Estimated Reading Time [est_time]
From Voice Search to AI – 4 key digital marketing trends to watch out for in 2019
It’s no secret that the digital industry is ever-evolving with new opportunities, technological developments and challenges, and we’re forever keeping our eyes peeled for what’s coming around the corner.
As 2019 has come around faster than you can shout “PPC!” (or at least it feels that way..), we’ve taken a look at some of the top digital trends to watch out for this year, and how you can adapt and make the most of them.
Voice search
With the rise of smart speakers such as Amazon Alexa or the Google Home, it’s no surprise that voice search has also risen. ComScore reported that 50% of all searches will be voice searches by 2020. While that figure seems high and given that 2020 is less than a year away, Google reported that 72% of people who own a voice-activated speaker use it as part of their daily routine.
Video advertising growth
In 2019, video is expected to account for 85% of total internet traffic, and last year video advertising overtook display for the first time. Whether you’re running video on Facebook and Instagram, Twitter or YouTube, the key point remains the same – first impressions count! The first few seconds of your video (with or without sound) are the most critical.
Artificial Intelligence
We wrote a blog back in 2016 that focused on Artificial Intelligence stealing our jobs, and it’s fair to say that the use of AI has only grown since then. One example is the use of Chatbots, you only need to look at the Google Trends report for ‘chatbots’ and you can visibly see the worldwide growth over the past 5 years.
Using a chatbot can ensure that your brand is virtually available every hour of the day, and with 63% of people stating that they would consider messaging an online chatbot to communicate with a business or brand, isn’t it time you upped your game?
Visual search
While voice search is still on the rise, the use of visual search is also increasing. The likes of Google, Bing and Pinterest are key players in the visual search spectrum, and in February 2018, Pinterest reported that there were more than 600 million visual searches every month on the platform. Retail brands such as Asos and Wayfair have joined the hype; giving users the possibility to search using an image to find similar items.
To give an example I uploaded the below image, and the second screenshot shows the ‘style matches’.
We’re certain that these are by no means the only trends to watch this year, but just a few to be aware of in your marketing strategy.
In order to embrace some of these developments, you should maintain your marketing plan to establish your goals and targets, but also open your testing and approaches to encompass some of these new and evolving strategies to meet your business goals.
The above are becoming key for companies looking to elevate their brand and win new customers. For help with your digital marketing strategy in 2019 and beyond, get in touch with the team.
