Autumn is upon us. I know this because Dunkin Donuts is selling their pumpkin donuts, which I happen to enjoy immensely, and which go very nicely with Starbuck’s Pumpkin Spiced Chai Latte.
But I digress…
For many marketers, autumn brings with it not only pumpkin-flavored barista items, but also a sense of urgency to figure out which marketing tactics they should be focusing on in the coming new year.
With only a few more months before the new year starts, we thought we’d look toward the future and discuss some of the upcoming marketing trends we are seeing for 2019.
Internet Watching Catches Up with TV Watching
According to a recent study, the internet will catch up to TV in terms of number of hours watched. The study predicts people will spend 2.6 hours a day online and 2.7 hours watching television in 2019. This will cause marketers to rethink where their ad dollars go, many deciding to invest online instead of television ads.
Chatbots Will Become the Norm
2018 saw an explosion of websites using chatbots to engage customers, and we can expect even more of it in 2019. In fact, we think the novelty of chatbots will fade in the coming year and the tech will be seen as quite common, even expected. Chatbots will most likely become the first touchpoint for many consumers in 2019. Want to order a pizza? You’ll probably start using a chatbot. Want to book a hotel room or choose a mobile plan? Chatbots will let you do it, and all without the headache of having to download a native app.
Banner Ads Take A Last Breath?
The digital age has transformed the way brands and consumers interact. Not long ago, you could sell what you had through blatant advertising, but 2019 will see even more online surfers using ad blockers. This will force advertisers to optimize their content marketing and influencer marketing strategies. Banner ads will no longer cut it, brands will have to find creative ways to offer consumers real value.
Smart Speakers Will Become Even More Widely Used
Smart Speakers like Amazon’s Alexa, Google Home and Apple HomePod have become increasingly popular with consumers. In fact, 65% of consumers say they wouldn’t go back to life without their voice-controlled assistant.
So how will this effective marketing in the coming year?
We will likely see more online publishers embrace voice and publish audio content to these devices in an effort to land a spot on listener’s “Flash Briefing.” Also, we will likely see Amazon, Google and Apple monetize their content by allowing companies to buy and sell ad space.
Integrated Marketing Will Become Even More Relevant
We’ve been hearing for years that print is dead, and for years we have been having tremendous success using print for our clients. And, with so many marketers focusing on new digital trends, there will be even more space in print publications with which to make a splash.
We know of companies that went against the grain and chose to spend a little extra money to send print newsletters instead of email newsletters and they got tremendous results. Imagine in the age of HubSpot and MailChimp that someone could have such a successful campaign that hinges on an old-fashioned tactic.
Now we are not suggesting that you completely abandon digital marketing. On the contrary, we are saying that print is a powerful complement to your digital channels. With so many banner ads and email boxes filled with advertising, print marketing is a great way to break through the digital noise and be heard.
If you need some help with your integrated campaigns, or to figure out how you can implement some of these other trends we’ve mentioned, give us a call. We love helping business owners get the greatest return on their marketing investment.
