Trending Digital Marketing Channels
Posted: June 26, 2019 - By Kalena McElroySome trends come and go—we’re looking at you Adobe Flash—but many trends go on to become permanent parts of our lives. In digital marketing, trends often appear as a solution to new and evolving consumer needs. Mobile-first marketing developed as a response to a rapid increase in smartphone usage over the years. Now, focusing on mobile in your marketing strategy isn’t just an option, it’s necessary. As the digital landscape continues to evolve, let’s examine emerging digital marketing channels and the solutions they address.
Voice Search
Since Apple’s initial launch of Siri in 2011, voice assistants and smart speakers have grown their capabilities enough to become a mainstay in online search. Today, the majority of adults use voice search at least once per day and 46% of those queries are for local businesses. These new technologies are changing the way people search for businesses and require a few adjustments to ensure that your business is being mentioned during voice searches.
Investigate the questions your customers are asking to see if they are able to find your business with a voice assistant. Unlike a traditional text-based search, voice searches are typically made in question format such as “Google, where is the closest emergency veterinarian that takes Petplan insurance?” Address frequently asked questions on your website or blog and add conversational keywords to rank higher in voice searches.
Rich Content
Lengthy blogs are great for improving SEO, however they are not so great for keeping readers engaged. Long form content is not going away anytime soon, but is now being supplemented with short, visual heavy, interactive content that’s more compelling for readers. This type of content is more likely to be shared and spark an online conversation.
Quizzes, polls, infographics, and contests are a few ways to actively engage with your audience and turn readers into fans. You can also utilize podcasts, webinars, and videos to build brand awareness and show that you’re an expert in your field.
Social Media
The average person spends 2 hours and 22 minutes each day on social media, making these sites a great place to market your business. Social media is a cost-effective channel that allows you to connect with new audiences and build brand awareness. Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter work as an easy customer service tool and is an additional way to drive website visits and appointment requests.
When it comes to social media marketing campaigns, you can get extremely creative with a mix of organic content and paid ads. Social media advertising works with any budget since it lets you set exactly how much you want to spend ahead of time. When setting up a campaign, you also decide on a target audience for your ad based on gender, age, interests, location, and more so the ad is seen by the right people.
Video
It’s estimated that 82% of internet traffic will come from video by 2021, but that’s not too much of a surprise since YouTube is already the most used social media site in the U.S. Videos capture viewers’ attention so they stop scrolling and can make dull information more exciting. Live streaming has quickly gained popularity and can increase engagement even further since viewers can interact in real-time. Try a live Q&A or collaborate with an influencer in your field and have them live stream their entire visit to your business.
Keeping up with current digital marketing trends will give you a competitive advantage and help grow your business. Get the most out of your marketing campaigns by incorporating these emerging channels into your strategy.
