In 2018, e-commerce grew exponentially. According to the 2018 Internet Trends Report issued by Mary Meeker (American venture capitalist and former Wall Street securities analyst), online sales accounted for 13% of total global retail sales. This year will prove to be no different.
As a good portion of sales are happening in the digital arena, marketers need to ‘digitise their mindsets’ and look to digital marketing as a way of communicating with the new digital consumer.
Aspects of digital marketing
Digital marketing is not a single-celled organism. There are many parts to it that function as an ecosystem. If one part is missing, just like in nature, imbalances are seen. Digital marketing experts, the Digital School of Marketing (DSM) have come up with a list of the most significant areas to watch over the course of the next 12 months.
Artificial intelligence in social media
Artificial intelligence is already having a significant impact on social media with the likes of chatbots that automate the initial stages of a brand’s interaction with a potential client. We feel that this technology will become more developed and take away lower-level processes in the digital marketing mix.
Google’s algorithm updates have seen content that is popular with users being prioritised. This means that to ensure your content is delivered to users you will need to optimise it for search and pay more attention to SEO.
The personalisation of the brand
It has been found that buyers do not make purchases from faceless companies. They prefer to buy from individuals in the company. This means that digital marketers will need to find innovative ways of forging this personal connection between the company and the consumer.
The death of long-form copy
In previous years, research showed that long-form copy drew increased engagement rates from readers. However, with the rapid development of technology this form of copy may no longer have the same effect as there is just physically no time to read it.
The rise and rise of native advertising
As people become more and more suspicious of blatant advertising, advertisers will be forced to come up with new ways to conceal their advertising message in editorial. This concept – which is termed ‘native advertising’ – will evolve and develop in 2019.
“At DSM, we believe that marketers who continuously stay ahead of digital trends will see positive results in their marketing strategies,” says Lisa Schneider: managing director of DSM. “As such, we constantly monitor trends and adapt our courses accordingly so that students are assured of getting the best possible information out there.”
The Digital School of Marketing is an online provider of digital marketing education which is accredited by the MICT SETA. To find out more, visit our website on www.digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za. call us on 0861 428 710 or e-mail: info@digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za.
