By Upendra Mishra
The good news is that architects, developers, general contractors and other real estate professionals are finally embracing digital media as a marketing tool. The bad news is that for many, they are still playing catch up in the digital world. To stay competitive, keeping abreast of digital marketing trends is key.
Global analytics solutions provider Quantzig and influencer marketing agency HI recently announced the top four digital marketing trends that will dominate 2018: Chatbots, social media influencers, mobile strategy, and story-telling.
“Today, marketing is all about the stories that you tell rather than the products that you sell,” Quantzig said in a statement. “And with advancements in digitization, there’s no better way to reach out to your potential and current customers than through digital marketing. But the procedure is not as easy as it sounds. Modern customers choose what they see.”
Quantzig said that social media channels such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and numerous others endlessly update their platforms, which is why it’s critical for marketers to keep up with the latest developments in the digital marketing trends.
According to Quantzig: here are the digital marketing trends that will dominate 2018:
Chatbots
Chatbots, which are a tool that can reply to your customers’ comments or questions on the other side,
have been one of the newest digital marketing trends globally. More and more brands are working on using chatbots for customer support and achieving their marketing strategy.
Mobile Strategy
At present, mobile phones are more than just devices used for communication, according to Quantzig.
“Mobile phones are a great way for businesses to reach out to their customers through their digital marketing campaigns. Despite this, some companies have still not totally leveraged this platform to their benefit. Modern organizations must, however, put a mobile strategy in place to engage with their prospects and customers.”
Social Media Influencers
Social influencer marketing is one of the newest digital marketing trends this year. “To evade the pressure of challenging rival brands, marketers must build more long-term relationships with key social media influencers in 2018,” says Quantzig.
Story Telling
Social media “stories” is one of the digital marketing trends that will be impossible for marketers to ignore in the coming year, says Quantzig, adding that the “stories” format pioneered by Snapchat has now become a staple of the social media world.
“Following suit of Snapchat, Instagram created Instagram Stories, and now YouTube has released a stories format of their own called “Reels”. Each offers unique features and presentation, but they all follow the same concept. Stories capture the best moments from a day and most vanish after a set period of time. They’re also just a fun, bite-sized way to present video content,” says Quantzig.
(Mr. Mishra is managing partner of the Waltham, MA-based integrated inbound marketing and PR firm The Mishra Group. He writes about his three passions: marketing, scriptures and gardening.)
