By Lauren Fenthum<---- To view/save infographic
CLICK HEREAs each New Year begins, the same question gets asked, "what do you think we can expect to see with marketing in the following year?" And a lot of marketing and sales representatives are already hopping on the bandwagon with their predictions for the upcoming trends for the year to come. Their reasons for wanting to look ahead is valid, the world that we live in is fast-paced, and becomes hard to differentiate yourself in the marketing world, and always the more you can plan ahead, the better equipped you are to manage changes when they happen. Here is what you can expect to see in 2019:
Reputable Content Over Ads - People are running away from traditional advertisements. A 2015 study from Nielson, found that the top four most trusted sources of advertising were: people you know, branded and editorial sites and lastly, reviews. Almost 30% of all Internet users are using some form of Ad Blocker, which makes you think, should marketers abandon advertising completely? Not necessarily, however, ads need to become more relevant and valuable to the consumer. This is where opportunities such as; content and influencer marketing, referral partnerships and other methods can be used to deliver real value to your audience.
Creativity Not Conformity - Many people have been saying, “print is dead”. One company took this notion and went against the grain by obtaining physical addresses from their consumers and sending them print newsletters. In the age of HubSpot and MailChimp, this company stands out by not conforming. In a time where everyone has gone digital, they saw the opportunity to do something different. Companies should try to consider integrated campaigns and creative distribution tactics to engage with audience members that other industry competitors may not be considering.
How Do Your Consumers Communicate - Technology has and is still continuing to evolve rapidly. Communication has become instant and consumers expect immediate responses from companies in real time. Analysts predict that 50% of all searches will be done through voice search by 2020. In the age of “Alexa’s”, “Siri’s" and smartwatches, consumers are able to interact and get any amount of information within the space of a few seconds, which once again adds to the consumer's instant gratification.
These are just a few of the trends that you can expect to see in 2019. The year has only just begun and already marketing trends have exploded. Remember that there is no single “right” way to build a marketing strategy, but by being aware of current trends and being up to date with what your competitors are doing will help pave the way!
