As digital marketing continues to take over the traditional marketing methods, it is evolving to keep pace with the growing consumer demands. The year 2017 was an exciting one for digital marketing as we saw many new trends emerge and dominate. 2018 will be no different. If you want to succeed in today’s cutthroat business environment, you need to stay one-step ahead of your competitors. Without learning about the latest trends, you will not be able to do that. To help digital marketers make 2018 a success, here are the top 10 digital marketing trends that you need to stay abreast of in 2018.

1. Video Is the New King

On numerous occasions, you might have been bombarded with age-old adages, such as customer is always right or content is the new Don of the underworld.This is all about to change as the video will overthrow them both and reclaim the throne to become the new king in 2018. According to a survey, 80% users say that they are more willing to watch a live video than to read a blog post.

This forces digital marketers to take video seriously if they want to succeed in the digital marketing realm in 2018. This is why 87% of digital marketers are already using video. Digital marketers will have to create engaging social videos for product promotions and take advantage of live videos by streaming live events to engage a global audience. Be it live video on Facebook or traditional videos on YouTube, a video will become the most powerful digital marketing tool in 2018.

2. Micro-Moments Will Be More Important Than Ever

Micro-moments are critical touch points throughout the buyer’s journey where customers are seeking reliable and timely information. Brands who anticipate these micro-moments and satisfy customers at every stage will achieve success in 2018. Customers are looking for instant and accurate responses, and when they fail to receive them, they tend to switch brands. Give customers one-touch access to information they are looking for and watch their satisfaction level soar, swiftly transforming into trust if this pattern continues.

3. Native Advertising Will Continue to Rise

How many times have you come across an irrelevant, making you scratch your head in confusion? How often did you have to contend with an ad that interrupted you while you were in the throes of an important commitment? We have all faced such situations multiple times. Thanks to the growing popularity of native advertising, all this is about to become a part of history. With native advertising, you can deliver the right information to the right user at the right time. This can go a long way in boosting customer engagement and enhancing brand reach.

4. Influencer Marketing Will Continue To Dominate

One digital marketing trend that is poised to dominate in 2018 is influencer marketing. Businesses will not only invest heavily in influencer marketing but also convert their satisfied customers into influencers to harness the power of word of mouth in 2018. Nothing can create a greater buzz and promote your product like an influencer doing it for you. People trust influencers more than their family and friend circles. Digital marketers will try to find relevant influencers for their products and services and rope them in to create the right hype around their business.

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5. Chatbots and AI Will Automate Marketing

What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word chatbots? If it conjures up unsavory images of those old school chatbots which were used for doling out pre-defined error messages and replies in their robotic tone, you might have been living under a rock the past decade. Robots are taking over white-collar jobs, writing news stories and doing much more than we can imagine. Chatbots have moved well beyond that and today they are driving marketing automation. By leveraging chatbots, digital marketers can send personalized messages and customize their brand voice according to the user. This opens up new avenues for digital marketers as they can communicate at a personal level with their customers.

6. Voice Marketing Will Gain Traction

Google currently receives 20% voice-based search queries. According to ComScore predictions, this number will escalate to 50%. Factor in the number of voice-based gadgets flooding the market including smart speakers and voice assistants, along with the convenience of performing a voice search, you can make sure that voice marketing will be all the rage in 2018.

7. Personalized Content and Perishable Content

Social media apps that let you create and share content that expires after 24 hours will make splashes in 2018. Snapchat and Instagram are projected to become the center of attention as digital marketers look to take advantage of higher engagement from such posts. Do not be surprised to see exponential growth in Snapchat and Instagram as they threaten social media leading platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. HubSpot defines smart content as, “Content that is intelligently personalized to your customer needs.” Content personalization will become the top priority for digital marketers in 2018.

8. Mixed Reality Will Revolutionize Customer Experience

2018 will be the year when we see virtual reality and augmented reality make the biggest impact on digital marketing. Thanks to the advancement in AR and VR technologies, digital marketers are now able to deliver engaging visual experiences. More importantly, it allows them to bridge the gap and let users experience products without physically seeing or touching them. AR and VR technology will soon be integrated into social media as well.

9. Online and Offline Experiences Integration

In 2018, offline and online experiences will not be treated as separate entities. In fact, they will integrate to offer a more unified user experience. This seamless integration will pave way for the creation of real-life experiences that your customers will love. Lisa Allocca, co-founder of Red Javelin thinks, “More digital marketers will experiment with it in 2018.” Customers are also looking for online and offline integration that will provide them with a much better shopping experience.

10. Data and Predictive Algorithms Will Drive Decision Making

Finally, we will see some sense prevail as data and predictive algorithms drive marketing decision making in 2018. This will end the biasness and decisions based on instincts and increase the effectiveness of digital marketing campaigns. Instead of buying premium software, companies will invest in predictive algorithms that take advantage of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing to optimize social media and digital marketing spending. With application programming interfaces on the rise, digital marketers can take smart decisions in a timely manner.

Which digital marketing trend do you think will make the biggest impact in 2018? Let us know in the comments section below.