New Delhi: Live streaming, voice search, video and interactive content have emerged as new trends and tools in digital marketing. According to domain experts, businesses need to adopt the latest trends and tools in digital marketing to increase their online presence keeping pace with the growing number of internet users and strengthening of E-commerce. The COVID-19 crisis has created a new normal and the marketplaces are being further shaped in a way that allows digital marketing to emerge as a prominent segment that is expected to grow exponentially in future.
According to a Digital Report 2021 by Denstsu, the Indian digital marketing sector is witnessing a boom and crossed the Rs 17,000 crore mark in 2020. The sector recorded nearly 27 per cent growth last year. While the digital marketing space has been quick to adapt and innovate, some of the digital marketing trends and tools not only help in staying ahead but also creating a new ecosystem for businesses to enhance their brand awareness, customer engagement, loyalty and finally profit.
“Customer engagement through live streaming is one such rapidly emerging social media trend that is taking the digital industry by storm. Three out of five consumers vote for a live stream video over a pre-recorded one,” said Kulpreet Freddy Vesuna, Founder and MD, Impact Public Relations.
“The reason being that live streaming videos allow them to interact and react to the content as it is being broadcast and shared. Furthermore, live streaming videos offer a raw and unfiltered look into a particular brand to the consumers and are sure to benefit any business regardless of the industry,” she added.
The next big trend in digital marketing is a great way to spread brand awareness. The increasing use of voice search has companies rethinking their online marketing strategies in 2021. According to domain experts, as Artificial Intelligence (AI) gets smarter in the digital age, the number of errors made by voice assistants like Alexa, Siri and others has reduced greatly. Voice shopping is set to jump $2 billion today to a whopping $40 billion in 2022. Many brands make use of voice search in their marketing strategies to deliver value-based content effectively to their customers.
Experts recommend that brands using voice technology must think about keywords that people will speak rather than type and focus on getting featured snippets on Google. Furthermore, companies realize the need to develop a unique approach to consumer interaction rather than merely using it to force messaging and sales for a more connected brand experience.
“While influencer marketing is not a new phenomenon to the social media marketing world, the coming years will surely see it dominate and even soar to new heights. Digital influencers help take your message out to the right audience to sway purchasing decisions and create brand loyalty, ” said Nishant Nayyar, Communication & Marketing Head, DayToDay Health India (DTDHI) and an experienced marketer.
The next important trend is a recent addition by the popular platform YouTube called “Shorts.” Being similar to Instagram ‘Reels’ where one can create short-form video content, YouTube’s ‘Shorts’ is a very good opportunity for all those who have their existing target audience on that platform.
Experts are of the view that interactive content is a part of the greater trend towards personalization as it allows the users to answer for themselves or have their opinion heard which in turn makes them feel more connected to the brand. Interactive content not only promotes more engagement but also improves the user’s enjoyment. Interactive content including quizzes, surveys, open-ended questions, contests, polls, etc., work wonders for the brands.
The world of digital marketing and e-commerce being highly competitive calls for smart marketing strategies and tools. The latest trends in the field of digital marketing will help increase brand visibility, attract new customers, get a better conversion rate and grow revenue as they contribute to the growth of the economy.
