Who Knows What Digital Marketing Surprises Await Us in The Next 10 Years!

Digital Marketing has been a great addition to the integral part of life for billions of people around the globe! Today, customers have access to a pool of information at any time and any place they want it or need it. Thanks to the internet and globalization, most people on the globe have access to information through computers, laptops, tables and mobile of course! Marketers and consumers both have benefited drastically from digital marketing and social media has become a part of every business strategy!

I have learned and gained insights on the various techniques that digital marketing has to offer in order to target, acquire and retain consumer segments. As a professional marketer in the advertising industry, it is all about segmentation and targeting ad units to consumers via search, online display advertising and social media. The most important insight I have gained throughout this course and throughout my career, is that today consumers have no time to waist. Meaning? Marketers need to be on the mark when advertising to their consumer segments. Without targeted online ads no matter how good your creative is, you will never see results! According to Roberts (2013), “the ability to target with precision, based on data of many kinds from many sources, is the overarching advantage of advertising on the Internet”.

Another very important topic that I enjoyed deep-diving into is social media marketing! Social Media is definitely not going anywhere anytime soon! Social Media is a global phenomenon and a very popular space where consumers are constantly engaging with one another. I believe that with the right use of social media and an effective strategy, a business can gain marginal benefits such as, consumer engagement, loyalty, retention and new acquisitions.

Below is a great figure, which takes us through the most important steps to build a great consumer relationship. This takes time and effort and an up-front investment in order to retrieve worthy results.

FIGURE 9.6: Steps in Developing a Social Media Marketing Strategy

Moreover, social media content and communications need to be relevant and engaging, or it will not attract attention. There are so many types of media available to marketers to promote their content. Media types such as, paid media is your traditional display ads, which you pay for to promote either on different social media networks or on different targeted websites. Brands like to reach the point where their media is earned and shared. Unpaid media that receives a lot of engagement and attraction from consumers without having to pay for advertising is a sign of success! However, going up the ladder takes time and constant monitoring of the market and consumer trends is crucial. 

In the next 10 years, digital marketing will continue to grow and develop. There will definitely be enhancements in mobile technology and new engaging promoted ads. The continued growth in mobile and its impact on brand messaging, the continued rise of video and virtual reality, the need for brands to work on a timeline that matches culture, not ad campaigns. Rise of video and video sharing. With the rise of mobile, video is in high demand because people love visual storytelling. In 10 years, I see a big shift in consumption, which will shatter some of the conventional marketing models. I also foresee that most branded content will come from consumers. User generated content will far exceed branded content and brands need to embrace this and accept that they might not be in complete control of their own brand. According to co-founder of Percolate Brier, “Over the next five years we’ll see technology become a part of the core fabric of marketing itself” (Beer, 2017). I deeply believe that social will become an integral part of the “broader marketing discipline.” As its impact grows stronger, most brands will fully transition their marketing efforts to social channels. As such, social has the full potential to become not just one of the channels but the channel. What are your thoughts on the future of Digital Marketing? Do you feel a movement of technology coming soon?

References

Beer, J, (2017, April 3). 25 Predictions for What Marketing Will Look Like in 2020. Fast Company. Retrieved from https://www.fastcompany.com/3043109/25-predictions-for-what-marketing-will-look-like-in-2020

Internet Marketing: Integrating Online and Offline Strategies, 3rd Edition. [Bookshelf Online]. Retrieved from https://online.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781285827261/