We understand the old adage that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. But if a new trend emerges that is more advanced and convenient for consumers, it might not be a matter of “ain’t broke” for your business. There might not be anything wrong with your strategy—there might just be a lot more right with the latest strategy.
Trends come and go and come and go and come and go, but it is still important to be aware of popular trends in digital marketing even if they are bound to change in due time. What exactly are digital marketing trends and why is it important, and what differentiates a top digital marketing trend from a digital marketing un-trend (also known as a good ole’ fad)?
We have all seen it at least once before—the trend that did not quite trend, or a trend that trended for all the wrong reasons (think memes or news interviews gone-wrong). We can surpass going into details (we know you have a specific trend in your mind) because we are going to focus on how to get your business to tap more into its creative side and we are starting with the importance of following popular digital marketing trends.
The two questions we posed in the beginning about what a digital marketing trend is and what makes it trendy will be considered in this article. We will also consider current digital marketing trends that many businesses are using to gain success that you might be able to implement in order to spike your business’s creativity in the digital world.
What Are Digital Marketing Trends And How Do They Affect Businesses
To start things off, we are going to first identify what a trend is to set the tone for when we establish what a digital marketing trend is. By definition, a trend is a general direction in which something is developing or changing. In today’s day and age, a trend is essentially what is popular at a certain point in time. Big hair, leg warmers, neon colors, and mullets were trendy back in the 80s. Now? Well…not so much. So how does the digital world apply to this?
We understand the old adage that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. However, when it comes to marketing strategies, you have to keep in mind that just because something works now doesn’t mean it will work again in the future. Perhaps a certain marketing strategy or approach has consistently worked for your business, but if a new trend emerges that is more advanced and convenient for consumers, it might not be a matter of “ain’t broke” for your business. What we mean is that while there might not be anything wrong with your strategy—there might just be a lot more right with the latest strategy.
Staying up-to-date with current digital marketing trends could help your business to do the three following things:
✓ Keep up with how your consumers shop and research your products and services and compare it with your competitor. This includes being able to observe or predict changes in consumer behavior and priorities.
✓ Ensure you are ahead of the curve in terms of knowing who your target audience is and what they need from your business because target audiences can actually change as trends change. Which goes along with the next point…
✓ Listen and respond to changes in the market to help you save money. Because no business wants to lose money by not keeping themselves up-to-date. Specifically, digital marketing trends often are convenient for both the business and the consumer.
The Differences Between A Top Digital Marketing Trend And A Fad
Un-trend. Non-trend. F.A.D. No matter what we call it, there are things that are supposed to be popular that just do not trend for all the right reasons or are shortlived. We do not doubt that almost every industry has experienced a bad or shortlived trend at least once, and the marketing industry is no exception.
What makes a top digital marketing trend so top-worthy? Is it the people behind the trend, timing, luck? Interestingly, some of these aforementioned things could actually affect whether something remains a trend of fades into a fad (is that where that word derives from?). And these same factors that make a top digital marketing trend so trendy are the same things that make non-digital trends so trendy.
Marketing “gurus” such as the people behind social media sites. When it comes to the digital world and, specifically, social media, some platforms have people behind trending topics. These people select which trending topics to display. Other social sites use algorithms to determine which trends to display. This might result in a trend that soon turns into a fad, but the result for something specific to “trend” for a period of time is still most often executed because there is a calculated method behind trending the trend.
People with influence or status such as actors, athletes, and musicians. Early adopters, who have significant influence, can drive trends towards becoming a reality. Influencers, which also apply to celebrities, can either start trends themselves because of their status, or they can help brands to drive a certain trend by lending their clout. An example of this would be the trend of “bigger” lips popularized by the Kardashian-Jenner sisters.
The people without the influence, but with the creativity, age, and time—A.K.A our youths. the youthful consumers of culture from one generation come of age and ultimately become the creators of culture. A lot of trends are given additional mass appeal by teenagers and young adults because those are the primary user of technology, thus resulting in the fast-spreading growth that is so often linked to trends. Nowadays, without the ability of teenagers to have the technology they do, a lot of trends might not be given the popularity ranking that they have.
Current Digital Marketing Trends That Many Successful Businesses Are Using
- AI is taking over…literally. The increased use of chatbots over the years has created a new form of virtual communication. Chatbots help users in their quest for whatever they are searching for while still maintaining a natural demeanor, so to speak. Chatbots are a double-edged sword, too. Not only do they help consumers in ways that humans are limited in (time, speed, etc;) but the chatbot system is likewise able to collect more data insights based on their interaction with consumers to learn more about how they can improve their services as a business
- Netflix and chill? What we mean is the increase in video marketing. Remember, we are visual creatures before anything else! Text-based content will always be relevant to an extent because people need to read about products and services, but text-based information simply can’t compete with the power of visuals, and that includes video. These days, people are interested in sharing videos about anything and everything. Even if a video does not apply directly to their interests, if it is highly-engaging, people will give it attention.
- To the point above about content, having interactive content means increased engagement. Interactive content is anything that people can click on, swipe, or interact with online. Whether your business decides to experiment with quizzes and polls, augmented reality ads, or 360-degree videos, people are interested in investing ina brand that offers a more immersive, engaging experience for them. This creates a memorable, fun impression for consumers which helps them feel more connected to the business.
Is your business already taking advantage of these rising digital marketing trends? If so, you are on the right path! If not, you should consider how to implement these into your current digital presence to better reach your target audience.
Once you understand what is trending, you can tweak what is already being done by businesses all over to what you want to be done. This way, a mas trend will better suit your business so that you can still stay afloat in the industry while maintaining your unique flare.