2018 Digital Trends to Grow Your Business

2017 was a big year for digital and tech — and 2018 is looking to be even bigger! As technologies have evolved, brands now connect with consumers in new ways as they demand a more integrated experience. We share what we think are the major 2018 digital trends:

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Will be Commonplace

Artificial intelligence is no longer the product of science fiction. It’s real and helps brands better connect with their consumers. But what is it? Simply, it’s the study of how to make machines smart enough to solve  problems as well as people can. Combined with big data and machine learning, AI is expected to make a huge impact on how we market to our consumers. Think image recognition software, chatbots, speech recognition, recommendation engines, and programmatic advertising.

Voice Searches Are Shaping SEO

As the use of Siri, Amazon’s Alexa and Google Home, etc. increases, brands will begin optimizing their websites for how users search with their voices as opposed to typed.

According to Google, 20% of mobile search queries submitted via its app are already done using voice. Meanwhile, comScore estimates 30% of searches will be done without a screen by 2020.

Live Video Will Continue to Skyrocket

Live streaming started as a niche but has quickly been adopted by dominating social platforms like Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat. Unsurprisingly, live video accounted for 75% of all internet traffic in 2017 and is slated to increase.

Personalization Is Increasingly Important

The further that technology evolves, the higher consumers expectations are. If these expectations aren’t met, they can just click away in an instant. So, personalization, relevance, the customer experience, and tailored messaging will be key to truly connecting with your audience. AI and other technologies allow marketers to achieve this relevance at scale.

Strategic Social Media Will Become Your Best Chance at Reaching Followers

It’s no secret social channels are constantly updating their algorithms — making it harder and harder for you to reach your intended audience. That’s why 2018 is going to be the year for strategic, actionable social media plans for local businesses and large brands alike. Tailor content to your target user and be sure to keep up to date with trends.

Influencer marketing will evolve.

Brands will need to establish deeper, more authentic relationships with influencers, rather than a mere paid transaction that consumers see through. Micro-influencers with audience sizes of 1,000 – 100,000 followers will also gain more traction in the new year as their posts are likely to get up to 4x more engagement than macro influencers.

Mobile Video Viewing (and competition!) Is Growing

Video is king and brands have taken notice. In fact, brands have created video content to boost search engine rankings, increase engagement and website traffic rates. This will continue to grow in the new year.

Get Hyperlocal

Google and Facebook alike have begun incorporating local into their platforms, making it easier for local businesses to connect with their consumers. As ‘local’ becomes an increasingly hot topic, even larger national  businesses will focus on local marketing, ensuring all locations are appearing in local rankings in 2018.

No matter your goals for the new year — if you want your business’ digital presence to outshine the rest — you need to be on top of the latest in digital. Need some help? We’re here for you!

Contact us today to see how we can work together.