With 2018 upon us, now is the time to think about marketing strategies and tactics for sales campaigns in the coming year. Read this list to learn which trends will be most popular, and where you should focus your time and budget. Here are 2018’s top 10 marketing trends:
1. Instagram > Facebook
Growing at an incredible rate, Instagram is set to overtake Facebook in 2018. Approximately 800 MILLION people use the platform each month! Due to excellent advertising controls and better engagement than any other platform, Instagram will become the top channel for social media marketing.
2. Voice-optimized Content
In 2016, 20% of searches made online were done so through voice search using mobile devices and smart home controllers like Amazon Echo and Google Home. That figure is expected to increase to 50% in the next two years. To meet this growing trend, marketers will have to optimize content for voice search. Voice searches are characteristically longer than text searches, for example, and marketing will have to adapt to keep up.
3. Influencer Marketing
Tapping into influencers and their networks will be an effective strategy in 2018. Influencers create compelling content and share it to their networks of followers on behalf of brands. This is especially helpful at targeting younger consumers, who feel that the content is more organic, natural, and relatable.
4. Video Content is Here to Stay
Today, 55% of people consume video content on a daily basis. By 2020, videos will account for more than 80% of all consumer Internet traffic! Companies are adapting their marketing strategies to meet this tremendous rise in consumer demand for video content. Companies who haven’t used video yet can start small and still make a significant impact.
5. Next-level Personalization
Look for significantly more personalized content and marketing campaigns in the New Year. Marketers are seeing success by learning more about their customers, such as their lifestyle, tastes, and buying habits, and using that data to make personalized, real-time offers.
6. Improved AI for Chat Services
Thanks to an improvement in artificial intelligence, marketers can use AI-powered chat bots to communicate with their customers. This delights the customer with easier and better customer service without the usual hassle of having to go through the various prompts on a telephone answering service.
7. Blogging for Brands
One way companies can take control of their content is my creating their own blogs. Companies can cultivate their brands and content by publishing posts on topics like company updates, relevant business or industry trends, engaging customer stories, and featured guest posts. This will encourage two-way conversation and allow brands to connect with customers while keeping the interactions on their own website.
8. IoT is Taking Content Off Screen
The Internet of Things (IoT) — connected devices and the programs that support them — makes content available in all formats. Gone are the days that marketers have to optimize content for just desktop and mobile. Customers are consuming content in a variety of ways, and marketers need to develop content with that in mind.
9. Distribution is Key
With all of the different marketing channels and mediums available today, cutting through the noise to reach consumers is essential. To get the attention of even a small percentage of the 2.789 billion active social media users, marketers must adopt strategic distribution to more effectively develop multi-channel and social distribution plans.
10. Live Streaming is Taking Over
Consumers are more likely to tune into a live video than read a blog post or social media posts. Successful marketers utilize live streaming capabilities on social media to deliver a human connection behind the brand. A Facebook video averages 135% more organic reach than images. The time to go live is NOW!
As marketing evolves and more diverse tactics become available, marketers are challenged to examine their strategy. With these trends in hand, there’s no doubt that 2018 will be one of the most exciting years for marketing.
