5 Digital Marketing Trends You Need to Know + Top Takeaways to Grow Your Small Business

The marketplace is constantly changing. Are you adapting your marketing strategy as well? While we don’t advocate ditching tried and true tactics to follow fads, it is important to be aware of new marketing technologies and trends that can give your small business a real boost.

Here are 5 top trends and takeaways you may want to add to your marketing mix:

Trend #1: Voice Search

Increasingly, customers are using voice commands to search for products and businesses on their mobile devices and virtual assistants. Can your business be easily found this way? If voice search isn’t yet part of your digital marketing strategy, it should be.

Takeaway: Optimize for voice search by updating your listing on platforms like Google My Business. Use clear, relevant keywords, and don’t forget to take advantage of “near me” search opportunities.

Trend #2: Niche Marketing

Your sales will only be as strong as your sales funnel. Rather than taking a “bigger is better” approach to widen the funnel as much as possible in the hopes a few genuine prospects will follow through, today’s trend is more targeted. Identifying and focusing on your specific niche will save time and net better results.

Takeaway: Try “funnel hacking” to improve the efficacy of your sales funnel. Investigate the online marketing and sales process of your closest competitors to find gaps in your own strategies and to model and test new approaches.

Trend #3: Social Selling

Social media marketing isn’t a new trend, but one which continues to grow in importance each year. While Facebook dominated the landscape in 2018 with 58% of small businesses increasing their investment there last year, other channels such as Instagram are closing the gap in 2019.

Takeaway: Meet your consumers where they are. Understand the demographics of your audience and focus your social marketing efforts on the channels most relevant to your current and desired customer base.

Trend #4: Get it on video

Compelling content is more than just memorable and relevant. It has to be in a format that your users want to view and in 2019, that means video. Video allows you to share your brand story in a powerful way that can’t always be matched by static images or words alone.

Takeaway: The format of your marketing videos is as important as the content. Vertical video is a growing trend, especially since the launch of Instagram’s IGTV last year. Consider using a vertical format so that users don’t have to rotate their devices to view your videos.

Trend #5: Next gen marketing

With an estimated annual buying power of $143 billion, Generation Z is a market you should be focusing on now. Today’s teens and 20-somethings have unprecedented influence. This demographic replies primarily on mobile apps and devices to research products and interact with brands, but when it comes to shopping, a surprisingly high percentage still prefer bricks and mortar stores.

Takeaway: Gen Z wants to engage with brands on a personal level and build relationships, rather than just conduct transactions. Ensure your sites are mobile-optimized and that your apps can deliver personalized, customizable content.