03 Jan 2 Digital Marketing Trends You Can’t Afford to Ignore in 2019
As 2019 begins, the digital marketing terrain that encompasses search engine optimization (SEO), social media, pay-per-click (PPC), content marketing and more is witnessing a drastic shift. Gone are the days when you could have dismissed alternative ad networks or voice searches as gimmicks.
Of course, one can’t simply ignore the digital marketing examples from 2018 but there are many new digital marketing trends in the current high-tech and internet connected era that should be considered. Leveraging new marketing strategies will enable you to excel in the digital realm because what worked for you last year may not work this year.
Here are two key digital marketing trends to watch out for in 2019.
Alternative Ad Networks
Google and Facebook are excellent platforms for driving traffic to your website or social profile. But there are a few reasons to consider alternatives.
First off, the cost factor. In comparison to the alternative ad networks, Google and Facebook are charging advertisers pretty high. The average cost per click in AdWords across all industries is $2.69 for the search network and $0.63 for the display network. Not to mention, the average cost of the most expensive keywords is $55 a click.
Whereas the average cost of Facebook ads is $1.72 and it’s steadily rising as advertisers flock to the social platform.
On top of it, both Google and Facebook have strict restrictions for advertisers, which makes it even more challenging for businesses in certain niches to use these platforms effectively. This includes businesses in the pharmaceutical, gaming, and affiliate marketing industry.
But what factors should you consider when choosing other ad networks? Here are some statistics you may want to take into account:
- 95% of people look up for local business information on their phones.
- People who shop via mobile devices tend to spend twice as much as those not buying on mobile devices.
Nowadays, alternative ad networks offer more sophisticated targeting options than ever, such as different devices, demographic data, income, geographic location and more. Some even offer retargeting features, which puts your ads in front of the people who have already visited your site.
Ready to try an alternative ad network for your business? Here are three popular alternative ad networks you can use in your business for 2019:
- ONE by AOL: Formerly known as mmedia, the ONE by AOL is a mobile advertising platform that places ads across 50,000 mobile apps and websites. It gives you the flexibility with bidding, targeting, and In addition, there’s no minimum deposit. This makes it an ideal network for mobile advertisers with a limited or small budget.
- Airpush: Your digital marketing agency might already be using this. Airpush is another mobile ad network that allows businesses to reach viewers on more than 150,000 apps. Not only the network prides itself for transparency, but all the users opt for its ads. This means people are more receptive to view their ads than on any other competing mobile ad network.
Voice Search and Smart Speakers
Hey Siri, get me directions to the nearest fast food restaurant.
Alexa, find me a dentist.
The increasing use of voice search has made it an integral part of digital marketing strategies in 2019. Wondering why?
50% of all searches are going to be voice searches by 2020.
30% of web browsing sessions will be conducted without a screen by 2020.
20% of mobile searches on Google are now conducted by voice.
25% of all searches on Bing are now by voice.
Voice search provides relevant information to people through audio content. With artificial intelligence (AI) getting smarter every day, voice assistants like Siri, Google, and Alexa are less likely to make errors.
Already, many brands have included voice search in their marketing strategies so they can effectively deliver value-based content to their prospects and customers. Domino’s Pizza is one example in this regard. The international fast food chain using voice search technology to boost its sales.
Smart speakers like Google Home and Alexa have also witnessed a rise in demand. According to a recent study, 32% of people now own a smart speaker and 71% of them use voice search every day. While 65% of users said voice-controlled assistant is essential to daily life.
Mind you, not only more companies will produce audio content in the hopes of increasing brand awareness (and so should you) as ads are also likely to come in soon. The voice-controlled assistant will give you the answer to your question along with a “word from their sponsor”. This means soon your SEO agency would suggest you purchase voice ad space.
And when you write for the voice technology make sure to adopt a conversational tone. Concentrate on getting snippets on Google and using keywords that people frequently use.
Conclusion
2019 will be about improving customer experience by making use of alternative platforms and AI-powered technology to drive more targeted traffic and increase conversions.