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Digital tools have accelerated marketing evolution. Digital marketing was dominated by omnichannel optimization and the Internet of Things. Businesses must adapt as reality becomes more virtual.
Businesses can now offer personalized, bite-sized messages through more channels, from virtual reality headsets and AI to everything.
Modern digital marketers must stay on top of ever-changing trends in the digital world. Which emerging online marketing trends have the most traction today?
What is a trend?
In every aspect of digital marketing, trends are evident. From the way digital marketers collect data to what stories they tell their consumers. These trends are not just about what marketing tactics work best to drive revenue but also how consumers live and what they want.
To remain relevant and gain credibility with their audiences, digital marketers depend on trends. Businesses would do well to examine how their audience consumes Content, uses tech tools, and accesses information in order to identify these trends.
Prioritizing privacy when gathering data
The best way to predict future trends is to collect information on user behavior. This data can then be used to develop specific products and services. The way that businesses collect data is changing as privacy and ethical concerns rise.
Businesses have been in hot water over the misuse of customer data. They also violated users’ privacy. Companies are changing their approach to gathering consumer data as users begin to demand greater control.
Businesses are moving away from third-party cookies in favor of collecting data directly from users. They also use zero-party data – or information that an individual explicitly provides to a company – through surveys, polls, and interactive UX designs.
Users are more aware of what data they share with companies, and they also get a more interactive experience when websites display different information or products based on the user’s selections. Businesses empower their users to take an informed role in the data collection process, allowing them to decide what information to share. This builds a culture of integrity and trust that lasts beyond even the latest digital marketing trends.
Digital twinning: Creating Intelligent personas
A digital twin of the customer (DTOC) is a super-powered persona based on aggregated information about user behaviors. The digital twin of the client (DTOC) represents a powerful customer persona based on aggregated data about user behavior.
DTOC may be more feasible than ever before, even though true digital twins have only just begun. Machine learning and AI technologies are improving rapidly. Brands can provide better customizations to real users based on patterns observed in digital twins. All while protecting the identifiable information of each individual.
Joining the chat – optimizing Content for voice searches
The numbers are clear when it comes to voice-activated devices and their impact on consumer behavior. In the United States, 61% of adults use voice assistants, and 57% of them make voice commands every day. 2 Smart Speakers were first introduced in 2014, but now more than a third have one at home.
Smart businesses optimize their Content to be used by voice assistants as more and more consumers use voice search to find content online.
While long-form Content is important for SEO or search engine optimization in general, shorter snippets are likely the best way to leverage voice search. Businesses can optimize their Content for voice assistant algorithms by strategically organizing Content online into short excerpts. It is important to create both natural and conversational short-form material as well as long-form Content that voice queries can answer.
AI chatbots for customer service
Chatbots that are automated are not new. However, the rise of AI-based advanced chatbots has made them the future of digital advertising. Businesses can simulate personalized conversations with their users using advanced chatbots instead of complex FAQ pages or search functions. Chatbots are now more effective than human representatives in terms of customer satisfaction. Businesses can use them to maintain the integrity of their brands and customer service while still achieving higher satisfaction rates. 3
To be successful, chatbots have to both correctly interpret user questions and respond to them appropriately–whether that’s providing information directly or connecting users to a human agent for more complex queries.
Chatbots are only as useful as the database they’re backed by, particularly when they start to handle more complex user queries. Chatbots will become more important as they improve in accuracy and provide instantaneous responses to customers around the clock.
Imagine the future with augmented reality.
Digital marketing presents a challenge for all businesses, as it is difficult to make the connection between their online product representation and their actual implementations. Through persuasive copy and campaigns, marketers help users visualize the problems that their products aim to solve. However, these digital methods often lack tangibility.
Enter: Augmented Reality
AR tools project digital Content onto physical environments using a smartphone camera. AR was first popularized in interactive gaming. However, it is now being used in marketing.
Customers will soon be able to test makeup and stage furnishings virtually in their own homes, all from their iPhones.
AR allows users to feel confident about their purchases by allowing them to hear, see, touch, and feel the products. AR offers a gamified shopping experience with advanced motion capture and shadows.
Getting specific: utilizing micro-influencers.
The trust that influencers build with their audience is one of the main reasons they are so successful marketers. As well-known influencers reach celebrity status, customers are looking for someone more relatable.
Micro-influencers are able to fill in this gap by providing recommendations and testimonials that can be trusted for a smaller, localized, or niche audience. Micro-influencers are often more connected to their audience than traditional influencers, who have a wider reach. This allows them to have their opinions validated.
Micro-influencers are usually experts in a particular field, giving brands a chance to connect with a subgroup of their target audience that is passionate about their product.
Employee testimonials: Activating your employees
Employee activation is a company-sponsored program that encourages employees to create Content. Businesses encourage members of their marketing teams to post videos and articles that highlight topics and stories related to their jobs, usually alongside other Content from their daily lives. Employees can become brand ambassadors by letting people into their daily lives.
Social Content by employees offers a more personal perspective than posts from official brands. Positively highlighting topics related to their work can help promote a positive view of the company.
Authenticity and reciprocity are essential when implementing employee activation programs. The content employees share should reflect their work experiences and be relevant to their interests. Instead of integrating content creation into all roles at the company, it can encourage employees to post on social media through incentives, a culture that embraces Social Media, and a workplace they are proud to talk about.
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