others to gain & deliver success for clients. These methods will surely continue to evolve in 2019.
I am not going to describe what Google Ads, SEO or social media ads consist of; But instead, I’ll tell you that none of these methods are going away. In fact, in 2019 companies will actually have to use them even more and in smarter ways. Consumer behaviors are changing, and they want a personalized experience. They don’t want to see unrelated ads or land on a webpage that has dozens of repetitive keywords. list of same/similar keywords that aimed at trying to beat Google’s algorithms rather than benefit consumers.
It may be a good idea to learn and implement the below-suggested marketing trends for your digital in 2019.
– Voice Search
Voice Search is getting strong. It is easier to ask your phone a question than to type in a phrase. According to Search Engine Land, voice-based sales in the USA reached $1.8 billion in 2017 and are projected to reach $40 billion by 2020. You might want to start investing in it now to get a head start in the voice search game.
– Video Marketing
Yes, this may be something you are already doing. We are not talking about just YouTube video marketing. Video marketing has evolved and can now deliver more than just bulk impressions. In addition to Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn’s data and video platforms; There are more tools available now that can help agencies target the best audience for a specific message and create more engagement.
– Influencer Marketing
This also isn’t a new concept in digital marketing. However, many small business owners have forgotten about this option. Perhaps thinking that this was not the most suitable marketing tool for small business. However, this advertising method is worth revisiting because it’s a less expensive option than the local newspaper or a magazine. It is easy to find a local “micro influencer” that fits for your audience. Do a quick Google search for local establishments in your area and you’ll get a list of top where you should see popular posts with the most likes and follows close to your business. A profile name and contact information should be available, and you can directly message them and ask if they’d like to advertise for you by promoting your brand or company in some of their upcoming posts.
– Social Media and Social Stories
Well, what business isn’t doing social media nowadays, right? But the correct question is, what businesses are using social media the right way? Just getting some article links related to your business or audience and posting them to your Facebook page doesn’t mean you are doing social media management. Neither does taking some quick employee picture out front of your office and posting your Facebook page. There’s a lot more that goes into social media marketing than just publishing a link or a random image. You have to analyze your audience (the percentage of your audience that is female and male, age groups, their interest, what time you get more attention and engagement to your posts) and then communicate with them the way they would like to be communicated with – and show them who you are!
Social Media that’s correctly executed can boost your sales and generate a steady source of income for your business. If you don’t have the workforce to create the right social media calendars and posts, please consider hiring a social media agency to build and execute them for you.
Another reason to consider hiring an agency for social media advertising is for publishing social media “stories”. These social media stories boomed in 2018 and the growth in 2019 will be even bigger. If your customer base includes a younger audience, you need to capture their attention with social media stories. Keep it in mind that you should make your story engaging and creative. Remember, GenZ and Millennials do not like anything fake, and they will look to give their business to companies who keep it authentic.
– Beacon Technology
This was a “thing” a few years back but quietly died after losing its momentum. Beacon Technology started to come back in 2018 and will be becoming more prominent in 2019. This marketing method is excellent for CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods) and OTC brands. With the ever-increasing use of smartphones and apps, brands can now deliver their message directly to consumers’ smartphones through an app when they are shopping nearby or in your product’s isle. This message could be a coupon, recipe, or any other call-to-action to engage with an audience while they are in decision mode.
– LinkedIn Marketing
If you are a B2B company, then you should seriously consider LinkedIn marketing. LinkedIn is becoming more popular among business professionals, and there is no better place to network and promote your business to other professionals who can’t be easily reached in regular business hours. Show them your product, quality, production capabilities, packaging design, service, your knowledge – whatever you think you might create interest and spur them to engage with your company. LinkedIn ads allow you to create and narrow down your target market by location, company name, title and many other great options to get your business ads in front of the right people.
