Every year the digital marketing landscape progresses towards further engaging individuals, and focuses on improving the user experience. All mediums of digital, whether it be social, email or online aim to keep users happy for longer, to maintain effectiveness (and of course a place in the annual marketing budget).

Now that we’ve kicked off 2018, here are some of the trends we believe will be key this year.

1. The Rise of Voice
Voice controlled devices are rapidly emerging. Although right now Voice is more relevant to brands who are more technologically advanced, it will be interesting to see how smaller businesses take advantage of voice in 2018, as it eventually moves to a more self-service medium. This will impact website design and layout, right through to thinking of SEO as it relates to voice-based searches.

2. Messenger Marketing
Messenger advertising became available in 2017, and chatbots were all the hype. As Messenger continues to grow in popularity, brands can leverage chatbots through Messenger advertising, encouraging individuals to take specific actions. With auto replies and automated sequences (think email funnels) delivered direct to the user in the world’s number 1 social platform – we believe messenger can’t be ignored. If you’re considering implementing a Messenger marketing strategy to your mix this year, contact us today.

3. Personalisation
As more data is easily accessible, personalisation of content and message is becoming simpler for small businesses. From custom retargeting campaigns, aiming to re-engage website visitors, to website variations depending on the visitor location, personalisation will continue to prosper in 2018.

4. Video is King
Video content has shown continued growth for the past years as more platforms have adapted to give video a home. LinkedIn launched their video offering last year, and it has taken the platform by storm – thrusting its relevance forward. Being able to easily deliver your message within a few seconds is a reason video has proved to be an extremely popular medium – think about how video can make your message more accessible.

5. Funnel Focus
An often talked about strategy throughout 2017, funnels will continue to be a focus in 2018, as they aim to increase the return on ad spend as well as increase efficiency – a double win for businesses. Advertising is getting more competitive for many niches, and by having an end-to-end funnel for visitors, leads and prospect means this process can be maximised. The rewards we are seeing clients reap by creating a simple welcome and nurture funnel are speaking for themselves.

Before you consider jumping on all of these trends, it’s vital to understand and consider what will actually benefit your business the most. Although a chatbot might not help your business, implementing a funnel may be the key to your success in 2018. Having a clear strategy in place is important to the success of many businesses. Ensuring it is realistic and actionable is also key, so If you’re looking to strategise your marketing plan for 2018, you can book a strategy session here.