From the vantage point of mid-year 2019, we look at the last few years and realize that long gone are the days where social media was a small contributor to marketing success, and boy has everything else digital changed as well. These days, an effectively executed marketing campaign is very likely to be include paid and organic social and a plethora of other paid and organic tactics designed to not only increase exposure and build brand awareness but that also increase sales of your products and services. However, even the most agile marketers need to stay on top of the latest digital marketing trends 2019 to create successful campaigns, mainly because most tactics are rapidly evolving, but also because new tactics burst seemingly out of nowhere. At it is definitely true in social media marketing that the prize goes to the agile companies that are fleet-footed enough to stay steps ahead of their competitors.
If you want to go where your target audience is, you need to be active online. Social media platforms, the ability to stream content and the overall ease of consuming digital content have all made digital the most important tool in your marketing arsenal. So, the question becomes: if you want to market online, what are the social media marketing tactics you should consider these days? Below, we will quickly review some of the most important social marketing trends 2019.
These days, paid social media matters. Relative to other paid media, this is still a very cost-effective option. Even with the explosion of other social media platforms, Facebook still holds the number one spot for paid social medial marketing in the USA. What does this mean for you? Depending primarily on your target market, it will likely play a huge role in your plans. For example, at this point, over 40 percent of users are 65+, so brands that target an older demographic should focus their efforts here. However, it may be that younger demographics, who are venturing off to other social media channels, might not be best targeted through Facebook. Takeaway: Depending on your target market segments and your products/services, you may choose to make Facebook your #1 paid social media advertising platform.
With over one billion active users, Instagram’s image and video-based platform is optimized for users to share content directly from their phone, which means that as a digital marketer, it’s now more important than ever to be active on Instagram. As one of the most rapidly growing social media platforms to date, brands who market to a younger target audience need to refine their marketing campaigns, particularly if their audience is under 30 years old. Takeaway: Use the Facebook platform to target Facebook for your older audience and Instagram for your younger audience to cover all your bases.
Personalized Email
Whether it’s for business or personal purposes, email is here to stay. However, email marketing is evolving, so generic marketing emails won’t work as well as they did previously. Combining automated emails and nurturing programs with personalization is what will work in the second half of 2019. Your customers want to know they are valued as individuals, and they definitely reward companies who communicate this awareness. Mediocre emails blasts will no longer lead to conversion. Your email marketing efforts need to focus on the specifics, and even better the specifics that matter to each individual targeted. Follow-up emails are often the final piece of the puzzle, which motivate action, particularly when combined with remarketing strategies.
Video Marketing
This is hot and getting hotter. Period, end of story… In some ways, video marketing offers the best of two worlds. Video is easily paired with incredibly accurate user metrics, which provide invaluable insight into what works and what doesn’t. And video consumption is growing at an incredible rate. So, whether you’re creating content for Instagram, YouTube or Snapchat, video is a top-tier marketing tool you need to master, if you want to leverage the most important marketing trends. For example, over 73 percent of Americans engage with YouTube videos on a daily basis.
You can make a 30 second video, then clip it down to 5 second, 10 second and 15 second versions, depending on the application. Regardless of the use, video is an extremely sensory-rich experience: you can capture attention and convey your brand’s message in seconds with video in ways that are virtually impossible through other methods. Simply adhere to the fundamentals of video production and you’ll make demonstrable gains.
That doesn’t mean you should forego your marketing efforts on other social media platforms. What it does mean is that if your target audience frequents one platform over another, focus on where they hang out and offer visitors some videos, too. Also target specific video platforms such as YouTube. You’ll be extremely satisfied with your outcomes!
Remember: Multi-Channel / Integrated Marketing
Some social digital marketing trends are steadfast while others are constantly evolving. Creating a cohesive and integrated digital tactics program across multiple channels is how you will build brand loyalty, trust and brand awareness, not to mention sales. Consider some of the above tactics and rev up your results!
