Top 10 Trends Transforming Digital Marketing

As all forms of marketing continue to capture the attention of consumers globally, digital marketing has proved to be quite the front-runner. Here, we take a look at 10 current trends that will revolutionise digital marketing as technological innovations continue to bring vast improvements to the lives of people everywhere.

1. A brand revolution is well on its way

A brand represents the emotional and psychological connection a consumer has with a business and its offerings, so it’s safe to say that marketers are not the ones who create brands but rather, it’s the customers who do so. Social media platforms allow consumers to share information about their lifestyles, thoughts and purchasing choices, which marketers take as valuable information to curate better marketing strategies.

As influencer marketing continues to grow in popularity, companies everywhere will pay even more attention to the priorities and needs of the consumer, and increasingly offer products and services that are designed to fit in with the latest lifestyle trends.

2. Artificial intelligence to lend a helping hand

We will continue to see a rise in the use of artificial intelligence in digital and influencer marketing efforts all around. Through artificial intelligence and machine learning, big data sets on retail purchases can be analysed, segmented and filtered to extract more information on consumer behaviours and preferences. This allows businesses to innovate and create products and services that are in demand, and design marketing campaigns that appeal to the target market, thereby bolstering digital and influencer marketing efforts and growing their brands.

3. Preference for instantaneous responses grow

Younger consumers are used to instant gratification, having grown up in the age of social media and fast-evolving technology. As a result, they demand and expect instant communication and entertainment, gravitating towards instantaneous social media platforms such as Snapchat, WhatsApp and Instagram. Time and speed of service are of the essence, and businesses today are well aware of this. File downloads are capped at 15 seconds at most, while businesses target same-day deliveries for product orders.

4. Niche curation prevents information overload

The rise of influencer marketing tells us that many more marketers are looking towards niche curation as the digital marketing method of choice. Although the age of the internet has put information at our fingertips, there is such a thing as information overload.

Astute marketers engage with their audiences by sharing information from other authority figures who offer content that is within their niche area, and partner with relevant brands to grow outreach and heighten publicity for their products and services. The practice of having niche influencers blog about your offerings and share them on their social feed is set to become the new digital marketing norm.

5. Mobile devices enable mobile consumerism

There are currently 2.6 billion smartphone users globally, a number that will rise to 6.1 billion by 2020. This “electronics evolution” has galvanised marketers everywhere to up the ante on digital marketing efforts by ensuring that company websites come with its mobile equivalent, as well as a mobile app.

Social media platforms have been ahead of the game for some time now, constantly improving their app features to better engage with its users. For example, Facebook and Instagram now come with video features that allow its users to upload and share videos among their social circles. Mobile devices have become must-have items in our daily lives, and they will continue to influence consumers at the point of purchase.