Digital Marketing is continuously changing and evolving. It seems that every year there is a new marketing tactic or trend that needs to be utilized to increase reach and hit a target audience. Here are the top five new trends to implement:

Video Marketing

Video is quickly taking the internet by storm. Not only is it preferred by consumers and users, but social media platforms also rank it higher in the news feeds as well. It is seen as an easier way to dissect information and is more visually pleasing then simple statuses and blog posts. According to a recent study by Forbes "A third of the time people spend online is dedicated to watching videos."

Influencer Marketing

Utilizing influencers that are relevant to your industry and teaming up with them is a smart way to increase your presence online and gain potential leads. Influencers can create new content that the marketing team might not have ever created.  Using influencers can quickly create a 6 to 1 return on investment and according to Linquia the amount spent on influencer marketing is about to double in the next year.

Social Media Stories (Instagram & Facebook)

Stories are short posts that are organized in a persons feed by the time that they were posted and will disappear in 24hrs. Companies can utilize this feature to update followers on different products, functions or events that a company is having. It's the perfect way to battle the algorithms and ensure that your content can be seen!

Chat Bots

Studies have shown that at least 58% of millennials have interacted with a chatbot before, and over 70% of those that have yet to do so say that they would interact with a bot if one were present on a site. These bots are programmed to help users find the answers to FAQ and can improve customer service. They aren't limited to just websites either- Facebook now has messenger bots that can be used on their apps!

Live Streaming 

Live streaming is huge when a company is hosting an event, and they want engagement with their audience. Going beyond video, live streaming allows followers to ask questions and react to what is going on in the video in real time.  Live streaming now includes ads as well, which are placed on accounts with a large following and pop up about 4 minutes into the video.

By Erin Winch with Digital Marketing Sapiens www.digitalmarketingsapiens.com