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The Future Of Digital Marketing: 4 Trends That Will Shape The Industry

Stuart Crawford

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From VR and AI to marketing automation, data and tech, here are 4 trends that will shape the future of digital marketing. Follow the Blog for more.

The Future Of Digital Marketing: 4 Trends That Will Shape The Industry

Whether selling on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, digital marketing has evolved beyond driving traffic to your website. It's becoming a powerful tool for businesses that want to convert that traffic into sales.

While digital marketing may seem like the newest advertising form, the truth is that it has been around much longer than you might realise. From simple banner ads to Facebook's recent purchase of Instagram, we're in the midst of a significant shift in the world of digital marketing. And it's one that you don't want to miss out on. Today, we're talking about four trends shaping the industry soon. Take a look.

The future of digital marketing is here, and it's time to think about what lies ahead.

Artificial Intelligence: How It Will Impact Marketers

Google Smart Artificial Intelligence

Several factors play a significant role in the rise of AI. One such factor is the Internet of Things (IoT), as explained by Indeema. Many major players in the technology industry today have made significant investments in AI and IoT. So let us look at these two technologies' impact on digital marketing.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been around since the late 1940s. In recent years, AI has evolved considerably, and we have seen a drastic improvement in AI technology. The advancements in AI are being made in multiple areas of the world, including Asia, Europe, and America.

 These advancements are mainly in three main areas:

Deep learning – A machine learning technique where a computer is taught to learn through example, much like how humans learn. This helps in processing data, and the machine can process large amounts of data quickly and efficiently.

Machine learning – A method of applying the theory of AI. This allows for data to be processed and machines to learn for themselves.

Natural language processing is a method of analysing text data using natural language processing.

Internet of Things (IoT) is a concept that involves the interconnection of uniquely identifiable devices within the Internet infrastructure. 

The use of IoT is rapidly growing and is expected to continue its growth. IoT is considered one of the most significant game changers in the history of digital marketing. IoT will be estimated to increase to a $2 billion market in the next ten years.

It is a network of physical objects or “things” embedded with electronics, software, sensors, actuators, and connectivity, enabling these objects to collect and exchange data. It provides a platform for creating intelligent objects which can automate actions and capture information from the real world. IoT allows these smart objects to communicate and interact with each other and human operators, regardless of their physical location or network type.

IoT helps to track and manage data from different locations. The IoT platform collects information from different sources and processes the data. Data is then shared via different devices. Data is collected and used in multiple ways. It helps improve companies' service and provide better services to customers.

Digital marketing is one of a business's most challenging and promising aspects. It involves many technological developments and a continuous flow of new data and information. Companies must clearly understand the customer, the market and what they want to achieve. AI plays a crucial role in digital marketing by providing insights and detailed customer data analysis. 

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It provides a 360-degree view of the customer and valuable information about their interests and buying behaviour. AI is a tool that we can use to predict and forecast a customer's buying behaviour. It helps marketers to understand the customer and what they are searching for. AI helps to target and customise marketing messages to the customer.

The Internet of Things has given birth to new technology and the emergence of AI. AI is helping in many aspects of our day-to-day lives – we can see this technology in use by the many chatbots available today. Chatbots are becoming increasingly popular, and there are now more than 50 million active bots on Facebook Messenger alone. 

Bots are a great way of interacting with customers and are helpful in various ways. They can be used to answer questions, conduct transactions and even provide information. They are a great way of engaging with customers and a great way of increasing sales.

One of the essential aspects of AI is natural language processing. Natural language processing (NLP) allows computers to analyse and interpret the text to understand what the text is saying. Computers and AI can read and understand texts in a very similar manner to humans. There are several tasks that we can apply to NLP. One of the most common tasks is sentiment analysis. This is the process of evaluating the emotional state of a text. It can help to determine the importance of a message.

Personalisation: How it Will Change Marketing

Woocommerce Personalisation To Increase Conversion Rates

Personalisation is the future of marketing. The old rules of segmentation, targeting and advertising do not apply anymore. The digital world is a place where personalisation has taken over. The same technology that allows us to send messages to individual users at scale also allows companies to tailor content and message to each user individually. This means that the way marketing content is delivered has changed dramatically in recent years.

The rise of mobile and social media platforms is one reason for this. However, many companies have already begun to leverage these technologies to deliver personalised customer experiences, whether on their mobile apps, social media channels or websites. 

Companies like Netflix and Amazon Prime have successfully used their apps to deliver personalised recommendations and discounts to customers. Facebook has used its extensive user data to target messages directed at specific groups of individuals.

There are two main reasons why personalised marketing has become so important. First, the rise of the social web has meant that people spend most of their time online interacting with others rather than using the internet solely for information searching. Second, digital interactions are highly likely to result in a sale, whether for a product or service.

A third trend driving personalised marketing is the growth of content marketing. Increasingly, businesses are creating content specifically for different types of individuals or groups of people. Over 80% of marketers today are producing content in some form. Content marketing is used for everything from attracting new customers and gaining leads to generating demand for specific products and services to helping existing customers stay loyal.

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This shift towards personalised customer experiences is also creating new challenges for marketers. The key issues they face include ensuring the data they use to personalise content is accurate and up-to-date. They must ensure that any changes they make to their campaigns are correctly tested and rolled out to maximise the impact. Finally, they must ensure they are not wasting the customer's time. After all, the more personalised the content, the less likely they will make a purchase.

The continued use of personalisation will heavily influence the future of digital marketing. With that in mind, what will the key trends be over the coming year?

Personalised Recommendations

A personalised recommendation is a vital part of the future of marketing. Many companies already use recommendation engines to deliver targeted products and services to individuals. For example, Google Now, a predictive search feature built into Android phones, provides personalised results based on location, time and context. Amazon Prime, a membership scheme that delivers movies, music, books and TV shows to customers for a small monthly fee, leverages a recommendation engine to suggest items they might be interested in.

However, personalised recommendations are not just about delivering relevant products and services. In many cases, the recommendation engine itself can also help improve the customer experience. As a result, businesses are looking to incorporate personalisation into all aspects of their digital strategy.

More Data

Companies are becoming more open about their customer data. This includes email addresses, phone numbers, purchase history, and demographic information. While there are legitimate reasons for collecting this data, we can also use it for marketing purposes. However, with the increased willingness to share this information, collecting and protecting customer data is becoming harder.

As a result, the focus will increasingly be on using artificial intelligence to analyse and process massive amounts of data. In some cases, this will mean that companies can make better predictions about the customers they have already collected. In other cases, they will be able to predict what the next steps will be in the customer journey.

Customer Control

As discussed earlier, personalised marketing involves more than simply providing personalised recommendations. Many businesses are looking to go further than that and offer real choices to customers. This usually takes the form of allowing customers to opt-in to different products and services.

This is already starting to happen. Last year, for example, Tesco was the first major supermarket to allow customers to customise their weekly shop with the help of a smartphone app.

User Generated Content: How It Will Change Marketing

7 Examples Of Awesome User Generated Content Campaigns

Digital content is a vital part of modern marketing. With the rapid growth of social media, digital content has become the norm. Content marketing experts believe that users will be the primary source of all the content that companies create in the future. The traditional content marketing model will become obsolete, and companies must embrace the new content marketing landscape to stay relevant.

There are various types of user-generated content, such as videos, photos, blog posts and social media updates. Many businesses have used user-generated content for online communication in the last two years. 

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As the rise of user-generated content is gaining traction, marketers are beginning to realise the potential of this medium and are taking steps to embrace it.

A recent study has shown that users trust others more than companies regarding content. When consumers search for information online, they turn to their peers first. It's time for businesses to get on board and understand the benefits of user-generated content.

1 – User-Generated Content Can Be More Authentic

The quality of user-generated content is unmatched by any other type of content. People have unique perspectives and voices, and these voices are authentic and genuine. Businesses can use this authenticity to connect with their customers and improve their overall experience.

2 – User-Generated Content Can Be More Interactive

Users love engaging with each other. They are naturally curious about what their peers say and want to learn more about how brands are perceived. Companies can capitalise on this curiosity to make their content more interactive. Users also respond more positively to brands that offer opportunities for interaction.

3 – User-Generated Content Can Increase Brand Awareness

People don't just share their thoughts on Facebook; they also share their experiences and opinions on Twitter and Instagram. It's not uncommon to see influencers post photos of products or services they endorse on their social networks. Brands can use this content to attract new customers and increase brand awareness.

4 – User-Generated Content Can Improve the Customer Experience

User-generated content improves the overall customer experience. Customers prefer brands that provide authentic and helpful interactions. They also appreciate brands that are transparent and answer questions on time. Brands should encourage users to post feedback and interact with them.

5 – User-Generated Content Can Help Companies Grow Their Reputation

When people choose a product or service based on the recommendation of others, it helps their reputation. Social media platforms make it easy for users to share reviews and recommendations. Users are naturally more likely to buy products or services that are reviewed well.

So, to gain a competitive advantage in your business, you need to start using user-generated content.

Data: How It Will Impact Marketing

Data Driven Digital Marketing

Digital marketing has evolved recently, and there is no denying that social media platforms and mobile technology have entirely changed traditional marketing. There are several ways through which this kind of digital marketing is done. One of the most powerful ways is through the use of data. Data analytics is vital in digital marketing and helps determine marketing campaigns' success.

Data Analytics and Digital Marketing

Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn are considered the most comprehensive customer data sources. With more and more customers using these platforms to shop and communicate with businesses, it's easy to understand why data analytics are used to measure the success of such campaigns.

As a brand, there are various methods through which you can use data to increase your customer engagement. For example, sending targeted emails to users based on their interests is now possible. This helps in driving traffic to your website and increasing your conversion rate.

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Moreover, data analytics are also being used to understand which customers are more likely to buy from your website and which are more likely to share the content on social media platforms. This helps you to create and tailor your online advertising strategy according to the user's profile.

Data analytics can help create a personalised customer experience. With this in mind, you can design a website that appeals to each user and offers relevant information. Similarly, it is also possible to personalise the content on social media platforms according to the type of content the user likes and the activities they perform on the platform.

We can also use data analytics to make informed business decisions. In this regard, you can analyse the data related to your competitors and find out the associated trends. Once you do this, you can quickly devise strategies to beat them.

The Future of Data Analytics

With the advent of artificial intelligence, data analytics are evolving and will play an increasingly important role in digital marketing. AI (Artificial Intelligence) can help analyse data and make predictions based on it. It can even help in making better decisions by identifying patterns and trends.

In the future, data analytics will play a key role in healthcare and finance. It will be possible to gather and process a large amount of data from a single source, such as wearable devices. With this in mind, analysing the data and making accurate predictions is now easier.

This means it will be possible to identify diseases much earlier and predict their progress in the future. In the medical field, doctors can diagnose their patients' conditions much faster. Furthermore, they can predict the outcome of a particular treatment and adjust it accordingly.

Similarly, it will be possible to gather vast data on a country's economic policies in the finance sector. This can help in formulating the right economic policies. Data analytics will also help in the development of insurance products and policies.

Data analytics play a critical role in digital marketing and are expected to be even more crucial in the coming years. Using this data to make better decisions and develop effective marketing strategies will be possible.

Conclusion

Digital marketing is about better understanding your customers, giving them more options, and creating a better experience. That means being aware of what they want and what their problems are. That also means learning from them and building a relationship based on mutual respect. It also means creating truly tailored experiences for your customers and providing a better experience than before.

It's about helping them understand what they want and helping them achieve that. But it's also about creating something authentic. It's not about tricking people into buying a product but about giving them a genuine and trustworthy experience. It's about creating value for your customers.

Want to stay ahead of the competition? Get the full scoop on these four trends in our new digital marketing report.

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Written By
Stuart Crawford
Stuart Crawford is an award-winning creative director and brand strategist with over 15 years of experience building memorable and influential brands. As Creative Director at Inkbot Design, a leading branding agency, Stuart oversees all creative projects and ensures each client receives a customised brand strategy and visual identity.

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