Top tech trends that will affect digital marketing in 2019

Thu, 28/03/2019 - 14:32

While the time for “new year, new you” has come and passed for people, the same cannot be said of technology. There are trends emerging on a near-daily basis, such as the rise in popularity of IBM Watson, a natural language processing question-answering computer system which can be used for answering questions that customers ask by using natural language and machine learning. 

But IBM Watson is not just another chatbot. It also provides a marketing Cloud, which allows you to create an engaging digital experience for your consumers using AI and Watson-powered natural language. This content hub is growing in popularity and breaking the mould when it comes to content marketing.  

Other trends include using artificial intelligence (AI) to program media buying for better advert targeting. Cognitive computing is becoming more and more ubiquitous, which means that digital marketers need to sit up and pay attention to the trends in 2019. Read on to see which ones are gaining traction and should be at the top of your priority list. 

Artificial Intelligence will keep growing

By now most of us have heard the buzz about AI and have some form of understanding about it. Anyone who is an IBM partner knows it is a powerful tool for decision support and providing guidance with customer service. 

But AI will continue to grow in 2019 and will offer digital marketers the ability to meet customers at important touchpoints in their journeys by using chatbots and machine learning to provide data. You can analyse data quickly and efficiently, allowing you to provide solutions and services to consumers. While we have not reached science-fiction levels yet of machines taking over, digital marketers should strive to develop a stronger collaborative relationship with AI. 

Voice will become more voluminous

Voice search and functions will continue rising in popularity, especially with tools such as Alexa, Siri and now Google Home becoming more readily available. What this means for digital marketers is that any site that they create should be geared towards being voice-friendly, allowing consumers to ask questions such as “Alexa, where can I find the best burgers in town?” and having the answers easily available. 

An effective way to create a site that is voice friendly would be to build an FAQ section with these types of questions as the “headers” of the FAQs. If you want to answer the question of where the best burgers in town are, you should have information such as “We serve a variety of burgers including gluten-free and vegetarian options”. This will make it easy for Google or Alexa to find your website and provide your information as an answer to the consumer’s queries. 

Personalisation will prove useful

Personalisation is nothing new in digital marketing. In fact, it has become common for many advertisers to personalise the content they send to loyal customers. But in 2019, if you have not jumped aboard the personalisation train, you will find that your brand and your clients’ brands will be left behind in the dust. 

Personalising emails, product suggestions and more will become easier as data becomes readily available. For those who are IBM Watson partners or an IBM business partner, you will be able to use this data to customise your interactions with consumers. You can look at information such as purchase history, which links have been clicked on and the consumer behaviour in order to craft emailers and newsletters that are tailored to their preferences. Digital marketers will find that personalisation encourages customer loyalty. 

Video will become viral

People are visual creatures. While we do enjoy reading content, we often prefer seeing images or videos when it comes to interacting with brands. And in 2019, video will see a definite rise in popularity, especially with innovations such as IGTV leading the forefront of video advertising and content creation

A large number of consumers admit to sharing a brand’s video if it was engaging and relevant, and many state that watching a product video from a brand instils trust in their online purchases from this brand. Some consumers will even phone a company after watching a video to find out more information. Live video is also becoming increasingly popular, such as behind-the-scenes of a product shoot or a day-in-the-life-of an agency video. So, digital marketers need to pay attention to the popularity of video and incorporate it into their efforts. 

Think smart and stay on trend

Digital marketing is growing in leaps and bounds, and technological trends are growing on a regular basis. AI and voice are set to become major players in the marketing world, with personalisation and video fast on their heels. If you think smart, you will be able to harness these trends and use them to your advantage, just like we do here at Rogerwilco by providing unique insights and creative ideas to improve your marketing efforts. 

 

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