Digital marketing is a dynamic landscape; it changes so frequently that it can be difficult to keep track of the many adjustments and tweaks. The slew of changes that happened and continue to happen, especially in the past two years, has been, for the most part, due to the arrival of new technologies. Moreover, there are almost 2 billion websites today—practically a website for every four people on the planet. With that number of competitions, plus the available tools, change is inevitable.
As the market increases, it gets more competitive. Anyone not ready to adapt gets swept away, and that’s always been the law of nature—evolve or go extinct. Digital marketing is no exception. Traditional marketing is still there, but with the way digital marketing influences the market, a robust online presence is necessary for a business’ survival. A business should also keep tabs on digital marketing trends. After all, these trends dictate what works in your market niche.
Digital marketing trends to watch out for
This year, more changes will likely occur in the digital marketing trends. Businesses, therefore, should plan for these changes and prepare for ways on how these trends can work for them. Navigating digital marketing trends can be tricky, but you can always get help from resources like Debutify Guides.
Below are some of the digital marketing trends to expect this year and beyond:
- Short videos
Short videos have risen in popularity, and they show no signs of going away. Visual content can elicit a more visceral reaction from people—the human brain perceives them better. That’s why short videos from various social media platforms are highly effective in engaging and communicating with people. With videos, you can improve brand loyalty and inform and sway people’s opinions about your products or services. Short videos also get a decent return on investment (ROI).
The modern market doesn’t have the patience to watch longer videos. Attention spans are getting shorter in the age of memes. Short videos are succinct, use less bandwidth, and are more effective in getting the audience’s attention. Digital marketers have only 10 seconds to catch viewers’ attention—longer than this, and engagement significantly drops off.
If you still haven’t gotten their attention 30 seconds into the video, you’ll lose 33% of your viewers. About 45% of viewers click out after a minute of watching a video. So, the more information you can pack in a 30-second video, the better. (2)
- Artificial intelligence (AI)
The use of AI in digital marketing has been increasing for several years now. With the way tech continues to evolve, AI’s potential will continue to grow in the coming years. Chatbots, for instance, will likely become the standard for customer service. Machine learning algorithms are becoming more sophisticated and making these bots better at emulating humans. For simple queries, chatbots can be used instead of live agents. (3)
Digital marketing’s future and other industries dependent on tech will be primarily based on artificial intelligence. With AI, automating digital marketing tasks like segmentation, ad targeting, SEO, and predicting consumer trends will be more straightforward. The AI-based VAs (virtual assistants) and chatbots can give quick replies to customers’ simple queries.
- The metaverse
Metaverse was first used in Neal Stephenson’s novel, ‘Snow Crash.’ The term previously referred to a virtual reality where people’s avatars can interact in a virtual place. Today, ‘metaverse’ refers to a broad spectrum of digital life, like gaming, social media, holographic avatars, and VR and AR (virtual and augmented reality). Metaverse is a persistent environment, meaning it’ll continue to exist even if you’re not playing or using it.
Users can socialize, play, and work in the metaverse, accessible through a headset. Admittedly, many of the metaverse’s facets are still in their infancy. However, metaverse’s implications regarding its potential mean that companies should keep tabs on its progress. Early adoption of the technology can give them an advantage over their competitors. (4)
- Emergence of micro-influencers
Influencers from various social media platforms have a profound effect on digital marketing. In recent years, they’ve become huge, with some having millions of followers and earning as much as a six-figure income from deals with different brands. Influencer marketing may be young, but it has surpassed traditional marketing in terms of ROI (return on investment). However, influencer marketing can be manipulated by using fake followers. Besides, mega-influencers have a lower engagement rate.
This problem is yet to be resolved. Moreover, mega-influencers leverage their popularity by increasing their sponsored posts. This action has reduced their authority and lessened their trustworthiness. Micro-influencers, on the other hand, have smaller but more devoted followers. Their marketing messages are perceived as more dependable and thus more effective.
Clients value recommendations. That’s why investing in influencers makes more sense. Hiring several micro-influencers instead of hiring one with millions of followers can lower the marketing budget while increasing the ROI.
Conclusion
Digital marketing has changed a lot in the past few years. For businesses, keeping up with these changes can be difficult. Changes are driven by technological changes and the exponential growth of the number of websites worldwide. In an increasingly competitive market, businesses have no choice but to keep up with digital marketing changes.
For entrepreneurs, some of the digital marketing trends they’d likely be dealing with are short videos, increased AI use, the metaverse, and the usefulness of micro-influencers. Being in tune with the trends is a vital part of doing business in the 21st century.