With 2018 done and dusted, we’re looking to the year ahead and what the future holds in the digital marketing industry. From clean, simple website design inspired by a certain Netflix show to an increase in the use of artificial intelligence (AI), here are our predictions for where the industry is headed in 2019.
1. The KonMari method will infiltrate the web
“Kiwis have gone crazy for Japanese tidying expert Marie Kondo’s method of decluttering. We reckon the craze for minimalism in the home will extend to the world of digital marketing. There’ll be a move away from “cluttered” websites that try to do too much with too many elements. Instead, we’ll see more websites that “spark joy” for visitors due to their fast load times and responsive designs.Collaboration between designers and developers is essential to producing websites that encourage visitor engagement.”
“Rather than hiring a separate person or team to focus on each, opt for an agency whose team members collaborate closely and are on the same page when it comes to the goals for your website”
– Scott
2. We’ll see much more of conversational AI and chatbots
“Last year we saw many Kiwi businesses embrace conversational AI. An AI Forum report released in 2018 revealed more than 140 organisations are already working with or investing in AI in New Zealand and that the technology has the potential to increase GDP by up to $54 billion by 2035. As the technology advances, we’ve also seen chatbots becoming less robotic and more personalised – taking on human names and forms and engaging with customers using friendly greetings and a conversational tone. You only need to visit the websites of companies like Air New Zealand, Simplicity and Vector to notice that chatbots are on the rise.”
“We’re likely to see consistent improvements to the user-friendliness of this technology throughout the year. More New Zealand businesses will also factor it into their website development and design.”
– Adam
3. Personalisation will continue to drive interaction
“Personalisation was a big trend in digital marketing in 2018, with many companies making a concerted effort to connect with their customers in genuine ways. With automation on the rise, brands are realising it’s more important than ever to show prospective clients they care. A focus on good user experience and delivering tailored, personalised content will continue to drive business and customer interactions throughout 2019.”
“Personalisation will be built into more digital marketing strategies from the outset, and everything from chatbots to email marketing campaigns will incorporate more personalisation as companies try to interact with people in a more human way. This encompasses everything from greeting prospective customers by their first name to segmenting your email databases to deliver content that’s uniquely tailored to a person’s situation, interests or demographic.”
– Keegan
4. Digital marketing will cement itself as a core component of marketing strategy
Slowly but steadily, marketing through website content, email and social media has become a more normal way of “doing” marketing for many New Zealand businesses. 2019 is the year digital marketing will come into its own and cement itself as a core component of the marketing strategies of Kiwi companies dedicated to growth and success.
Why? It all comes down to the effectiveness of digital channels in delivering highly effective inbound marketing strategies. Inbound marketing is all about getting your customers to come to you, while outbound marketing involves pushing your messages out to people in a more “salesy” manner. Today only 18 per cent of marketers believe outbound practices provide the highest quality leads for sales, according to HubSpot statistics. This year inbound will just become the standard way of doing things and business owners will embrace digital not as a central component of their sales and marketing campaigns.
What do you think this year has in store for digital marketing?
– Georgia
Ready to see where digital marketing can take you in 2019? Let’s talk about how our expert team can help you achieve your goals.
Sources
[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text el_class=”source-text”]https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/8-digital-marketing-trends-to-watch-out-for-in-2019
https://aiforum.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/AI-Report-2018_web-version.pdf – page 15
