How to Create a Basic Content Marketing Plan for your Business

Content marketing has been a strong strategy among marketers seeking to build audiences. As popular as content marketing has been in recent years, not all pursuing it do so effectively. Developing an effective, basic content marketing plan involves many different components. Before you begin jumping into creating amazing content for your website and social media, here’s how you lay the groundwork for a small business content marketing plan that works.

The first step you want to take is in doing the research to know what content is most effective with the target audience. In some cases, it might be a combination of video and text-based content marketing. In other cases, it may be only text, or it might be only short-form video. It can be different for everyone and working with a content marketing company, they should be able to point you in the right direction. After it is decided upon what form the content is to take, next, we need to decide how much of it you need and the release schedule. Let’s say, you’re aiming for a six month time frame. According to a six-month time frame and releasing one blog per week, that should mean coming up with the exact number of how many are needed. Define the exact number of blogs, videos, photos, and other content that will be needed over the course of the decided-upon time frame. From there, you can begin filling in the titles for each blog and what the subjects covered will be.

When creating a basic content marketing plan for your business, a hugely important piece of the puzzle is in getting the content right. After you know how much content you need, it’s time to decide on what to write about, which subsequently should be judged by how relevant it is to your audience. Make it relevant to your business and to your audience, writing on subjects associated with your brand and the people consuming the content. Beyond having the content be relevant, it should be useful. Provide the reader with something they can’t find anywhere else, and make it unique and informative. The content might be a series of how-to articles, advantages of a certain product or service, or perhaps a revealing look at certain aspects of your services or products that the reader might not be expecting. There are many different ways to approach relevant, useful content so be sure to give it some though.

The last part of putting together a basic content marketing plan is in knowing what marketing goals you are trying to accomplish. This might be to increase the amount of visitors to your site, to increase conversion rates, to sell a certain amount of specific products, or something entirely different. By knowing what the goals you are chasing, the more likely you are to reach them.

Throughout a content marketing release strategy, you can also use analytics and site data to judge whether your content marketing is working or not. Along the way, there may be changes. There’s nothing wrong with that. Even the most experienced of marketers may have to adjust throughout a campaign to maximize the results they are looking for. For more information on how to build the most effective content marketing for your small business, contact Unlimited Exposure today to speak with a representative.

6 Ways to Increase Social Media Marketing Engagement

Challenge stale social media strategies with something new, exciting, and effective. If you’re a small business looking for more real customer interaction and looking to inspire conversation online, these social media marketing engagement strategies will help. Through higher social media engagement, an account can win bigger on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, LinkedIn, Google+, Pinterest, and more.

#1 – Highlight the human side of employees

You don’t want your small business to be seen as just another company. Highlight the human beings who make it what it is.

A company is only as good as the people who are building it. Consider creating a photo album on Facebook as an example to pay tribute to employees. It does not necessarily even need to be an ‘employee of the month’ type format. It can be everything from a comparison of employees to their baby photos, or a comparison to their high school graduation photos, or a selection of what music employees are listening to, etc. Pursuing a strategy like this helps to create conversation and ultimately share your brand with others.

#2 – Make it personal

Personalized messaging to customers on social media has been shown to be highly effective at getting those valuable clicks. This does not necessarily mean to create campaigns of customized messaging but also to connect with followers on an individual basis. Consider thanking a follower for their comments, for a share, or for becoming a new follower. If someone has posted any questions to or about your company, answer those. The attempt here is to, again, make your brand feel a little more human and a little less ‘company-esque’.

#3 – Create valuable conversations

Creating conversation is a large part of social media marketing success. Share with followers ongoing debates relevant to your business. Consider joining communities and hangouts on different platforms to contribute to their conversation. By connecting with others in online communities, you may be able to find opportunities for more followers. Even consider setting up an online seminar or video chat with select customers as a means of opening up dialogue from management direct to consumer.

#4 – Use LinkedIn

It’s easy to forget about LinkedIn when there are a handful of more flashy social media platforms out there. That said, LinkedIn has always been a very solid choice when it comes to establishing and supporting a business. Consider communications with other companies, strategically connect with other managers and influencers in your local area, and participate in group discussions. All of this is likely to get more eyes on your company, while building interactions with influential people who may be able to help you expand.

#5 – Keep local engagement a priority

If you are at a loss for words in how to successfully increase social media engagement, favoring local or regional strategies might be the perfect way to do so. Create messaging around local facts, local events, or local issues. Even referencing a popular landmark can be enough to make your brand mean something to a new visitor. Create interesting communications to community discussions, when or if appropriate. By creating conversation that is local-inspired, that may help in getting shares and bringing more eyes to your message.

#6 – Hashtags

Increase engagement by using creative and popular hashtags to instantly tap into online discussions. Invent your own hashtags to entertain the audience or contribute something to ongoing hashtags. Create your own hashtags and ask followers to submit photos or to share their own experience in accordance with the hashtag. There are many ways to work hashtags. It doesn’t hurt to do some experimenting to see what works for you.

The Ultimate Guide to Building an eCommerce Site for Newbies

Using eCommerce to reach online shoppers has allowed multi-national corporations to increase their revenues in big ways, small businesses to find their way into a crowded marketplace, and has provided consumers with lower pricing, better products, and more favorable terms.

The Ultimate Guide to Building an eCommerce Site for Newbies

For newcomers to the eCommerce game, there is certainly money to be made. Since 2012, eCommerce companies have generated hundreds of billions of dollars in annual sales.

Though it might seem easy to take a bite out of that, the competition is fierce. To get a piece of the pie, an eCommerce site needs to be intelligently designed, incorporate key CTAs, be optimized towards mobile platforms, and must make it an ongoing priority to expand.

The first step towards eCommerce success is in partnering with a marketing company who specializes in eCommerce. Unlike other industries and forms of marketing, eCommerce marketing is its own beast and comes with some unique requirements. When you hire an eCommerce marketing company, they should know what CMS to partner with for an eCommerce store and what metrics to track in order to see what’s working with consumers.

For beginners making their way into the eCommerce space, invest the time to consider how to optimize the store for search engines. Imagine having a unique product page for each item. Imagine the advantages of having consumers find unique products in your eCommerce store from search engine searches and high search engine rankings.

It also bears mentioning that paying attention to how other eCommerce sites operate can provide insight into how to build your brand. For example, many eCommerce stores come with unique product names, short-tail and long-tail keywords embedded in the descriptions, photos, and video marketing which may include promotional content or product tutorials. There are seemingly an endless list of strategies to employ in building the ultimate eCommerce site.

To maximize success and revenues, an eCommerce site must find its audience and understand the brand it is selling. There are some sites who specialized in discount pricing, deals, and low pricing. There are other sites who specialize in high-tech items at higher price points. Knowing what kind of marketing communications to develop and which CTAs to employ to successfully build an audience involves knowing the advantages you have over competitors and what makes your products more appealing than the next store’s.

It’s a challenge, yes, and it always will be. The eCommerce industry is highly competitive however there are ways to find a niche and to build a successful company. By partnering with the right marketing company, ideally, you will find where that niche is and how to capitalize on it.

Unlimited Exposure has overseen the development and launch of numerous eCommerce companies over the years. In our time in eCommerce, we have seen some of the biggest mistakes eCommerce entrepreneurs can make and have seen huge successes from sites that have generated hundreds of thousands of dollars in return. By partnering with Unlimited Exposure, we can provide assurances that your eCommerce store will be presented just the way you want it. Working closely with social media marketing, SEO strategies, and online marketing, the most advantageous opportunities for growth can be built on. Achieve long-term growth that establishes your eCommerce site as a leader in its category.

Digital Marketing should Choose Long-term Growth over short-term Rewards

Digital marketing is a long-term process. Any short-term rewards are bonus and should not be expected. Though that’s a difficult sell to some companies, it’s the closest thing to the cold, hard truth we have.

Digital marketing companies are usually hired to produce as soon as possible. It is highly unfortunate that most marketing strategies are more marathons than anything. Through dedication, intelligence, and perseverance, that’s how we win the race.

It’s not possible, outside of running into some very excellent luck, to make a business successful instantly overnight. Companies are competing against countless others in their space and it’s a huge undertaking to become the top name in their field. There are numerous factors that play into how attainable growth is and how quickly a sufficient return can be generated. These include how healthy the business is, when they expect to see marketing results, what the financial resources are at their disposal, what kind of commitment they’re able to make, and who their partners are.

What a lot of us forget about digital marketing is that it takes hours. Though we like to talk about financial commitment and money – of course, it’s going to take some of that – it takes time. Hiring Internet marketing companies specialize in building blogs and social media profiles, video content, re-designing websites, engaging in search engine optimization (SEO) work, and more. All of this effort is what forms the foundation of a digital marketing strategy. If stakeholders can appreciate engaging in the process of digital marketing, it will make the journey a whole lot more enjoyable as results may be months down the line. It’s all about creating the strategy, releasing the strategy, and then, measuring the response to the strategy – and it’s the response which should grow over time.

In building an audience through digital marketing, it’s all about being consistent. That means schedule is important. Content releases that repeatedly trains the audience to come back again and again for informative, unique media is key. Releasing too much too fast does not work in digital marketing because it becomes about building a long-term brand. That takes time, as it should, and putting out too much too soon only creates a short-term blip that does not sustain. Make real connections and build a return audience that keeps coming and coming.

If short-term rewards is the name of the game, you can spend the money to get it but in our opinion, that’s not digital marketing. Short-term rewards like that are not sustainable, are very expensive, and is not the best bang for your buck.

Instead, use digital marketing to spend the same amount of money or less to get equal or bigger results that are duplicated week after week, month after month, growing your business to heights it’s never seen before. That’s precisely why companies choosing digital marketing should always follow long-term consistent growth as something to build on rather than expecting instantaneous, short-term rewards.

That said, if short-term reward happens, that’s great – it’s not guaranteed. Digital marketing is about building a company, a network of consumers, and trust in the marketplace. In six months or less, there’s so much opportunity to build healthy growth. Via Unlimited Exposure, become an industry leader through digital marketing and begin seeing the rewards of a successful marketing campaign.

What causes Low Conversion Rates on eCommerce sites and How to Fix it

Conversion rates is when a visitor goes from clicking onto your eCommerce site to becoming a customer. Conversion rates are measured by this percentage. High conversion rates means increased online revenues while low rates means that there is something that needs fixing.

Any eCommerce store that receives a high number of visitors but is not getting sufficient sales from these visitors, the cause needs to be investigated. After all, there may be somewhere along the sales funnel where customers are being lost. If you can find where and you know what needs to be done to fix it, there’s no reason low conversion rates cannot be improved upon.

There are many reasons why eCommerce sites may have a low conversion rates. The most common of these include a lack of customer support, no product reviews, higher than expected shipping costs, inaccurate product descriptions, no product photos, slow loading pages, higher product pricing than what your eCommerce competitors are offering, unsecured payment gateways, products that are routinely out of stock, and an unfriendly navigation experience leaving it difficult to find the products a customer is looking for.

In order for any eCommerce site to succeed, low conversion rates like these need to be resolved as soon as possible. The #1 reason why eCommerce sites fail are because of low conversion rates. Needless to say, this is not something to mess around with. By making small changes, success is possible. The process of making these changes is called ‘conversion rate optimization’, employing techniques to make the eCommerce experience more shopper-friendly. When successful, over time, conversion rate optimization can be directly responsible for higher conversions, more customers, and better revenues.

Developing an eCommerce site, significant attention should be paid to product pages. Each product should receive its unique page with photos, an accurate product description including specifications, customer reviews, and should have a fast loading speed. A product page should also include call-to-actions (CTAs). The key to a successful eCommerce product page is in providing all the answers and information the visitor wants. If they are well-informed about a product and its advantages, in addition to have CTAs strategically placed, a user is more likely to feel inclined to buy. Consider including limited time gift codes, discounts, or free shipping offers for first-time purchases, especially if you need something a little extra to get going.

Also, what more eCommerce sites are doing are adding product videos, including how-to guides and reviews. Recent studies have shown that product pages with videos have up to a 174% higher likelihood to convert views, when compared to text-based descriptions and still images.

Past the nuts and bolts of the product page, it’s also important to keep the eCommerce site experience navigation-friendly. Visitors need to be able to easily find the products they are looking for. The checkout process should be short, as in one or two pages maximum. There should be no requirement of ‘becoming a member’ or ‘sign up for a newsletter’. Checking out should be kept simple.

As an expert eCommerce marketing and web design company, Unlimited Exposure knows what it takes to create an effective online shopping experience. Conversion rates are the lifeblood of eCommerce success, and a necessity for any company looking to survive and surpass the competition. If you are running into trouble converting shoppers into buyers, connect with one of our representatives today.

Source : http://unlimitedexposure.com/basic-digital-marketing/679-what-causes-low-conversion-rates-on-ecommerce-sites-and-how-to-fix-it.html

5 eCommerce Trends to Maximize Sales Growth in 2018

Who buys, what they buy, when they buy, and why they buy is research every eCommerce company should invest in. The shopping habits, behaviour, and preferences of online shoppers can be used to build ultimate eCommerce solutions that strengthen profits, increases revenues, and builds a bigger audience. As eCommerce continues to grow in 2018, we’re looking ahead to some of the biggest trends we see defining the year for companies in this space.

#1 – Localization, Personalization & CX

The eCommerce company that succeeds in 2018 is the one that invests in local promotions and local-friendly content, personalized messaging and communications, and the customer experience. Though there is a lot to unpack in this trend, by pursuing localized and personalized marketing communications, instantly, you can enhance the customer experience. This goes beyond the minimum of fast shipping, low prices, and simple navigation. Those these points are arguably just as important as anything else, most eCommerce sites are already doing this. Thereby, go the extra mile in localizing, personalizing, and focusing on enhancing the customer’s perspective.

#2 – Community Building, Customer Engagement, & CRM

Customer relationship management (CRM) is what builds online and offline communities with brands. There are many multi-national corporations who continue to succeed in the marketplace by knowing their customer and building a community out of their audience. Key pieces of information in CRM can gain insights into what is important to customers and potentially, may help in building a community out of it. Courtesy of this information, you can increase conversion rates, grow your bottom line, and foster better engagement. Customer relationship management information should be regularly combed through to see where customers are engaging and where the opportunity lay to build community.

#3 – New Content Types & SEO

Despite what experts claim, recent analytics show that the top way to drive traffic and increase conversions across a long-term period is still through organic. That means engaging in search engine optimization (SEO) strategies and finding ways to reach consumers where their attention is already. By pursuing SEO, though the competition of fierce, high search engine ranking is a great way to build. Secondly, using new content types including interactive graphics and video marketing will also help to drive interest and engagement.

#4 – Mobile Optimization

Mobile optimization does not mean just having a site that is responsive to mobile platforms. It’s also about succeeding on mobile-optimized search engines such as Google, installing mobile-friendly content, digital wallets, product videos, and more. If it’s not already, the mobile experience should be a key concern – possibly even more so than the desktop customer experience.

#5 – Social media Advertising, Campaigns & Retargeting

Social media marketing made a huge impact last year and was inarguably one of eCommerce’s biggest trends. By spending thousands on PPC-based social media advertising, several eCommerce brands walked away with hundreds of thousands in return. The most popular social media platforms out there are beginning to see the kind of return on investment one receives from these ads, meaning that one should expect ad costs to go up significantly by the end of 2018. That said, there is still plenty of opportunity for eCommerce brands to invest in social media ads, upload your catalogue to Facebook Shop, retarget site visitors, and more.

Unlimited Exposure specializes in eCommerce marketing, web design, and digital brand building. To gain more insight into how we can help your eCommerce site grow its audience, please contact a representative today.

Source : https://unlimitedexposureonline.wordpress.com/2018/05/19/5-ecommerce-trends-to-maximize-sales-growth-in-2018/

Is Guest Blogging and Blog Sharing on its Last Legs in 2018?

There are varying opinions as to the effectiveness of guest blogging in 2018. There are some who will argue it to be a spam-esque strategy, while others will continue to emphasize the importance of collaboration online.

For years, guest blogging was an effective way to build relationships, build links, and gain some key SEO points, helping numerous sites we know and love rank and find audience. Today, guest blogging is not the phenomenon it once was however it is still used by many companies for the aforementioned reasons.

To dismiss guest blogging as being out of fashion or somehow ineffective in 2018 is not accurate.

Like any other strategy, guest blogging has a purpose. If there is information that is relevant and useful to share with someone else’s audience, writing a guest blog can help build traffic. For new sites that are struggling to increase their visitor base, strategies like this are key because it gets you in front of an audience. At the same time, to the site accepting guest blogs, it helps them by providing a piece of well-written original content.

There is a right way and a wrong way to go about writing guest blogs however. There is no limit to the amount of guest posts one can write though we recommend doing it sparingly and to select quality sites to write for. The most simple way we can put it is that guest blogging to build credibility and gain an audience is a more effective approach than guest blogging simply to build links. If a writer does their job correctly, it should build links, yes, however guest blogging is so much more than that. The links should not matter equal to or more than the quality of the article being written or the relevancy of the content. This is where guest blogging receives a bad name.

Some sites hire inexperienced writers to build content and send it out to anywhere they can find on the internet. This is completely the wrong approach for businesses because it does not build credibility, will not get the quality of links one wants, and is ultimately just a waste of money.

Thus, if one picks what sites to write for, and ensures the quality of content is high and relevant, guest blogging is a great practice. Just be weary of the low quality spam sites that promote guest blogging as a way to build authority. Connect with sites that matter and that have built-in audiences. Should anyone reach out to you to write a guest blog, proceed with caution. Consider the relevancy of the business and whether this is something appropriate for your brand. If it passes these tests though, there’s no reason not to use a guest blogger.

Guest blogging is a fantastic tool to build excellent, high quality blog articles for a site and should be used as such. Just remember that the person writing for you should be someone you can vouch for. If not, it may come across as spam and may threaten your brand reputation.

The future of guest blogging is no doubt one that leans more towards content-building and relationship-building rather than search engine optimization or link building, though guest blogging today can still help a site across these points.

How to set up an eCommerce Site to sell Huge during the Busy Summer Season

Competition between eCommerce companies has elevated consumer expectations significantly, pushing them to an all-time high as sites continue trying to outdo one another. More than 70 percent of Canadians will do at least some form of online shipping this year. For an eCommerce site to thrive in the market, they need to be able to measure up. Fortunately, through some small adjustments, any site should be able to successfully position itself for long-term success in the upcoming summer sales season. Here are some eCommerce strategies to try.

Evaluate competitors’ strategies

Sign up for the competition’s sales newsletter. Pay attention to both larger, multi-national corporate brands and smaller businesses. Any company that poses a threat in the local market should be something to keep an eye on. This way, you can decide on whether to offer similar deals, better deals, or it may give some ideas on what you wish to offer the customer.

Create sales and clearance sections

Any product that you need to move fast should be appropriately featured in their own section. By diverting attention directly to these pages, there is a greater likelihood of them being in the mood to spend money and buy. Consider categorizing products according to men, women, and children; and grouping by price. Be sure to include relevant keywords, high volume phrases, and don’t get to target long-tail keywords which you may be more likely to place for.

Consider deals for returning customers

Though it may make sense to set up deals and promotions for new customers only, having some exclusive, limited time-only returning customer promotions is not such a bad idea either. These customers have already bought from you and if the experience was a positive one, it makes it even more possible they will return. Build an eCommerce site that is constantly giving customers a reason to return, whether that’s through daily sales and promotions, blog content, social media contests, and/or something else.

Maintain a strong, detailed ‘About Us’ Page

Some consumers may harbour apprehensions about buying from a site they’ve never bought before. Via an About Us page, be sure to explain a little bit about your business and philosophy.

Hit email marketing hard

Email marketing is where a lot of eCommerce brands are seeing return visits from past customers. Strategize carefully, send out timed emails to existing clients detailing reasons to return, and encourage new customers to sign up for the newsletter.

Better return policy

Considering a more extensive return policy is a smart move for eCommerce sites. There are some sites offering as long as a 1-year product guarantee and free returns. This might be something to consider, though a year is admittedly long. No matter what the return policy is, ensuring that it is indicated and advertised appropriately across the site.

Be sure the site is loading at fast speeds

eCommerce sites are not your typical site. They use many components that the non-eCommerce site won’t use. This can make loading times increase significantly if your web design is being overseen by an inexperienced designer. Nearly half of all users will abandon a site entirely if the page they want takes longer than three seconds to load. For an eCommerce site, this could mean losing out on potentially thousands of sales. So be sure to test loading speed regularly on desktop, tablet, and mobile platforms to identify irregularities and slow-downs.

By following these tips and tricks for how to set up an eCommerce site to sell huge during a busy summer season, Unlimited Exposure is confident your brand can continue to attract loyal customers and increase its revenues.

Source :http://unlimitedexposure.com/basic-digital-marketing/670-how-to-set-up-an-ecommerce-site-to-sell-huge-during-the-busy-summer-season.html

7 Misconceptions about SEO Practices in 2018

SEO is nothing new yet it’s still something a lot of us can carry some dated notions or misconceptions about. As search engine optimization undergoes updates and with the array of philosophies out there about approaching SEO, it can be difficult knowing what to believe and what applies in the present time frame. Evidently, that results in a lot of people getting their SEO strategies wrong. Here are the top 7 misconceptions we have found some customers have about search engine optimization.

#1 – It’s all about keywords

It is, but it really isn’t. SEO uses short-tail and long-tail keywords in text-based content and in coding to have a page rank on search engines. Some marketers will argue that keywords are all that matter. As search engine optimization has undergone updates over the years, keywords have increasingly become less of a priority and other KPIs, metrics, and design factors have been on the rise.

#2 – Spend less and see rewards

SEO is very cost-effective however it takes time to work and it is something that needs to be maintained over time. Thereby, in the long run, even with its high return on investment, it’s going to take more than pennies. Low budget SEO work is not something that will get you big results nor should it be expected.

#3 – SEO is so easy!

Though search engine optimization strategies may seem simple, they are not. There are things a site owner can do without the help of an SEO expert, yes, however there are many variables at play. An experienced SEO marketer will be able to advise on the correct directions to go in, what strategies to take to get there, and can provide insight into the next set of changes that are expected to be around the corner.

#4 – Link building is spamming

Link building is not spam, though it can be in certain cases. Creating relevant, valuable content through link building should be the focus. Intuitive, informative links can significantly help in boosting search relevance and assist in domain authority.

#5 – SEO is a scheme that cheats search engines

Search engine optimization is not a way to ‘cheat the system’. It is something that search engines such as Google highly value. There’s nothing deceitful about SEO though some strategies are, yes, not well-intentioned. If Google finds a site to be employing deceitful SEO practices, they are penalized and potentially even blocked from ranking. Thus, this means working with an experienced SEO strategist to ensure all strategies being used are permitted.

#6 – You need to be worried about Google penalties

As long as SEO strategies follow best practices, there is no reason to worry about being penalized in any way by search engines like Google. Know that in order to be penalized, what you need to have done is purposefully egregious. Though things may happen along the way, such as a strategy not working or a ranking dropping, it’s highly unlikely for a site to be severely penalized for an unknowing mistake.

#7 – SEO is the same for everyone

Search engine optimization ranking strategies will not be the same for every site. Though some strategies will be similar, not all will be. There is no step by step guide for SEO to make sure a site ranks. The results will always be different, as will the challenges. Search engine optimization is an art onto itself and it takes an experienced SEO company to know what strategies to target, how to execute, and what level of investment is required before you can achieve high quality results.

4 Things that will forever change Marketing in 2018

Digital marketing is expanding faster than ever and data, tech, and measurement tools are growing at similar rates. Traditional, classic advertising spending is falling by the wayside as brands are learning to spend smarter across leaner strategies and emerging technologies. Today’s landscape of ‘fake news’ accusations, Facebook privacy concerns, Google algorithm changes, and new tech introductions is innovating the way that we do marketing. As the world shifts, so do we.

Automation is slowly growing

Automation in marketing is still a new concept, in terms of being an effective strategy. Consumer behaviours are changing and for brands seeking to spend less on marketing, automation is going to have to become part of the approach. Machine learning and automation already provides brands with insights they may have never had before on details in their sales channels and performance. The more insight automation can be used to deliver, the more effective a sales strategy can be built.

Data accumulation is endless

Marketers have more data today than ever before, helping them build and modify advertising strategies. The arenas in which consumers are engaging with brands deliver innovative insights into how content is being consumed, where in the sales funnel customers are leaving your site, and more. Knowing how to sift through the increasing mounds of data will be key in 2018 and beyond. Thankfully, with the invention of AI-driven tools, data can be more effectively processed. The future of data accumulation will be challenging however for those experienced in knowing what to look for, it will be a very lucrative point in time for marketing.

Welcome to voice search

Voice in search marketing many predict will dominate marketing this year and in the years to come. As more consumers use voice search, SEO strategies are going to have to shift accordingly. Approximately half of Americans already use voice search daily. At the same time, there are more than 20 million Amazon Echo devices out there in the world and competitors such as Google Home are generating millions of dollars in the voice search market. Thereby, optimizing for voice search, creating more conversational campaigns, and building off long-tail, conversational key words is likely the way to go for many brands.

The transformation into mobile content

Smartphones and mobile devices is where it’s at. According to reports, by 2021, more than 2.7 billion people in the world will own smartphones, with 87 percent of those smartphones having internet access. Today, more consumers are doing away with laptops and desktops. Digital marketing and search is focused entirely on mobile. This is where the majority of attention should lay for anyone in the digital marketing space. Though we can argue about what will be the biggest marketing trend in the future, for the present, mobile search and marketing is what’s happening. Content marketing continues to adapt to mobile platforms, becoming more interactive and immersive, and personalized to the user.

These 4 trends in marketing in 2018 is changing the way that marketers like us do business. In order to scale businesses and provide them the opportunity to grow market share, strategies and trends like these are going to make all the difference. The challenge will then be how to create creative, authentic content that reaches the audience. For brands in today’s world, don’t be afraid to inspire and educate and have fun through marketing messaging. Forming real, authentic connection is still what marketing is about – even with all these changes happening.

4 Things that will forever change Marketing in 2018

Digital marketing is expanding faster than ever and data, tech, and measurement tools are growing at similar rates. Traditional, classic advertising spending is falling by the wayside as brands are learning to spend smarter across leaner strategies and emerging technologies. Today’s landscape of ‘fake news’ accusations, Facebook privacy concerns, Google algorithm changes, and new tech introductions is innovating the way that we do marketing. As the world shifts, so do we.

Automation is slowly growing

Automation in marketing is still a new concept, in terms of being an effective strategy. Consumer behaviours are changing and for brands seeking to spend less on marketing, automation is going to have to become part of the approach. Machine learning and automation already provides brands with insights they may have never had before on details in their sales channels and performance. The more insight automation can be used to deliver, the more effective a sales strategy can be built.

Data accumulation is endless

Marketers have more data today than ever before, helping them build and modify advertising strategies. The arenas in which consumers are engaging with brands deliver innovative insights into how content is being consumed, where in the sales funnel customers are leaving your site, and more. Knowing how to sift through the increasing mounds of data will be key in 2018 and beyond. Thankfully, with the invention of AI-driven tools, data can be more effectively processed. The future of data accumulation will be challenging however for those experienced in knowing what to look for, it will be a very lucrative point in time for marketing.

Welcome to voice search

Voice in search marketing many predict will dominate marketing this year and in the years to come. As more consumers use voice search, SEO strategies are going to have to shift accordingly. Approximately half of Americans already use voice search daily. At the same time, there are more than 20 million Amazon Echo devices out there in the world and competitors such as Google Home are generating millions of dollars in the voice search market. Thereby, optimizing for voice search, creating more conversational campaigns, and building off long-tail, conversational key words is likely the way to go for many brands.

The transformation into mobile content

Smartphones and mobile devices is where it’s at. According to reports, by 2021, more than 2.7 billion people in the world will own smartphones, with 87 percent of those smartphones having internet access. Today, more consumers are doing away with laptops and desktops. Digital marketing and search is focused entirely on mobile. This is where the majority of attention should lay for anyone in the digital marketing space. Though we can argue about what will be the biggest marketing trend in the future, for the present, mobile search and marketing is what’s happening. Content marketing continues to adapt to mobile platforms, becoming more interactive and immersive, and personalized to the user.

These 4 trends in marketing in 2018 is changing the way that marketers like us do business. In order to scale businesses and provide them the opportunity to grow market share, strategies and trends like these are going to make all the difference. The challenge will then be how to create creative, authentic content that reaches the audience. For brands in today’s world, don’t be afraid to inspire and educate and have fun through marketing messaging. Forming real, authentic connection is still what marketing is about – even with all these changes happening.

Source :  http://unlimitedexposure.com/basic-digital-marketing/668-4-things-that-will-forever-change-marketing-in-2018.html

What will be the Next Big Trend in Digital Marketing By Unlimited Exposure Online

Shaping up to be another record-setting year in business and marketing, 2018 is proving to deliver some unique trends in marketing. According to many experts, there is as much as eight unique trends each competing to overtake marketing in 2018.

As we look ahead towards the rest of the year, we hope to be on the cutting edge of what works – as would most companies in our shoes. For the clients we are currently working with and to the partnerships we will form in the future, these are just some of the big marketing trends we are paying attention to in 2018.

Account-based marketing (ABM) is a unique approach used in business marketing wherein an organization will communicate with prospects and/or customer accounts as markets of one. Account-based marketing has shown promising results in the business-to-business marketing community and is a trend that we are keeping our eyes on.

Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are a digitization that is happening of the real world. Transcending the division that exists between the digital and the non-digital, more apps and sites are using predominantly AR to create more immersive user experiences. In return, audiences appear to be flocking in droves to take part in these experiences. Now, whether VR or AR converts to sales is another story however this is an area we are keeping tabs on.

Blockchain technology is a growing collection of records which are kept under cryptography. Blockchain will not necessarily affect web design and marketing in 2018 however we have our eye on it for the future. As the next generation of internet-friendly tech is ushered in, in all likelihood, blockchain is going to play a role.

IoT marketing applications also is on tap to continue to grow in 2018. IoT is short for ‘Internet of Things’, which explains the connectivity of the internet and its expansion towards including everyday objects. The more places where the internet can be embedded, the more opportunity there is to grow brands.

Next is mobile optimization which was the biggest trend of 2017. Every website should be optimized to be viewable and adaptable to smartphones, tablets, and other mobile screens. A site that has not undergone mobile optimization is going to not only miss out on consumers searching on mobile applications but a site with no mobile optimization will drop down the Google search engine rankings very fast.

This year’s biggest trend may be on track to be voice search. The number of devices allowing consumers to search by voice has grown tremendously. This past Christmas and holiday season, voice search devices were a huge hit among households in Canada and the United States. This year, it’s on track to continue taking over the marketplace.

There are many experts who believe the biggest trend in marketing in 2018 will either be artificial intelligence (AI) and/or consumer personalization. As AI technology continues to run into snags and issues, it is debatable whether enough of these apps will be able to work out the kinks before end of year. In the meantime, consumer personalization has become a necessity to brands. Marketing materials that fail to employ consumer personalization might see themselves wasting valuable dollars on campaigns with limited results.

Any of these trends could be the next big thing in marketing for 2018. As the year progresses, we will have our eyes on each of these!