February was a month of change. The last month of winter and marks the 2018 Lunar New Year. So if you didn’t quite make your New Year’s resolutions on time for January, February offered the perfect chance to make up for it. Here are our top ten digital marketing trends for the previous month.

The Digital Marketing Trends

1. The downfall of influencer hype and the Rise of Brand Advocates.

Influencer marketing used to be the done thing to find the next up and coming Instagram star and ask them to promote your brand. However, unless done well, this form of paid advertising does not show the returns it was once touted to. In the main, while it generates some hype around your brand or product for a short period of time, the return on investment is minimal.

The trick to success in this area is knowing what an influencer stands for and making them your brand advocate. Brand advocates have the same trust rating as friends or family when making recommendations.  Only 18% of consumers trust influencers, but 92% of consumers trust brand advocates.

2. Better use of the customer decision-making process

The decision-making process is a powerful marketing tool if used correctly. Using data about your customers and their journey is key to driving up sales and making your business a success. Increasing personalisation throughout the process makes your clients feel engaged and also offers the opportunity for up-selling. Knowing how customers move from a to b and making this as seamless as possible will also ensure maximum conversion. With the increased use of social media apps, the way people purchase is changing too.

3. Snapchat has More Ad Power

Topping the tech news this month, Snapchat’s latest update to its app has introduced a complete overhaul to the user interface. This change means advertisers can get their ads in front of more people and engage with their audiences more easily. As many will know, of all the advertising methods, Snapchat can be the most daunting. This new update will hopefully help advertiser customised better content for users.

4. Video Marketing is here to Stay

As video has grown and grown in recent years, 2018 is no different. Today, it is easier than ever to enter video marketing but harder than ever to do it well.

Some stats from Hubspot latest report:

• 81% of businesses use video as a marketing tool — up from 63%, the number reported in the previous 2017 survey.
• 99% of those who already do use video, say they’ll continue to do so in 2018.
• 65% of those who don’t currently use video, say they plan to start in 2018.

Video content is one of the key Digital Marketing Trends for 2018

5. The Way We Search is Changing

Siri, Alexa, Google’s Assistant and yet more chatbots are evolving the way we search and therefore the way we are found. SEO experts have been watching this trend for a while now as searches have changed from ‘highest mountain US’ to ‘Alexa, what is the highest mountain in the US’. As these conversations grow and develop, so must companies. Voice search has been rising year on year and is this year’s top trend.

Voice commerce sales reached $1.8 billion in 2017, per OC&C Strategy Consultants. They’re predicted to reach $40 billion by 2022.

6. As is the way we interact with companies

Not only does your website have to be voice search friendly, the language must also adapt. Consumers increasingly want conversations and this is a trend that is only going to rise. With the increase of chat services on websites and chatbots, more and more consumers look to these services during their decision-making process. As this trend continues, all businesses that are serious about digital marketing trends, chatbots are the customer service of the future.

7. The Evolving Content Market

As video and interactive technology are increasingly used, the kind of content we consume is changing. Gone are the days where a quick poorly worded but keyword-stuffed blog could garner hundreds of views. Search engines are smarter, the way we look at things has changed and the type of content we look for in this content heavy age has all evolved. Increasingly online video tutorials, product reviews, featured snippets and Q&A pages are hitting the top of our search results and fulfilling consumer need for fast and interactive information.

How We Can Help with Digital Marketing Trends

All of the team at anova are digital marketing experts. We keep up to date on the latest digital marketing trends and know what will work best for your business. We are here to help you at all stages, no matter how big or small your business or ideas are. We’re only a call away and committed to helping businesses reach their full potential. So contact us and experience our expert knowledge first hand.