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3 minutes
TL;DR
- We expect to see big data and data analytics applied to even greater effect to aid in the personalization of digital advertising.
- Now that AR is in the hands of more consumers, expect to see it used prevalently in the new year.
- Micro-moments represent an opportunity to directly influence consumer purchasing decisions using targeted, timely information online.
- Chatbots will help businesses realize huge cost savings in the years to come.
The digital online marketing landscape is constantly growing and changing, which makes it hard to stay relevant without constant vigilance. Staying ahead of the curve is necessary to survive in today’s market, so you need to be able to predict and implement the latest digital marketing techniques for your business. Go ahead and take a look below, where we’ve outlined our digital marketing predictions for the upcoming year!
Big Data Driving Personalization
There has been quite a lot of talk over the past several years about the concepts of big data and data analytics. They’ve driven a revolution in manufacturing and logistics, and in 2018, we expect to see the technology applied to even greater effect to aid in the personalization of digital advertising.
Delivering a highly individualized consumer experience has long been considered the holy grail of online marketing. In previous years, efforts at personalization were limited in scale and difficult to implement. Most companies lacked the tools and automation necessary to predict customer needs and behavior. Predictive data analytics appear poised to change all of that, so much so that we expect the position of data scientist to become more prominent in marketing departments everywhere.
Augmented Reality Continues to Spread
After being relegated to novelty status for many years, augmented reality (AR) is finally becoming an accepted part of consumer technology, driven by the ubiquitous adoption of smartphones and the development of new tools to create content. Now that AR is in the hands of consumers, expect to see it used prevalently in the new year.
We don’t even need to wait until 2018 to see some early examples. L’Oreal recently released a smartphone app that allows makeup shoppers to experience a virtual makeover. Swedish furniture giant IKEA has also gotten into the act with their own app that can superimpose their products directly into the rooms their customers are shopping for.
Taking Advantage of Micro-Moments
Now that consumers have become accustomed to on-demand information delivered via their smartphones and tablets, it’s a marketing essential to be a go-to source for answers. Google’s polling indicates that 87% of people turn to search as their primary means of getting questions answered or conducting research. These instances are called micro-moments and they will be a key target of digital marketers in 2018.
As if the sheer volume of micro-moments weren’t enough motivation, the poll also found that 70% of smartphone owners performed a relevant search immediately before making a purchase in a store. This tendency represents an opportunity to directly influence consumer purchasing decisions using targeted, timely information online.
Chatbots Drive Engagement
Once thought of as a minor amusement, or possibly even an annoyance, chatbots have started to come into their own as a marketing device. Advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms have made the latest chatbots capable of realistic, natural interactions with consumers. Those in the know expect that these chatbots will help businesses realize huge cost savings in the years to come.
The recent advances have also made it possible to execute digital marketing campaigns using chatbots. Companies like Sephora and H&M are already using chatbots that can discern customer tastes by scanning social media photos and posts. The data is then used to provide product recommendations directly to the end-user in the form of a natural-sounding text conversation. There will be new approaches and opportunities emerging at all times as the technologies and techniques we’ve mentioned here continue to evolve. As new trends emerge, we’ll do our best to keep you in the know. That way, you’ll be able to make the most of your marketing budget and drive your brand to new heights throughout 2018!
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