The end of 2018 approaches and it’s safe to say that the digital marketing industry had a rather exciting one. And it’s going to get better.
Looking into our crystal ball, there is an abundant amount of signs that are forecasting the upcoming trends for 2019.
As you plan for your content calendar for 2019, consider these trends that are bound to transform digital marketing.
3D Images
Facebook released 3D images last month and they’re already showing up on our newsfeed, in the form of 3D memes and scenic images. There are already brands utilising this new tool into your marketing techniques, and this will continue to spread.
For example, American Express® recently used it admirably for their Black Friday sale in their NomadX promotion.
As with the case for all new tools, there will always be an uptake by the various brands, especially in their various digital marketing efforts. This happened for 360° images as well.
There will be an experimentation stage as different brands try out this new function, which will lead to some mixed results. Expect a wave of 3D photos and Facebook ads in the coming months.
Psst… Meet the agency behind the scenes who helped American Express® develop the 3D visual here.
Augmented Reality (AR)
While this function is not as new as 3D images, it has been slower on the uptake, given the technical skills required.
It started out as an application-based, but there has been a new development. Enter Web AR; which has a lower level for entry and much easier to adapt to various brands and businesses.
Web AR has been spreading recently, as more and more brands try to provide a unique user experience for their customers.
Notably, Magnum Ice Cream adapted web AR in spectacular fashion.
It shouldn’t take long before this becomes mainstream in 2019 as well.
Interactive & Gamifying Experience
It’s all about interactions now, and in the upcoming year, we will see it being taken into another level.
The new-age digital marketing has been about flipping the communication model as it becomes exceptionally important to provide customer interactions. Gone are the days of boring and mindless images, as interactive experiences take centre stage.
We’ve seen interactive stories, videos and posts emphasising user engagements of some form, and the same goes for creatives and visuals within ads, which have taken the next step towards being interactions-based.
Now more than ever, more thought needs to be put into the strategy of creating interactions beyond “Like if you….”.
One notable trend is gamification. While this isn’t something new, gamification has been effective for sales when utilised well. There have been some good examples of gamification for businesses to learn from, such as Dominos’ below.
Focus on creating meaningful interactions with your customers in 2019, or find a professional team who is focused on it.
That’s the end of our predictions for digital marketing in 2019.
It’s going to be a bumpy year ahead for digital marketing but an exciting one. So hop on with a top agency that will embrace the changes and challenges to create the best solutions for you.
Table of Contents
3D Images
Augmented Reality (AR)
Interactive & Gamifying Experience
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When we talk about talking selfies and stories on our socials, which side are you on? Instagram, Facebook or… Snapchat? When Facebook attempted to buy Snapchat recently, they were rejected despite a whopping bid of $3 billion. In response, Facebook leveraged on their acquisition of Instagram to compete against Snapchat, by launching Instagram stories or what’s widely known at Instastories.
Talk about life’s regrets.
With the purchase, Instagram’s platform soared in terms of the number of users and ads, while Snapchat struggled to keep up. Facebook also launched Facebook Stories to add options for the avid social media users. From there, Snapchat started to look more and more like an Instagram copy instead of the other way around, as they struggled to innovate to pull ahead of its ‘successor’.
Until now.
Snapchat recently launched a gaming platform, similar to WeChat, in an attempt to improve user engagement and move ahead of their rival. They released a series of Snapchat filter games and Augmented Reality (AR) games that users can play on the platform.
Most notably, the AR Tennis game against Serena Williams is a clear sign that Snapchat’s advanced AR technology is going to become their selling point.
Y’all seeing this? Get your chance to battle @serenawilliams – you wont win 😂 but try your best and share your high score. pic.twitter.com/sXuxtImgJI
— Alexis Ohanian 🧠 (@alexisohanian) July 2, 2018
Credit: Alexis Ohanian Sr.
Snapchat games provide an additional tool for businesses to adapt. (YAY!) That is always welcomed for creative people (*wink wink*) to adapt for marketing.
Does Snapchat still matter?
Well, it really depends.
Snapchat numbers have risen steadily over the past year, with more and more youths adopting the platform. We’ve to admit, they’ve got really nice filters. Heh. This means any strategy or business targeting youths have to take Snapchat into serious consideration.
Incorporating gaming has given other platforms (aka Facebook) a boost before and it should do the same for Snapchat.
What can businesses do with this information?
Consider playing around with Snapchat’s functions and ads viewing if you are unfamiliar with the platform. Businesses can also start looking into adapting filters and AR games to help their own cause.
Do keep the demographics of Snapchat in mind while developing and utilising them and tie in to your branding. It will be a waste of marketing dollars otherwise.
If you want to utilise them, and you are having trouble with incorporating into your brand, consult an agency to help you.