Game-Changing Digital Marketing Trends

Last year was an interesting year for digital marketing. 

Google updated its Penguin algorithm and changed the way websites are penalized for using black-hat link-building techniques. Augmented reality became a growing trend, proving that online and offline worlds continue to merge. 

Marketers have realized that consumers don’t use just Google to evaluate their company. They read online reviews and blog posts, watch videos and engage with social media content. 

These are all reasons why marketers have come up with a more integrated approach to digital marketing. Here are some trends to consider adding to your marketing strategy.

Live Video Streams

As brands look for more creative ways to grab consumers’ attention, live streaming will become an important part of every marketing strategy. 

Live streaming is a way to broadcast your content to an online audience. It’s the digital alternative to broadcasting a live show on TV or selling tickets to an event. It is also a great way to increase your audience and send them different messages based on the devices they are using.

A Brandlive survey found that 44% of companies had produced live video in 2015 and 20% plan to do so in the future. And that’s a good sign: Users watch live videos three times more than pre-recorded ones. 

Periscope was one of the first platforms to recognize live streaming’s potential to access a wider audience. It was quickly followed by Facebook and YouTube in 2016. It’s obvious that video streaming is here to stay, and businesses will need to get on board if they want to remain relevant.

Augmented and Virtual Reality

Fun, exciting and accessible, augmented reality and virtual reality blend online amusement with mobility. They have been on trend for some time now, but only recently making a big footprint with the introduction of Pokémon GO and Google Daydream. Both of these platforms realized the opportunity and engaged tens of millions of users.

Marketers can also benefit from these trends if they know how to be strategic and relevant.

While it’s important to keep an open eye on the newest trends, technology and new initiatives must sense to your audience. Being an early adopter can position you as a groundbreaker in your industry, but being disruptive to your audience in a negative way can harm your impact.

To make sure the VR and AR trends are worth following, ask yourself the following questions:

• How does this fit within my existing strategy?
• What are my key performance indicators (KPIs)?
• Can it help me bring in new customers?
• Will it help me connect with my audience?
• Does it fit my business model?
• Will I still use it in six months?

Mobile Is (Still) King

Content consumed on mobile devices has doubled in the past few years. Mobile searches have overtaken desktop queries, and mobile users account for more than half of all e-commerce traffic.

Keeping pace with the way mobile is changing consumer behavior has become a necessity for businesses that want to keep audiences engaged.

Making sure your site is mobile-friendly is just the first step — you need to develop a mobile-first mentality to be most effective. Consider and prioritize the user experience of your mobile site.

Personalization

The digital world is so noisy that it has become paramount to differentiate your brand from competitors. Businesses need to find new ways to connect and market to digitally savvy shoppers in ways that are meaningful, personalized and relevant — without being intrusive.

Amazon, for instance, regularly recommends similar products to the ones in customers’ previous orders and wishlists. Other pioneering retailers such as eBay and Flipkart also tailor products and content based on the shopper’s personal taste and experience.