Noah Digital

5 Digital Marketing Trends in 2018 To Keep In Mind

Digital Marketing Trends 2018

It’s 2018, and digital marketing is only increasing. The most successful businesses do most of their marketing online because they understand the magnitude of the number of people surfing the web every day. If you are thinking about your marketing strategy for the new year, here are some digital marketing trends in 2018 that you should keep in mind for your business.

1. Consumer trust is essential

According to Forrester, the trust between the customers and brands was extremely low in 2017. Content creation and engagement with your online users is essential for trust. Due to the rise of digital marketing, and online opportunities, consumer experience will be a priority in 2018. It is no longer acceptable to just have a product. People nowadays can find the product anywhere, but product personalization and a good customer experience are not everywhere – that is what will keep your customers hooked, and coming back to your website.

Digital Marketing Trends 2018
Source: StarNgage

“Customers are very aware of corporate hogwash and cliche terms repeated within industries, making authentic language and design even more critical as we head into another year of compounding advancements in technology.” says co-founder of fintech company, Waddie Laigh Dunsford. You want to be transparent, and show your client your true passion for your business.

Reviews from your consumers will help a lot with this. Local Search Engine Optimization (SEO) will be critical. Most people search for reviews before making a purchase. They want to be able to know who they are trusting with their money, and the very moment something is not transparent to them, they will find a business they feel more comfortable with as they don’t want to potentially waste their money.

2. Mobile consumption will grow

In 2017, mobile users were on the rise. In 2018, it is extremely important that your website is mobile-friendly, otherwise, you will lose a lot of traffic.

Digital Marketing Trends 2018
Source: Global Web Index

Your content should be clear across desktop and mobile users, to target both audiences coming to your website. Your website’s ranking is in fact penalized if it is not mobile-friendly, and it will negatively impact your results in search engines.

Another study by Digital Trends, found that the average American spends about 4.7 hours on their mobile device. Considering the average person is awake for 15 hours a day that means that one-third of their day is spent on their mobile device. That is crazy!

However, this is great for your digital marketing strategy. If a consumer is looking for the product/service that you offer, and if you have a good ranking mobile-friendly website, chances are that they will land on, or see an ad for your website in one of those 4.7 hours a day they spend surfing the web. And that is all you need.

Take advantage of this, and make sure your website is 100% mobile-friendly.

3. Marketing through social media 

Social media skyrocketed in the last few years, and 2018 is no exception. As everyone is active and engaged in social media, you will have to fight harder than ever to establish an online presence and compete with your competitors.

Digital Marketing Trends 2018
Source: Digital Marketing Institute

Though Facebook seemed to be decreasing in the audience for a bit, it is back up at the top. YouTube has become huge in 2017. Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram were the top 3 social platforms in 2017.

What’s the best way to reach your audience on social media? With constant uploads, and engagement with your followers. You will need a strategy to attract your target audience and to keep them interested.

Know your audience and what they are looking for or need. Once they feel like you understand them, and they can trust you, they will keep on coming back to your website.

4. Using data to double your leads and sales 

Many businesses have digital marketing, but not done correctly. In my article ” Two Costly Yet Common Mistakes”, I wrote about not having an effective conversion tracking system set in place.

Data doesn’t lie.

Digital Marketing Trends 2018
Source: Search Engine Journal

You NEED to know where your traffic is coming from, so you can spend your marketing dollars wisely, and identify tactics that are helping your business.

A study by Search Engine Journal in 2016, showed that 71% of AdWords accounts had no conversion tracking setup or had one setup but it was so poorly done that they weren’t even able to tell if the campaigns were working or not. Spend your money wisely and productively instead of wasting your precious marketing dollars.

2017 was the most active year for online users. Brands started to take advantage of digital marketing more than ever. Now that we have access to this big data, businesses need to start implementing a data-driven strategy in order to ensure growth and success for their business. At Noah Digital, we understand data. We are empowered by data so that our clients can reach their target audience effectively.

5. Native ads & smart content

According to the Native Advertising Institute, over 74% of all ad revenue by 2021 will be native advertising. This is because they are consistent with the platform that they appear on, so people are more likely to click on them. In 2018 there will be an increase in native ads spending and smart content in order to reach the right audience.

Digital Marketing Trends 2018
Source: WordStream

A Native ad is defined as a “form of paid media where the ad experience follows the natural form and function of the user experience in which it is placed.” – Sharethrough. In this picture, we can see branded content that Forbes magazine published. Though readers can often be aware of the marketing strategy, it still very much relates to Forbes’ audience and gives valuable knowledge, encouraging Forbes’ subscribers to click on the ad- a very efficient way of reaching the right people at the right time.

A study by IPG & Sharethrough shows that consumers looked at native ads 52% more frequently, as people found them more visually engaging. The study found that the native ads were more consistent with the style, form, and voice of the platform they appeared on. With more knowledge and direction of who the target audience is, native ads and smart content will be able to be more optimized than ever.

Though these are not all the digital marketing trends in 2018, these are some of the most important ones. We will keep you updated as new ones start to emerge throughout the year.

Start your year with a kick by optimizing and performing audits on your website to make sure you are up-to-date and ready for the new year.