4 Key Marketing Trends for 2018

Mobile

If you haven’t already, optimizing your websites and marketing efforts for mobile is going to be even more paramount to your success in 2018 than it was in 2017. The “mobile-revolution” is going to have a hand in all of the digital trends moving forward into the new year such as voice search, video, social, and localization of marketing. The consumption of video via mobile device is up 25% whereas desktop is seeing the first decline in video consumption EVER. A majority of users are using mobile devices to conduct search as well.

This is important as Google has begun to index websites based off of their mobile content. We may even see search engine penalties for websites who lack effective mobile optimization in the near future which would be detrimental to a business’s overall success. Effectively optimizing your content for mobile means having a website that is properly formatted for mobile and has a quick load time. If this rant on the importance of mobile isn’t enough to convince you, let’s just take a look at the some eye-opening numbers:

• 61% of users are unlikely to return to a website if they had trouble accessing it via mobile (Source: Google)
• 57% of users will not recommend a business with a poor mobile website (Source: IMPACT)
• 63% of millennials shop on a mobile device everyday (Source: MediaPost)

Voice Search

Optimizing for voice search will be increasingly important in 2018. By understanding voice search queries and utilizing conversational phrases, marketers can improve their position in search and reach more users. Google estimates that 20% of searches conducted through their app are done by way of voice (Source: Marketing Week). With the development of new technologies that are geared towards voice such as Alexa, Google Home, and Siri to name a few, we can expect this number to only grow in the coming year.

Related: Voice Search: What Is It & How to Optimize Your Site For It

Generation Z & Social Media 

As we move into 2018, we can expect to see an increased focus on marketing to Generation Z. As this generation ages, it is expected that they will make up for 40% of consumers by 2020 (AdWeek). Their presence on social media means that a company’s social media strategy is going to weigh heavily on their overall marketing success. Incorporating social responsibility and consumer involvement in your marketing messages is going to be important when communicating with the socially active Generation Z.

Also, with the increase in media and drastic influx in distractions, it will be increasingly important to be clear and concise with your copy. Lengthy messages are likely to be skipped over or ignored as the average human attention span is less than that of a goldfish (true fact, unfortunately). It is important to note that Gen. Z compartmentalizes their time on social media; meaning that they use different social media platforms for drastically different things. What an individual is doing on Snapchat is different than what they would be doing on Instagram and so on.

What does this mean for marketing? Businesses can’t have a single social media marketing strategy anymore. What may be effective on one platform is not guaranteed to work on another platform. As a result, each platform must be treated independently. Marketers should not use cross-platform content, each piece of content must be tailored to each individual platform as well as the message.

By keeping in mind what the consumer’s state of mind is according to the platform they are using, marketers can penetrate the barrier between them and the user in order to seamlessly integrate that marketing message into the user experience. We are already seeing this with ads being placed within stories on Snapchat and Instagram.

Related: How To Make a Successful Social Media Campaign: Real Life Examples From Brands That Matter

Micro Influencers

We may see a continued increase in the use of micro influencers in the coming year. As the prices of macro and top influencers rise, many companies are turning towards micro influencers to get the job done. Micro influences have a smaller following, but usually much higher engagement rates and authenticity. By utilizing micro influencers, your marketing efforts are more authentic, more targeted, and less expensive.

Just think, quality over quantity. With higher engagement, your brand is more likely to be recalled and credible than it would be otherwise. As we had mentioned earlier, Generation Z is more susceptible to authentic marketing messages that are threaded into the user experience. Micro influencers are the perfect way to do just that, essentially killing two birds with one stone. Be sure to do the research beforehand and discover the micro influencers that align with your brand and engage with people in your market.

Related: Why Your Brand Needs to Work with Micro Influencers

So What Does This Mean For You?

Charge into the new year strong with an applicable marketing strategy. Be conscious of your brand as well as your market and understand the best way to reach them. Some trends may be more important than others when putting together your marketing strategy and arsenal of tactics. But one thing to take away from all of this, regardless of your industry, is the importance of mobile optimization. Without a quality mobile strategy, a large portion of your content will go unnoticed or will not be consumed as effectively as it could be.