Any digital marketing expert will tell you that 2017 has been a year of drastic and persistent change in the industry. For a long time, collecting and using big data were the two topics that dominated the marketing headlines. But as technology continues to advance, there are newer trends emerging late in 2017 that will have a dramatic effect on digital marketing when 2018 finally arrives.
Digital marketing professionals had never given much thought to data algorithms because there was not a lot of use for that kind of science in the marketing world. But as technology continues to develop, it is no longer feasible for a digital marketing professional to make sense of the tremendous amount of data they are handed these days. The algorithms being used to crunch that data are increasingly complex, and are forcing digital marketing experts to pursue areas of education and training that they had never needed to pursue in the past.
It is always easier to market your products to your existing customer base, but the results can be unpredictable. In 2018, marketing professionals can expect to use customer relationship management (CRM) software in new ways to help increase the chances of selling to an existing client. For example, many CRM platforms offer plug-ins that will search social media for a customer's product tendencies and preferences.
The rise in the importance of marketing videos has ignited a whole new area of marketing research to try and pin down the most effective type of video. For years, it was always assumed that humor was the best way to grab an audience's attention. But in 2017, there has been data collected (especially regarding trailers of the horror movie "IT") that suggests that people will be more apt to buy a product that scares them as opposed to one that makes them laugh.
The world loves a good science story, and the idea of creating effective marketing ads using artificial intelligence (AI) sounds like something out of a good sci-fi movie. But in 2017, only 42 percent of digital marketing experts who were surveyed said that they either planned on using AI, or use it currently. It has even been suggested that a big part of the marketing community is hesitant to buy into the hype surrounding AI at all. As the technology continues to evolve and be simplified in 2018, it is a good bet that you will start seeing plenty of AI implementations throughout the marketing world.
The world is a dynamic place, and the Internet is showing to be a treasure trove of technological advancements. In 2018, digital marketing experts can expect to need more technical training and be more in touch with how search algorithms truly work if they want to maximize the data they will be collecting. Marketing professionals can also expect to see some of the tools that were introduced in 2017 refined into powerful marketing options in 2018 and beyond.
