Digital marketing trends are constantly evolving. With the rise of innovative aspects like influencer marketing, social media apps, AI chatbots and non-fungible tokens (NFTs), a new dimension in marketing has been created that has never been seen before.

As we enter a new decade and tech continues to change rapidly, we want to take the opportunity to share some digital marketing trends that have been rising.

Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing is a type of social media marketing that uses endorsements and product mentions from individuals who have a dedicated social following and are viewed as experts within their niche; also known as influencers. It is becoming a popular way for companies to advertise and promote their products.

There are different types of influencers:

• Micro-influencers: have fewer than 10,000 followers and are used for niche audiences.
• Nano-influencers: Instagram users that have between 1,000 and 5,000 followers. Their reach is lower and they’re often more specialized.
• Traditional influencers: celebrities that have a large reach but are the costliest of them all.
• Bots/virtual influencers: computer-generated avatars owned by a company. This approach may raise privacy and ethical concerns. An example of this would be Lil Miquela, a virtual influencer with over 3 million Instagram followers.

Regardless of the approach taken, influencer marketing is an effective and popular way for companies to engage with their audience.

Social Media Apps Making Moves

Social media apps have become more than just an outlet to showcase images and share content. It is now widely used by organizations to advertise, sell, and promote their products. These social media apps are making headway in the digital world:Pinterest – The Virtual MallPinterest is a social network where people can find inspiration and ideas for their interests or hobbies. Visual search is popular on Pinterest and they’ve recently introduced an AI powered feature called “Complete the Look” that gives fashion and décor recommendations based on understanding the images and location of a photo. For example, if a user is looking at an image of a beach, they’ll be presented with recommendations for bathing suits, sunglasses, or hats. This gives brands a great opportunity to get their products in front of customers at just the right moment of interest.ClubhouseThe latest social network is a cross between old fashioned talk radio and modern chat rooms. Meet Clubhouse, an audio-only social media app where users all around the world come together to talk, listen, and learn from each other in real-time. Since the app is new, there’s only two ways you can join. You can add your name to the wait list or ask a contact who is already registered there to invite you, which has created a lot of demand for the app. Users communicate by talking, as there’s no video or chat. You can join and exit chatrooms seamlessly and act as a listener or contribute to the conversation.

From a business perspective, Clubhouse is a great tool to use to expand your business, connect with people outside your organization, learn from experts and help promote product launches.TikTokTikTok has been taking over the social media landscape in recent years. The app was released in 2016 as a short-form, video-sharing platform that allowed users to create and share 15-second videos on any topic. The target audience is Generation Z users, who love a full immersive experience.

Following trends or working with TikTok influencers are a great way to promote your brand and simultaneously increase brand awareness on the platform.

Now, businesses can use the app to unleash their brand’s creative side. No matter how big or small a business is, they can benefit from using TikTok to promote their brand with video ads to be placed in-between videos. The ads are generally short videos that blend with the organic videos, so users won’t feel as annoyed when an ad comes on. This gives room for companies to experiment and be creative with their ads to engage with the TikTok community.

NFTs and Chatbots

NFTs are unique identifiers attached to a digital piece of content. They are a new way for creators and brands to monetize a digital asset and provide proof of ownership on videos, images, tweets, or more. You can use NFTs to give customers another connection to your brand and increase brand awareness.

Chatbots are computer programs that simulate a natural human conversation. They can be used in a multitude of ways, but most commonly to answer simple questions and assist in processes. Companies are also implementing it on Facebook Messenger now, as it saves time and resources.

NFTs and chatbots can help take your business to the next level by leveraging chatbots to build strong connections and NFTs to improve brand awareness.

Takeaway

These trends are shaping the digital world today. As our world is constantly evolving and new trends arise, it is crucial for businesses to stay up to date on trends and adapt their approach to enjoy long-term success.