Keeping up with these top six 2018 digital marketing trends will help you gear your business’s marketing strategy for success in the coming year.

2017 was a whirlwind for digital marketing and PR in many ways, so if anything we should expect the unexpected in 2018. Yet, several ongoing digital marketing trends are all but guaranteed to continue their trajectory. Growing demand for things like video content, influencer collaborations and data security will all solidify practices that can make or break marketing success.

So, to help your brand prepare for the months ahead, here are the predicted most important 2018 digital marketing trends courtesy of our full service digital marketing agency.

Video Dominates Content Marketing

With mobile phone power and internet bandwidth increasing every year, people have felt a growing hunger for video content. Cisco estimates that 69% of all internet traffic from this year came from video views. Video content can also help increase marketing conversions by 80% or more.

Put together, brands are feeling a powerful pull towards producing more video content. Short informative or engaging videos can help drive conversion goals while enhancing the performance of other content like blogs, infographics and landing pages.

Live Video Helps Brands Connect

Not only is the volume of video content rising, but an increasing portion of these videos are being streamed live. Cisco’s estimates predict that 13% of all video traffic comes from live video views.

Because of FOMO (fear of missing out), live video demands our immediate attention. It also feels more engaging and authentic since it is an experience that unfolds in front of us. Perhaps this effect is why people tend to watch live videos for eight times longer than they would prerecorded video.

These advantages will encourage brands to capitalize more on live video content for announcements, Q&As, behind-the-scenes looks and other events in the coming year.

Rising Influence of Micro-Influencers

Brands are realizing that micro-influencers have more relevance to their marketing goals. These influencers with less than 100,000 followers have a niche focus and are four times more likely to see engagement compared to people with 1 million+ followers.

Since 90% of consumers look to peers and influencers for recommendations while just a third trust ads, partnering with people who can communicate your message in a trustworthy way will be a huge advantage in 2018.

Mobile Centered Marketing Strategies

We started out with “mobile also,” then moved to “mobile first,” and in 2018 we will see “mobile almost always.”

Traffic continues to increase from mobile devices since they surpassed desktops in 2014. Now, your website and content views are more likely than not coming from a mobile user. Mobile experience must therefore take center stage for almost all brand content offered in 2018. Otherwise, your audience will grow frustrated and more likely to engage with competitors.

Voice Search and Long-Tail Semantic Searches Bend SEO to Their Will

24 million people have bought smart speaker devices, and an increasing number of smartphone users engage in search through voice commands.

These trends will lead to an increase in conversation-style semantic search. Target keywords for SEO will likely expand in response, moving from 1-3 words to longer sentences, phrases and questions. Content marketing in general will also have to raise its level of quality to account for search algorithms that prioritize positive behavior signals like multiple page views per visit over verbatim keyword phrase use.

Consumers Demand More Data Privacy and Security

With several high profile data breaches and a growing irritation with invasive data gathering and remarketing, consumers will expect brands to walk a thin line in 2018.

On the one hand, audiences increasingly expect personalization, such as 1:1 email marketing or product suggestions. On the other, 80% of people have more concerns about their data privacy and security compared to the year before.

Brands able to promise transparency, control and security for consumer data will therefore gain a competitive edge in 2018.

Seize Success in 2018 With These Trends and an Experienced Full Service Digital Marketing Agency

Vonazon can help you achieve your marketing goals in 2018. Create amazing content, refine your marketing funnel strategy, and enhance your ability to automate marketing or personalize while still providing security and privacy.

We want to partner with you to make your 2018 better than you ever dreamed. Contact us today to find out how to get started.