Do you want to reach more people online and expand your business? Digital marketing is here to stay. It is a concept used by businesses, big and small, in all areas of society. With that in mind, let us explore four trends currently at the vanguard of the industry.
Sustainability and the Environment
A quarter into the 21st century, few things are more important than environmental protection and sustainability. After all, we live in a world struggling to cope with a population of close to eight billion people and the consequences that this brings. In this day and age, air and water pollution have reached unprecedented levels, wildlife continues to diminish, and the planet is slowly being depleted of its natural resources.
Still, this has lead both governments and the private sector to open their eyes and understand the importance of reversing the environmental damage human beings have caused in the last 50 years or so.
From a digital marketing perspective, it represents an increase in the number of businesses in the energy sector using websites, social media, and other platforms to promote their products and services. Examples include solar energy and ventilation enterprises working with experts in HVAC digital marketing to save costs, advertise more efficiently, and reach potential customers.
Customer Service and Automation
Everybody knows what a chatbot is. And even if you are not familiar with the exact term, once explained, you will also know. In Layman’s terms, a chatbot is a simple computer program created to simulate a conversation with a human being, oftentimes over the internet and through a chat.
For companies and government institutions alike, there are many benefits to using chatbots. First, they constitute an enormous amount of money in savings stemming from labor costs. Second, chatbots can work on a 24-hour basis. This means that no matter where your customers are, they will always find “somebody” to talk to at any time during the day or night. Finally, chatbots provide businesses with reliability and trust. A robot will never lie to you or disclose confidential corporate information for personal gain.
Yet, as many benefits as they bring, chatbots also come with a significant flaw, at least until very recently. Any person with even a fraction of intelligence will soon realize he is talking to a machine. Nevertheless, as technology continues to develop, this is becoming less obvious to the average consumer.
Inclusiveness and User Involvement
Every year, companies spend millions of dollars on TV advertising, billboards at airports and train stations, and full-page layouts on newspapers and magazines. If you know the sport of football, you are probably aware of the Superbowl and the exorbitant cost of a 60-second commercial during the game. The same is true for the FIFA World Cup and the Summer and Winter Olympic Games.
While the largest multinational corporations can afford this, medium and small businesses cannot. Unless your name is Apple, Coke, Microsoft, or Sony, chances are you need to focus your promotional strategies on something else.
Enter digital marketing and online advertising, the biggest handicap in the industry. As long as you have the right promotional online strategy and a great product or service to sell, you can reach billions across the world at a fraction of the price. And best of all, they not only have to watch what you are selling, but they can also participate through chat rooms and virtual presentations, voice their opinions and share them with others, and even get involved in the creation process.
The Value of Information
If you work at Nike, the last thing you want is to give your client information on sports clothing and equipment manufactured by Reebok. As a sales manager at McDonald’s, you don’t want to promote the latest chicken sandwich offered at the local KFC or Burger King shop. This is self-explanatory and common sense. No business will ever grow by letting people become aware of the competition.
However, the consumer of today is much more intelligent and savvy than in years past. As such, a limited amount of information is no longer enough. He demands not only to know about your enterprise but also the entire industry surrounding it.
In the age of digital marketing, if you want to engage your customers either on social media or your corporate site, you need to provide them with valuable information. It includes industry news, the latest trends, and future developments.
Whether you do it through Instagram posts or written content, the key is to help consumers make the right decisions. They will respect you much more for it than if you simply bombard them with ads about yourself.
Four trends in digital marketing are environmental friendliness, automation, and AI, inclusiveness, and relevant, useful information. In an ever-developing world with unlimited access to information, they are sure to continue for the foreseeable future.
