Chatbots, AI, omnichannel, banner ads – what’s going to be the next trend in digital marketing?
Trying to keep up with the latest digital advertising trends is enough to make your virtual head spin. But if you pay close attention you’ll quickly spot them and be a step ahead of your competitors. Dare I say a whole bunch of steps ahead.
This is the number one reason you should stay abreast of the frequent shifts in SEO, content marketing, PPC, and any other methods you use to reach your prospects.
With that said, if you want to see how you can elevate your digital marketing strategy into 2019 and beyond, then, please, keep on reading.
Let’s take a look at the advertising trends we’ll see carrying over into the next year.
1. Multimedia Ads Take Over
It all began in 2017 – video ads became the norm as more consumers engulfed themselves in online video. And when you think about it, it makes a lot of sense.
On YouTube alone, there are more than 300 hours of video uploaded daily. And 5 billion videos are watched daily. That’s a whole lot of multimedia being consumed – shouldn’t you have advertisements on these mediums?
What makes multimedia ads profitable is their level of engagement. Consumers simply react better to visual and audio digital advertisements compared to text-only or with a static image. But your best bet is to say your most important bits of information within the first 5 seconds before they can click skip!
2. Influencer Marketing Evolve
This is an age-old tactic advertisers use to get consumers to trust their products. We saw Wheaties do this with Michael Jordan and Nike do it with countless basketball players. Using influencers in your industry to push your brand message and products is clever.
But consumers quickly caught on and the effect has decreased conversion rates. Consumers today are savvier and want brands that are real – not trying to advertise. This is why 83% of people trust their peers and 70% of adults trust non-celeb vloggers/bloggers over celebrities.
So if you’re going to use influencer marketing, make sure they’re relatable and connected to your target audience.
3. Omnichannel Marketing Takes Front and Center
Consumers are using a variety of tools to access the content they want. They’re on smartphones, tablets, TVs, desktops, laptops, and even AI assistants.
These all play a role in how consumers shop and purchase products online and in the store. The only way to capture and keep the attention of your target customers is to be everywhere they are. And to implement digital advertising that’s consistent everywhere they go – online and offline.
For example, you can make the coupons you send customers in emails usable inside your stores. And once a customer buys a product from your store, they can receive texts or emails with offers on related items.
There are many ways you can make omnichannel work for your digital advertising efforts.
4. Landing Pages Take Flight
Where will your customers land after clicking on your digital advertisements? If you’re sending them to your homepage or anywhere else that isn’t featuring a specific product or deal, then your conversions will suffer.
This is what makes landing pages a must-have. Many brands jumped aboard this digital advertising trend over the past few years. And it’s the reason why we see so many landing pages surfacing throughout the web.
Landing pages or squeeze pages are beneficial when it’s tied to an advert that’s specific. For example, if the ad is for an e-book or seminar for building backlinks, then the landing page should give more details about that specific product.
By crafting your landing pages with lists of benefits, testimonials, product videos, and multiple calls to action, you can really boost your conversation rates.
5. Amazon PPC Goes Head to Head with Google
And it’s not just Google that Amazon is going after – it’s Facebook too. If you’re not already advertising on the next leading search engine (Amazon), then now’s a great time to start.
Roughly 56% of US, UK, French and German shoppers are searching on Amazon for products. These individuals are bypassing Google to look for the deals they want.
This says a lot about how you should tailor your marketing campaigns. The idea is to display your ads where your target audience will be. And if you have products on Amazon or only on your own site, you can buy ads there to direct the traffic to your landing page (hopefully, you set one up!).
6. The New & Improved Outstream Video
Never heard of outstream video? Well, you’re not completely alone. Only 77% of agencies are already having success using it (sarcasm implied). Needless to say, if you’re not already using this tool, then you’re already behind.
This is a new way you can display video ads outside of a video player. For example, you can have your video ad playing in text line breaks or the corner of a web page.
No longer do you have to stick with running ads before or during a video. If you want your ads to stick out (no pun intended) and eliminate the need to compete with limited placements, this is the way to go.
You can already find this used on sites like Forbes and Washington Post. It gives you expanded reach and targets those who enter a site, not just those who click play on a video.
Implement the Latest Digital Advertising Trends
Wow, that’s a lot to digest, I know. The great news is we can help you utilize this information to develop an emotionally driven advertising campaign that connects with your audience on a relatable human level and drives results. And by results, I mean better branding, traffic, and conversions.. Because at EraserFarm have consumer emotion down to a science.
If you’re currently looking for a way to enhance your marketing efforts, give us a shout and contact us!