It’s that time of the year folks. Introspection happen. Predictions begin. We are nearing the end of another year of surviving algorithm updates, new tools and changing strategies. As we look forward to the holidays, it isn’t coincidental that everyone around is either writing on learnings from 2017 or predicting trends for 2018. Both of these are of great importance to us as marketers so we decided to stock of the views out there and present you with the crème on each topic.
1. Content Marketing In 2018: Trends And Tools For Success
The latest report on content marketing says that 89% of B2B marketers and 86% of B2C marketers are using content marketing. That means your competition is using it and probably your next door neighbor too. The Forbes article brings in a new perspective on content including writing content that doesn’t sell and instead just keeps your readers happy.
2. 5 Content trends to try out in 2018
Image Source: PracticaleCommerce
PracticalEcommerce brings a useful note on things that you can try right away and not wait until 2018. From joining the club of YouTube marketers to optimizing for voice, there are interesting experiments you can plan for 2018.
3. Top predictions for digital marketing in 2018
The market is getting savvier by the day. There is more demand to reach the exact target audience and stop using the spray and pray approach. There are new ways being devised every day to measure beyond the last click and connect offline to online behavior. These are the demands we are going to be facing as ‘goals’ for our content marketing campaigns too.
4. What advertisers want from online videos in 2018
Over 80% online advertisers want to spend more on video in 2018. But not everyone has a grip on how this can be done right. There are a lot of stats in this article showing where the spends are happening and how it tends to plan out in the next 12 months. We all have our pain points with video – too many ads getting skipped, others not turning out to be as viral as we want them. Do check out the white paper from innovid on video strategy.
5. Email marketing trends to watch out in 2018
Did you know that around 65% American consumers have bought something online due to promotional emails?
It isn’t too far when email marketing will be backed by artificial intelligence and you’ll have to think harder about how to move out of the promotional folder in Gmail to the primary inbox. If you aren’t using the cheapest form of content marketing, then you need to start doing so right away.
6. Rise of the (PPC) machines in 2018
Remember the Terminator movies where control was taken away from humans and given to machines?
This is the reality for PPC marketers. Have you kept up with the changes that Google has automated in AdWords?
Sometime back Google announced that there would be automated flexibility with daily budgets. It also removed the bidding thresholds for enhanced CPC campaigns. If you are a PPC marketer wondering if you’ll have a job left in 2018, this is a must-read.
7. Cybersecurity trends in 2018
McAfee released its McAfee Labs 2018 Threats Predictions Report, which identifies five key trends to watch in 2018. Ransomware evolved in 2017. Remember how hackers hacked HBO to get their hands on the unreleased Game of Thrones episodes and held the channel to ransom with the arsenal of content. Or how hackers got access to millions of Uber accounts and used data to threaten the company into paying millions. That’s the power of data and content being used in ransomware.
8. Brand marketing trends for 2018
If brand loyalty and engagement metrics form a part of your daily bread butter and a little jam on the side, brand marketing trends are something you need to watch out for. Earlier it was a single and focused communication from the brands. Now, your customers are speaking to you via multiple channels and will feel left out if you don’t respond. Their insights are based on 100,000 consumer psychological assessments that help identify future trends with uncanny accuracy.
9. Top eCommerce trends for 2018
eCommerce is all set to cross the $400B mark by end 2017. Do you feel equipped enough to grab your share of the pie in 2018? Are you planning to add a video to your product description page which can increase the purchase intent by 97%? Will you be using augmented reality on mobile devices to engage better with your consumer? Because your competition will be doing all this and more. Read on.
10. 51 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Predictions For 2018
Your car is talking to your air conditioner. Your fridge is talking to your smartphone. Google seems to know the answer to your question before you ask. Brands will know your shopping behavior better than your spouse. AI is set to take the world by storm and it has big implications for your profession too.
On that note, we would like to end it with Nostradamus predictions for 2018. There’s plenty in there to make you think if the world will be a better or worse place by the end of next year. For now, we are ready to focus on the holidays, the accompanying sweet treats and merry cheer in the air. So long!