Undeniably, 2018 will be an exceptional year for digital marketing. There are few developments coming up that will surely make the marketing industry look different. With consumers becoming practicality knowledgeable and more informed, marketing agencies will need to dig deep into buyers’ persona to continue to stay relevant with the companies’ marketing objective.
Fret not, we’ve got your back, and we’ve focused on a few of the changes and technological advances, which could make marketing moves a complete win or lose in 2018.Native ads are coming in from the coldThere is no denying that Native Advertising is actually a concept that some of today’s marketers just don’t get. There can be a couple of reasons, and we can see why. But, if native ads are done well, it can bring wonders that you’d definitely want to spot it.
To elaborate, a native advertising is something where a company features —typically editorial content, on a platform. That content is being used to market company’s products and services. Let me put it in a different perspective, native advertising is often an article about a problem or brands’ update. However, people don’t immediately think it is as an ad. Perhaps, you will detect it now, as it keeps a little of the brand’s voice here and there. Simply put, you can spot the brand name in the corner of the ad.
Frankly, the general idea behind native advertising is that it shows expertise and commitment, and this is what attracts your audience. Thus, it helps your audience to navigate the content, as the brand places itself upfront as a problem’s solution provider.
There is another way in to understand native advertising, in which a native Ad is created by a brand in the contextual link. That being said, we see many times a brand runs a piece of content—such as an article, to its hub content—“website”. Therefore, it’s not hard to spot a native ad, if you can a look at brands’ websites.
This year, it is going to change a little, as Native Advertising is turning from the untrustworthy version it used to be, into a first-class content—an absolute prerequisite for marketing. In addition, this will partly become a prerequisite for large brands to create a great quality first, and links and references to their services second.Live Streaming is growingTo some extent, live video is officially better. And why not, as technology is making it easier to create and access live streaming for users. People now can see live stream quite easily with a smartphone, and at superior levels.
The good news is, in 2018, the barriers to entry are virtually disappearing, and therefore, live video streams will blow up like a bang. However, this can prove invaluable for branding, as designers show how they do what they do, think about it! Some of the marketers will be great at it and others might not. The only winner of the deal is the one who will shine through connecting with his audience through honest and clear communication.
To explain my point, take the example of customers who are starting to expect that they will be able to speak to a company directly. And they successfully develop that close connection. All of their questions would be answered immediately in a time through social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook. And it is, not only it is going to attract your customers, but also it will make them believe they can jump in on a live stream and ask questions they want.
If there could be any big innovation in this medium, it can only be production quality. Yes, technology has made it much easier to produce high-quality live videos that seem to be created by professionals.Influencer Marketing-“Story Telling”It is beyond doubt that Influencer marketing is still around, milking people happy to jump on YouTube and watch videos by their favorite people. And now, whole careers are being built on influencer, making it a desirable job for many of the users with creative ideas. It’s all about how you deliver your content.
To analyze influencer marketing, it is vital to remember that influencers must have a story to tell their audience. Not only create the stories but structure them in such a way they attract the audience and make them respond to these stories.The Virtual WayAgain, VR has been proved to be one of the very powerful channels for marketers to grasp millions of customers worldwide. If we talk about 2018, it is still attractive to the majority of your audience. Which means tapping into the virtual way would definitely going to be on a number of brand agendas in 2018 for many marketers.
This includes Augmented Reality too, as it is among the powerful marketing tools—if you’re unclear about that, think of Pokémon Go. Many brands have used it to show customers what paint colors will look like in their kid’s room, kitchen walls etc.
Author Bio
Nancy Lamas works at top-notch Digital Marketing Company in Singapore, who is concerned to provide latest social media marketing consultation to the beginners and experienced professionals as well.
