If you own a business, you cannot ignore digital marketing. Whether your company is strictly brick and mortar, completely online or a combination of both, digital marketing is likely the most effective means of connecting with your prospects, building an audience and creating revenue and referrals.
But to stay competitive, you’ll need to be aware of the anticipated marketing trends for the new year, so we’ve pulled together some of the top strategies to keep an eye on for 2019. The good news is that all of these are within easy reach of small business owners, so read through the list, and choose a few to enhance your 2019 marketing plan.
- Trust
Establishing a trusting relationship with consumers isn’t necessarily a novel idea – or is it? Sadly, it is becoming increasingly rare. With the explosion of fake news, data breaches and spam issues, people more and more want to do business with people they can trust.
So, be trustworthy and transparent. Use whatever means you can to show you are real, that you have their best interest at heart and that you can be trusted. This can be done through email, video, social media, testimonials, and guarantees.
- Social Stories
When combined with the FOMO (fear of missing out) phenomenon, social stories are positioned to be one of the top ways to engage your audience in 2019.
They’re already exploding in popularity, up 842 percent since 2016, and thanks to their disappearing nature, there is an urgency to consume them. If you’re not already using stories, experiment with them to determine how best to use them in your marketing.
- Chatbots
Artificial intelligence meets small business in chatbots, and they keep popping up – because they work and because they appeal to large segments of the population.
Some people want to talk to a live person, but not everyone does, and chatbots can save time and be a real enhancement of customer service. Combine this method of communication with the option of also connecting with a live person at your company, and you’ll have the best of both worlds, appealing to every visitor.
- Vertical Video
Vertical video used to be anathema – the demand was for wide-screen, horizontal videos. But the trend is changing fast. According to this report there are several reasons why vertical is the way to go, including the fact that most of us are on our phones when we watch videos (and the natural position to hold our phones is vertically), it can produce more views and more engagement and it allows the viewer to focus more easily on the content with fewer distractions.
- Email Marketing Automation + Personalization
Even with all the new trends and techniques on the block, marketing automation is still high on the list of effective digital marketing strategies. What’s working? The more personalized you can make your email marketing, the better it will perform. People like to be ‘known.’ They like targeted suggestions based on previous history. So use this to your full advantage.
If you’re already using a marketing automation software such as Infusionsoft, be sure you’re taking full advantage of it to personalize your follow up. Use retargeting on social media, browsing habits, purchase history and email engagement to create a personalized experience for your audience.
Are you noticing other trends in digital marketing? Share in the comments below!
Their positive comments will let you know what’s working. You’ll learn the specifics about your product that appeal to your customer base, and these are the features and benefits you can highlight in future marketing materials. If you pay attention to the language they use to describe what they like about your product, you can use that language to speak directly to potential customers in sales and promotional copy.
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Carol Dunlop mastered the tools of visual communication and design long before computers and the Internet became viable resources for small businesses. With over 20 years of experience in web technology internet marketing and social media marketing, Carol works with her clients to ensure their voice is heard over all the noise on the Internet.
Jama Bryan is CEO and founder of Your Online Marketing Team. Her entrepreneurial career began in 1996, as a solo virtual assistant. She now manages her team of 25+ marketing specialists from her farm in Georgia.
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