5 digital marketing trends for 2018

Digital marketing trends that you should prepare for as an entrepreneur in the new year:

The trend is moving more and more towards personalized communication, targeted content and customer orientation. In 2018, digital marketing trends are still decisive for corporate success. In a study by PricewaterhouseCoopers The opportunities and challenges of digitization are examined in more detail. The content is still very relevant in the new year. In particular, the fundamental fear of change and the often more short-term strategy prevent small and large companies from growing faster. In the new year, the focus is on well-known trends, such as customer orientation, but also new approaches (e.g. real-time advertising and artificial intelligence).

5 digital marketing trends for 2018

1. Customer orientation as a core issue

Digitalization is making it increasingly difficult to stand out from the competition in increasingly saturated markets. Dynamic comparison portals and more and more alternatives on the market ensure that customers can compare offers more quickly and remain loyal to a brand or product only if they are fully satisfied with a brand or product due to low barriers to change. Use the well-known saying “The customer is king” for your success. Customer loyalty is therefore the decisive factor for your success. Of course, the economic efficiency factor must always be included, which is why many companies rely on automation.

Our tip: Automate your marketing by using email marketing to retain customers.

2. Personalization & individualization

In this context, personalization and individualization are closely linked to customer orientation. This is primarily about not providing all customers with the same content and news. As soon as customers are addressed with targeted offers, trust and personal attitude towards the provider increases. By Marketing automation Can you not only win customers, but also keep them happy and loyal in the long term. Especially in industries where there is a high level of customer contact, such as gastronomy and hotel industry, it is important to always act in a customer-oriented manner, both in the business itself and beyond.

Our tip: Automate processes, but still value every customer equally.

3. “New technologies”

Virtual reality, artificial intelligence, Internet of Things and many other terms will continue to shape the next few years. These technologies are already being used successfully by pioneers Amazon, Google and Apple and are part of the future of our everyday lives. These technologies can also be used successfully in marketing. For smaller companies with low budgets, the use of these technologies is still a long way off, but advertisers should at least be well informed about everything that will come in the future.

Our tip: Stay up-to-date and take advantage of future opportunities.

4. Search engine optimization (SEO) & content marketing

Content marketing, search engine optimization (SEO) and many other terms have been shaping the area of online marketing for several years. A large part of marketing measures is being increasingly optimized towards “online” and tracking also makes it possible to make measures more and more measurable. This applies to both larger and smaller companies, e.g. gyms or the retailing. Search engine optimization can be very expensive when you use professional tools. But there are also opportunities for optimization for small budgets. Positive reviews, recent posts and a high interaction rate make you rise in the Google ranking.

Our tip: Use word of mouth and let your customers advertise for you.

5. Real time marketing

Real time marketing sounds complicated, but this sub-discipline is already being successfully implemented by many companies, especially in the area of email marketing, and continues to be one of the trends. Certain events should be used in real time to get in touch with the customer. After a visit, send your customers an automated email asking for feedback, for example in the form of a Google review. Or use existing data to send your customers a message before certain events (e.g. birthdays). Especially in the catering sector, this is a good option to reactivate guests.

Our tip: Don't flood your customers with news, but keep them regularly informed about news.

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