The Future of Digital Marketing: 4 Trends to Watch

The past decade has led to landmark developments in the digital marketing landscape. From the rise of social media to the fall of print advertising, it's been a wild ride.

Marketing in the digital sphere continues to evolve, and so does how we market to consumers.

Understanding the future of digital marketing is essential for brands aiming to stay ahead of the curve and remain competitive.

Here is a facts-based analysis of what the future potentially holds:

1. AI’s Role Will Transition From “Essential” To “Crucial.”

AI is already being deployed to automate email marketing and social media management.

However, as businesses turn to AI to develop effective marketing strategies, it will continually become central to most digital marketing processes.

For instance, tools like Mixpanel are helping analyze customer data and identify patterns that enable marketers to target customers with more personalized offers. Additionally, AI-powered chatbots that provide instant answers to questions or queries can boost customer satisfaction.

According to Statista, the market for AI-based marketing tools was estimated at a whopping 15.84 billion U.S. dollars in 2021. It’s projected to grow to107.5 billion by 2028.

Perhaps, it’s time to brush up on your coding skills or commit to a data analysis course! 📈

2. Content will continue its reign as the King 👑

Content marketing has been at the forefront of the myriad of changes marketing has undergone and will become even more essential in driving results going forward.

The ability to master content marketing and use it effectively to drive traffic, engagement or conversions will increasingly fuel the success of digital marketers as the following decade approaches.

Of course, much of the content evolution is driven by the big G!

Case in point: The recent rollout of Google’s Helpful content update that had SEOs scrambling as they picked up the pieces of their A.I driven content farms.

If your content is low quality and doesn't help readers, it'll get dinged - louder for the people in the back!

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Recent developments have made it clear why great content trumps most other marketing tactics; in the long run.

3. Marketers will increasingly rely on VR to sell experiences

As VR technology becomes more affordable and accessible, we're likely to see an increase in its use for marketing purposes. Both technologies do wonders at providing immersive experiences that give customers a taste of what it would be like to use a product or service before they even purchase it.

Imagine giving potential customers a fully immersive experience with your product before they even purchase. Or walk them through your store without ever leaving your office.

As these technologies become more commonplace, expect them to change how we interact with customers and market our products & services. This approach is already being increasingly used for products such as cars or houses, where people often like test drives or viewings before deciding whether they want to purchase.

TESLA’s VR test drives; have been an option for potential buyers for quite some time now:

While still in their infancy, augmented reality ( AR ) & virtual reality ( VR ) are expected to impact digital marketing in the years ahead significantly.

4. Video content, more and more of it!

Look no further than TikTok or Facebook Live for proof that video content is “exploding” right now.

How we consume video is changing, significantly impacting video marketing. In the past, video content was a one-way street. Marketers would produce and distribute videos with the hopes that people would watch.

But that’s no longer the most effective way to reach audiences.

Notice how this H&M video from 2015 is around a whopping 1.5 hours long. Today’s H&M would have split the same into 3-4 digestible short videos and distributed them across all major social channels, including YouTube.

These days, people are more likely to watch a video if it’s short and to the point. And this trend is only going to continue in the years ahead. Thanks to ever-improving technology, businesses-large, and small-will, are creating high-quality short-form video content without breaking the bank.

Short-form video is a video that’s been edited to be less than two minutes long. And it’s often been produced specifically for social media. Short-form video is perfect for socials because it’s easy to consume and share, making it a highly effective marketing tool for reaching new audiences.

Whether it’s a product demonstration, customer testimonial, or a company culture video, we expect to see more businesses using short videos as part and parcel of their digital marketing strategy.

TikTok outranked Google in 2021 as the most popular and searched-for domain online; for the first time in history.

Marketers not leveraging short-form video (TikTok, Reels) as a cornerstone of their marketing strategy could potentially be setting themselves up for failure in the near future.

A state of flux

The future of digital marketing will involve delivering personalized experiences to consumers at scale and leveraging tools that drive this process. Brands must adapt to rapid advancements to stay ahead of the curve and meet their customers’ needs, especially those looking to grow in value.

In a nutshell; the ability to reach consumers through multiple channels and customize messages will be key to success as the discipline continues to evolve. Those able to adapt quickly and efficiently will be well-positioned to win in the marketplace.