1. Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is considered the cutting edge of technology by many. But in a few years, it may be as standard as smartphones are today.

Divorced from all the implications of popular science fiction movies, AI is a computer or robot that can gather facts about a situation through sensors or through human input. It can then use this information to solve problems or perform tasks.

More specifically, AI is a computer system that can perform a task which normally requires human intelligence. This is also the primary reason people fear AI.

AI has numerous potential applications in marketing. But in 2019, you’ll mostly see AI deployed for content marketing, customer service, and advertising.

Before you start worrying, know that AI isn’t currently positioned to make every content marketer’s job obsolete. AI is mostly used today to identify trends, drum up data, and do competitor research.

2. Programmatic Advertising

Managing ads is a full-time job. But with so many new channels to reach customers through, not even a full-time advertising team has enough hours in the day to keep up. That’s why more and more companies are trying to let AI take it over.

Programmatic advertising is a process that uses AI to buy and place advertisements based on targeting algorithms. If this sounds familiar, it’s because it’s already widely used. By 2020, over 86% of all digital display ads will be purchased through automated channels.

However, programmatic advertising extends beyond cyberspace. It can also be used to buy and sell different kinds of media, from display advertisements to out-of-home ads.

The key differentiator between programmatic and traditional advertising is that programmatic can occur in real time. This puts more power in the hands of the advertiser.

Potentially, even small advertisers can leverage programmatic advertising for maximum ROI. But it’s precisely how they use this power that determines whether advertisers are successful.

Programmatic advertising relies on a combination of automation, big data, and technical expertise. You still need human capital to do it, which not every business has.

In its current form, it’s a better option for brands with mass-market appeal than those with niche appeal. Nonetheless, with programmatic ads taking over digital display advertising, it’s a trend to keep tabs on

3. Video Marketing

Video marketing has been an important tactic for big brands for years. But video is changing.By 2020, video will make up more than 85% of all consumer internet traffic in the U.S. Most of the videos people will be watching won’t be uploaded by brands or businesses – they’ll be uploaded by individuals.

One of the biggest hang-ups many businesses have with video marketing is the production aspect. They want their videos to look professional – like they were produced by Hollywood directors.

But anyone can harness the benefits of video by using simple recording tools. Most people aren’t looking for dazzling special effects on YouTube. They just want good content that’s entertaining, informative, and story-driven.Take this video from marketing CRM company HubSpot.

4. Chatbots

Human beings are social animals. And part of that is interacting with other humans, having a voice and being heard. This is why social media networks like Facebook and LinkedIn are so popular.

However, constantly engaging in social media is not the end-all answer to becoming closer to your customers- you can install a chatbot on your website to interact with website visitors on their terms.

With the improvement in artificial intelligence over the years, chatbots have improved by having the ability to hold a basic conversation with visitors and answer most-asked questions like a live human customer support representative would.

Even though many websites have been offering live chat support systems with live representatives on the other end for years, the system has still not been robust as people still experience long wait times.

A chatbot is cheaper than a customer support person because it doesn’t have to be staffed and it can answer visitors’ questions almost immediately.

5. Email and Marketing Automation

Email has been a popular tool for a long time, but email 15 years ago is different from what it is Now

Now, businesses can send different emails to different subscribers based on their interests, which is usually determined by the content they engage with.

Personalization makes email more effective. However, personalization is not only applicable to email- it’s applicable to all your marketing efforts.

Plus, the new GDPR consumer protection ordinance that recently took effect ensures that the people receiving your emails want to receive them by clearly opting into your marketing communication. Although it adds a few extra layers to reaching people, it means you’re now emailing the people closest to closing – the warm leads and happy consumers, the people most likely to buy and buy again.

To improve your email communications, start repurposing it as a lead nurture and customer engagement tool. Use it to encourage learning and behaviors most closely associated with the big buyers in your database.

6. Video

With platforms like Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, Facebook Live, video is a big trend online that will continue to grow.
Traditional content that people had to watch on their TV in the past is now available through their smartphones at the touch of their fingertips.
According to Cisco, 82% of internet traffic will be through video by 2021 but you don’t have to wait till 2021, you can start taking advantage of the trend now.

7. Facebook dynamic ads get a boost

Dynamic ads are not new to Facebook but now machine learning can now customize users’ experience at scale. This opens the door to delivering a specific ad to different users based on their activity or preferences. How does this work? It’s basically a combination of data, signals, and insights from Facebook and the advertisers. This will include Dynamic Format & Ad Creative, delivering content in different formats based on users’ behavior. If that’s not enough, Multiple Text Optimization allows you to customize your Facebook ads’ main text, headline, and description fields. It doesn’t stop there:  the new auto-translating feature will allow you to reach out to users based on their local language.

• V Practical classes
• Friendly faculty
• Industry standard resources
• Conducive atmosphere for learning
• Internship opportunities
• Placement support

8.Voice Search

Voice search is undoubtedly rising in popularity. By 2020, 50% of all queries will be voice-based according to Comscore.

There are mainly two types of voice search: Those that are implemented by smart speakers such as Amazon’s Alexa, Apple Homepod, Google Home and Microsoft’s Cortana which give searchers immediate voice answers to their questions and those that are installed in desktops, and smartphones such as Siri and Google Assistant which display written search results.

Top brands are thinking how to deliver their promises using voice-enabled devices because they are affordable and offer greater capabilities than ever before while more visitors are using voice search to interact with these brands.

Businesses should also focus their outreach efforts on using voice engine optimization. Marketers must use a more natural language SEO to create content accordingly. This requires them to think what their target audience may use in their voice queries as well as focus on long-tail keywords because searchers are likely to be more specific when asking a question. For instance, in one question, a shopper may request information about time, price, location and other details which sound heavy for written search queries.

As a result, marketers can leverage these opportunities to deliver more targeted, specific content which leads to increase their click-through rates.

9.SEO, Organic Search

Google updated its search algorithm throughout the first two weeks of November. Starting Nov. 7, some marketers saw 30-50% swings up or down in Google organic placement and traffic. However, major tracking tools have not seen major shifts in rankings. Google confirmed that they have made several smaller updates over the course of the last week.

Additional changes in the algorithm can impact your rankings. You may need to review your SEO strategy and make alterations based on the latest updates from Google.

Significant volatility did not register in major tracking tools such, as MOZ and SEMrush, but the search community spotted big changes and Google confirmed those updates. So check your rankings and search traffic from Google. Are you up? Awesome! Down? Look into Google’s advice on how to respond to the updates.

10. Facebook adds new Branding

On Nov. 4, Facebook rebranded to represent the parent company that owns Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and more. The simple logo – just the word FACEBOOK – will be integrated into all the company’s applications in the coming weeks.

Most marketers already know of the ownership relationships among Facebook and the other platforms and systems it owns. Now, consumers will get it.

11. Instagram Removes Like Counts

Instagram has tested removal of like counts around the world. The likes first disappeared in Canada last May and extended to several other countries before hitting the US this month. Users will still be able to view the likes they receive; followers won’t see the likes on the accounts of others.

As a marketer, you will be able to see how many people liked your content, so there is no need for immediate change. However, it’s time to get ahead of the expanding wave of privacy on social. Consider privacy issues when crafting your social media presence and keep abreast of privacy updates coming from social platforms.

12. Omnichannel Marketing

Omnichannel” is a term that gets thrown around a lot. But it’s not just a buzzword. The best way to understand omnichannel is to compare it to the term “multichannel.”

In a multichannel marketing strategy, you set up various marketing touchpoints which reinforce each other to ease a customer through their buying journey. For example, you may use social media as a channel to attract visitors to your website and email as a channel to nurture leads.

Omnichannel is similar. But it’s more universal.The combining form, “Omni,” means “all,” “of all things,” or “in all ways or places.” Simply put, an omnichannel marketing strategy means you create marketing touchpoints that work together on every available channel. At the very least, you create consistent touchpoints on all the channels your customers use.

Most businesses use social media, search, and email as marketing channels. Although social media is still the top digital marketing channel according to 81% of marketers according to a survey by Clutch, customers (especially consumers) aren’t just engaging with brands by commenting on Facebook posts.

Some channels you should investigate are:

• Ephemeral video (such as Facebook and Instagram stories)
• Podcasts
• Smartphone apps
• Live broadcasts
• Live chat
• SMS
• PR and press releases
• Offline ads (they’re making a comeback)
• Direct mail (it’s also making a comeback)
• Offline events
• Chatbots and virtual assistants

13. Augmented Reality or Virtual Reality

How powerful will your marketing be if your prospects can test your product right now before making any commitment? You can eliminate most of the risk that prospects take when they decide to buy your product for the first time.

Using augmented/virtual reality to release your product ensures that there’s no risk on your prospect’s part and shows that you are ahead of the game.
Here’s a breakdown between the two:

Augmented reality inserts objects into a real-life setting. This allows people to add an item to an environment and see how it will look like when the object is included in it.

Virtual reality creates a completely new environment that an individual can experience and besides using it in games, businesses can also use it for marketing purposes.

Both technologies have been increasing in usage over the years. According to eMarketer, 48.1 million Americans will experience augmented reality at least once per month in 2018. That figure is expected to rise to 54.4 million in 2019.

Likewise, 36.7 million Americans are expected to experience virtual reality in 2018. That figure will probably rise to 49.2 million in 2019. And Business Innovation Center predicts that the AR/VR technology will reach a market volume of $150 billion by 2020.

One of the most popular applications of augmented reality is from IKEA.

With IKEA’s augmented reality app, individuals about to buy a piece of furniture can see how it will fit into space they want to put it in. The app got 8.5 million downloads and many potential buyers.

14. Native Advertising

People are exposed to many ads on a daily basis. Here’s an example of a native ad on The New York Times website.

But most prospects don’t want blatant selling or feel like a product is pushed down their throats. In some cases, website visitors get pop up ads that interfere with their user experience.

It frustrates the user when ads make it difficult to view a web page in peace which is one of the reasons the number of installed ad blockers have been increasing over the years. In 2016, 24.4% of U.S. internet users blocked ads. That figure is expected to rise to 30.1% in 2018.

Since prospects are already using ad blockers, one way to get your message across is through native advertising.

The main essence of native ads is that they’re not supposed to look like ads. And in most cases, a native ad would be mistaken as normal content on a page if it’s not labeled as an ad.

The most popular way that native ads are used is on social media where users are most receptive. Apart from social media, Amazon is also playing a major role in the growth of native ads.

eMarketer expects native ads to grow faster than the total U.S. display market. The amount spent on native ads in 2018 is expected to reach $32.9 billion, 58.3% of the total display ad spending. In 2019, this is even expected to rise to $41.14 billion, 61.4% of the total ad spending.

They further explained in the report that 77% of all mobile display ad dollars will be spent on native ads and 96% on native social advertising.

Below is an example of a native ad on apartment therapy by the Mindy Project show on Hulu. One thing you’ll notice is that the ad suits the website’s content about apartments:

With the use of native advertising, Toshiba got a 0.78% engagement rate on its ads compared to 0.14% that it got through traditional mobile ads.

15. Quora Launches New Google Tag Manager Integration

Quora has announced a new integration with Google Tag Manager to help streamline its data tracking tools. On Tag Manager – in order to make it easier for advertisers to gather relevant data points for their on-platform ad targeting, Quora has now become an approved tag vendor with Google, facilitating new opportunities for tracking. With the Quora Pixel, you can create pixel event audiences to retarget website visitors and build lookalike audiences of your best customers. Placing the pixel on your site unlocks some of Quora’s most effective targeting options, allowing advertisers to drive optimal campaign performance.

The Quora Pixel works much like the same on other platforms – for example, the Facebook Pixel which more advertisers would be familiar with. Tag manager simplifies the process of adding pixel tracking and saves you from having to alter your site code.

16. Search marketing

Since Google dominates the results that businesses get from search engine marketing our summary of the search trends here focuses on Google. Carolanne Mangles reported for us back in August on some of the biggest changes Google made in 2018, many of which will be deployed and evolve in 2019. The most obvious change is the launch of the Google Marketing Platform which saw AdWords renamed to Ads and the Doubleclick ad platform and analysis tools like Google Analytics, Data Studio, and AB testing through data studio more tightly integrated.

For organic search the update to keep an eye on in 2019 is Google’s Speed Update which penalizes slower sites and was released after months of trials. While this will initially only affect the slowest sites, from past experience, we can expect Google will change the weighting on the algorithm to affect more sites that don’t improve their speed within time.

Another ongoing organic change to track in 2019 is the evolution of Google’s search snippets which I track adoption of via the Mozcast SERPs features analysis:

This shows the importance of the features integrated into the organic SERPS of which related questions are currently at an all-time high with images and featured snippets remaining important. The prominence of these features shows the importance of understanding and answering the questions your audience ask as a more conversational search develops via smartphone and voice-activated smart speakers. The chart also shows the near complete switchover to secure https amongst leading sites the Mozcast monitors in its review of SERPS for 10,000 commonly used keywords.

17.Social Media Trends:

The government-commissionedannual Communications Market Review is one of the best sources for compiling data on Internet and Social Media usage.

The latest report, published last month has a good visualization summarising the most recent changes in age-related usage of social networks use of the main social networks between 2016 to 2018:

The visualization gives a great summary of the changes in three of the main consumer network:

• Facebook– Static or declining in most age groups except the older (55+ age group) which is now the biggest group of users
• Instagram– Increase in usage across all age groups with the largest, the 25 to 34 age group followed by 18 to 24
• Snapchat– The largest increase and biggest user group is again the 25 to 34 age group showing that Snapchat isn’t just for teens. Indeed, there are also increases in users in older age groups which are not far behind the younger age groups in adoption levels. However, the frequency of use isn’t considered in this compilation.

We can expect that Instagram ad spend continues to increase in line with increased usage and better advertising options on the platform. This shift in ad spend is indicated by a Merkle report of their clients’ investments that showed that while Facebook ad spend grew 40 percent year over year in Q2 2018, ad spend on Instagram jumped 177 percent during the same time period.

Within Facebook, increased use of Messenger is an opportunity. The latest statistics from Facebook show the importance of Messenger: with 1.3 billion people use Messenger every month; 8 billion messages exchanged between people and businesses every month and 78% of people with smartphones using messaging every month. As well as targeted sponsored ads, use of Messenger for conversations is a major trend. Nike has one of the most advanced commercial chat applications and well used implementations I have seen that is worth checking out.

18. Micro-Moments

As more users are processing their online activities using their smartphones, marketers continue to leverage micro-moments to attract their audience’s attention and fulfill their instant decisions.

Whenever a customer searches for something, looks for a nearby store, wants to finalize a task or makes a purchase, marketers can take advantage of these types of micro-moments to create targeted content and advertising.

In order for marketers to succeed in using micro-moments, they should understand the basic practices of each one. Let’s take for instance the “I-want-to-go-moments”. Brick and mortar stores can take advantage of such a moment by capitalizing on “near me” searches, which have grown 2X between 2016 and 2017 according to Google. This requires storefronts to optimize their locations on their websites or apps. Furthermore, they can go even beyond that by creating ads for their store’s location or popular products to improve their visibility in search engines and reach their time.

19. Personalization

If you’ve ever created a buyer persona, you’re already familiar with personalization.

90% of the U.S. population found personalized marketing content very or somewhat appealing in 2017, with only 4% saying it was not very or not at all appealing. According to Forbes, 44% of consumers say they are likely to buy from a company again after a personalized shopping experience.

Marketing personalization has numerous benefits:

• Better customer experiences
• Increased brand loyalty
• More revenue
• Cross-channel selling opportunities
• Brand consistency

Whether it’s a name on a Starbucks cup or a shout out on a video message, people love knowing that their favorite brands recognize them and care about their experiences. This stands in stark contrast to the marketing tactics of old.

Blanket ad campaigns and catchy jingles just don’t cut it anymore. Businesses no longer have control over the sales process. The customer holds all the cards.

It’s now up to businesses to make buying from them as easy and enjoyable as possible.

But personalization is taking on a whole new meaning thanks to marketing automation and other technologies. For example, email personalization will soon go far beyond simply auto-filling a recipient’s first name in the subject line.

Contacts will be segmented automatically based on new parameters, like search history and off-site activity. Emails will be sent based on a customer’s data profile, not simply because of time zones and rough guesses about email open rates at certain times of the day.

All in all, personalization will be the #1 tool for conversion rate optimization across every marketing channel. Expect to see more of the following:

• Personalized product recommendations
• Personalized social media messages
• Personalized video messages
• Targeted and triggered emails
• Advanced email personalization
• Automated contact segmentation
• Personalized digital advertising
• Web content personalization

Those businesses that prioritize creating an individualized experience for their customers will reap the rewards.

20.Facebook Introduces Automated Ads

Facebook Introduces Automated Ads to Help Small Businesses Meet Social Advertising Goals

Facebook announced its new plan to help small businesses meet their Facebook and Instagram advertising goals. They recognize that small businesses may lack the time and resources to advertise on social media, so they have created a new tool to make this process easier on them: Facebook Automated Ads.

Visit your Facebook Business Manager profile and answer a few questions about your business and marketing goals. In return, Facebook will develop a customized marketing plan for you based on your business goals.