There are some marketing trends that are on the rise this year and taking advantage of them could mean the difference between success or bust. Nick Brown shares the most important trends to keep in mind.

Digital marketing is one area that small businesses can’t ignore. The internet is slowly replacing brick and mortar stores and people are turning to their phones and desktops to shop online.

Whatever your product or service may be, you will want to have a website that will attract users and increase conversions. What better way to influence your users than with some good web design? Web design is a dynamic environment where new innovations pop up on a daily basis. Businesses both small and large are constantly looking for new ways to innovate in their business models.

There are some trends that are on the rise this year and taking advantage of them could mean the difference between success or bust. Here are some of the most important examples you should keep in mind.

1. Chatbots

You can’t discuss digital marketing without including one of the most essential additions to a website. Chatbots have proven themselves to be an extremely effective way to help users get to where they want to be. One of the main goals of a chatbot is to give the user a more interactive experience when browsing a website. Many users want to interact with something other than a computer algorithm within a search engine. This is where chatbots come in. They make it seem like you’re communicating with a human being instead of a bunch of numbers and maths. Unfortunately, the AI in chatbots hasn’t yet evolved to the point that it could hold a conversation on its own, but they’re getting there.

One of the most attractive features chatbots have is their instant messaging system. You are free to ask it anything you please and you will get a relevant result in a timely manner. This works day in and day out. If your user isn’t sure of what they need to purchase on your website, the chatbot will help guide them to their desired destination.

It’s no surprise that every business wants to get in on this kind of action. The artificial intelligence behind chatbots is constantly improving and web designers are clamouring to implement them. It’s estimated that around eighty percent of businesses will have chatbots on their websites by 2020. Not only is this feature highly sought out for practical reasons, but it also saves you quite a bit of money. Chatbots combine repetitive tasks and customer support in one cheap bundle.

2. Influencers

There are lots of ways for your product to make a name for itself. Word-of-mouth is the oldest and most effective method for spreading the good word of a brand. In today’s fast-paced world where everyone is connected through the internet, you might think word of mouth doesn’t work as well as it used to. However, you’ll find that it has simply adapted to a new environment.

You might be asking yourself: what is an online influencer, exactly? You can think of them as key leaders and role models on various pieces of social media. They encompass a large array of different professions. Business savvy individuals and popular media personalities are known to dabble in the influencer business.

Consumers would much rather trust the opinion of another consumer instead of relying on ads. You can use an influencer to help you attract consumers by having them talk about your products or services. This way, you can have all the benefits from organic word of mouth marketing while also speaking to a very large audience.

3. Video marketing

Incorporating video in your digital marketing strategy is one of the smartest moves you could make this year. There’s something about personalised video content that makes users feel more appreciated. It works leagues better than any other form of content. Watching a video makes potential customers much more confident in their purchase decision. This happens for a variety of reasons.

For starters, video marketing feels much more interactive than looking at still photos and audio. A lot of dedication and focus goes into making a good video. With the recent decrease in the cost of filming equipment and the increase in the quality of cameras, making a video is much more accessible to smaller businesses than ever before.

Live feed videos are becoming especially popular as of recently. A large number of businesses use it to promote interviews and behind the scenes footage of a live event. Many Australian businesses even use it to show people what it’s like in the office. It can be a great asset when it comes to recruiting new talent.

4. Quality content

Content is still king in advertising and making it high-quality is the best way to attract customers. If your content is both entertaining and informative, you’ll find that it will spread all on its own without needing much help.

It might seem like an obvious tip, but you would be surprised at the number of Australian companies that don’t offer good original content on their websites. In this day and age, the average user is much more internet savvy and they aren’t impressed by the run of the mill stuff anymore. You need something that is striking and effective in order to stand out from your competitors.

Good content doesn’t just make you stand out in the business, it also helps search engines determine whether or not to put your website on the first page of search results. However, there are a lot of factors that you need to watch out for when optimising for searches. This can extend far beyond the knowledge of your marketing team. Your content has to be optimised for location and business demographic. 

Personalised content is where it’s at right now. There has been an increased demand for more nuance in today’s content. There’s nothing wrong with appealing to the masses with your content, but is aimed towards more specialised fields can net you a large number of dedicated users.

5. Voice search & AI

Artificial intelligence has one more trick up its sleeve in digital marketing. With the rising popularity of voice assistants like Siri and Alexa, businesses have set their sights on taking advantage of voice searches for their business.

The steady rise of voice searches has been attributed to the popularity of smartphones. It’s much more convenient to tell your phone what you want instead of typing it out on a small screen. Not to mention the futuristic feeling that goes with using your voice to do everyday activities like shopping online. Both millennials and older generations alike enjoy having this luxury available to them.

When it comes to optimising for voice searches, web design is crucial. The way search engines find relevant queries with voice searches is a bit different. They don’t display all that many results that you can choose from. Having additional steps to the process defeats the whole purpose of having a quick method of searching. Instead, the search engine skims the first result for relevant answers and gives them to the user. Because of this, it’s extremely important that your website is as specialised as possible. Use long-tail keywords often and make sure that the website is optimised for mobile.

Small business digital marketing might seem like a difficult task at first, but you shouldn’t fret. You are going up against media conglomerates and large businesses, but they are just as confused as you are. The internet is still a wild environment where everything changes in the blink of an eye, which is why everyone is on equal footing. As long as you try your hand in some of these innovative ideas, it’s very likely that your online business will flourish thanks to your well-designed website and good marketing strategy.