What will the Online Marketing and Advertising Landscape Look Like in 2018?

In 2017, we witnessed the launch of a host of mesmerizing and innovative new technological developments and gadgets, such as Google Home and iPhone X. The industry and consumers are both shifting their focus away from television and jumping on the digital bandwagon. Do not be surprised to see the trend carry over in 2018. To give digital marketers and advertisers a sneak-peak into the future of digital marketing and advertising, Branex calls upon its clairvoyants and predicts what 2018 has in store for digital marketers and advertisers:

1. Emergence of New Ad Formats to Dupe Ad Blockers

One of the biggest hurdles that online advertisers face is the ad blocking software. According to statistics, ad-blocking software cost online advertisers 20 billion dollars in 2015 alone, which almost doubled up to reach 40 billion dollars in 2016. With Google and other tech giants releasing tools and technologies to deliver an ad-free user experience to web users, online advertisers will use different tactics to circumvent this nuisance. This will result in the emergence of new ad formats that have a propensity to evade these ad blockers and render your ad visible in front of your target customer.

2. Machine Learning Will Transform Ad Management

Whether you are running an ad agency or are an important part of one, I have some bad news for you. Machine learning is about to take your place. More and more businesses will opt for machine learning platforms that can manage their ads more efficiently as compared to an ad agency. Machine learning tools that optimize your ad spending by harnessing the power of advanced machine learning techniques and algorithms are already available in the market. All digital marketers have to do is to determine the basic parameters for their advertising campaigns and leave the rest in the hands of these machine learning tools.

3. Native Ads Will Dominate

According to Business Insider, native advertising will account for 74% of all ad revenues by 2021. With people always looking for information regarding local businesses, it is not surprising to see native ads become the preferred choice for digital marketers in 2018. Combine that with the promise of higher exposure and engagement rates as compared to traditional banner ads, and it becomes quite evident why businesses are taking the native advertising route. Do not be surprised to see spending on native advertising go up significantly in 2018. With the ability to tweak the ad copy to target the preferences of customers, native ads will be even more effective.

4. In Car Ads Will Become a Norm

All mammoth car manufacturers such as Audi, Volvo, and Mercedes Benz are betting big on self-driving cars because it is the future of transpiration. With self-driving cars making their way to our roads, we might see a new form of advertisement emerge. Alleviating you of the need to engage yourself in the hassle of driving, you are free to consume more content. Digital advertisers will capitalize on it and lace that content with in-car ads. Get ready to see more brands jump on these marketing channels for promoting their products and services.

5. Influencer Marketing Will Be the Next Big Thing

According to statistics, 80% of Gen Z and 74%of millennials reported that social media influences their shopping habits. More importantly, for every dollar your business spends on influencer marketing, your business earns $7.65. Very few marketing mediums can deliver the same return on investment as do influencer marketing. Almost 95% of marketers who use an influencer marketing strategy,consider it effective. Many fashion and beauty brands have already achieved success with influencer marketing. Businesses are forever in the throes of unearthing relevant influencers to promote their products and services.

6. Linkedin and Instagram are the New Twitter and Facebook

Social media landscape is in the throes of significant changes. Big names such as Facebook and Twitter will lose ground against the likes of LinkedIn, Instagram and Snapchat. Don’t believe it? Just check out the growth rate of Instagram and Snapchat and compare it with Twitter and Facebook, and prepared to be awe-struck. With more than 800 million monthly active users and growing, Instagram will soon become the next Facebook. On the other hand, Twitter is dying a slow death, paving way for LinkedIn to take over. This means that you will have to choose your social media channel prudently.

7. Bots and AI Tool Will Automate Website Messaging

Gone are the days when you had to hire a separate customer support executive to converse with your customers and pacify their queries. With AI tools and chat bots on the loose, you have one less thing to fret over. 57% of marketers are already getting high on AI. Technology giants such as Google, Microsoft and Facebook are investing profoundly in chat bots and are reaping rich rewards. The pace at which AI technology is evolving, we will not have to wait long to talk to a robot instead of a customer support representative.

8. Voice Search Optimization

According to Google’s data, they receive 20% voice search queries and this number is projected to escalate to 50%. This reflects the exponential rise in the number of voice search queries. Voice assistants, smart home speakers, and other automation gadgets have further fueled the growth of voice search. Online advertisers have to tailor their keywords according to the voice searches completed by users. This allows them to offer quick and relevant answers to customer’s queries. With search engines getting smarter, you need to be able to guess the intent of the searcher correctly to be more effective.

Conclusion

Akin to 2017, 2018 is bound to be an action packed year for digital advertisers as we see the digital advertising industry go through a major paradigm shift. The focus is diverging from TV ads to native ads, in-car ads and influencer marketing. With social media landscape experiencing a major overhaul, you should have a social media strategy on the go and the right social networks at your beck and call. Voice based searches will account for more than half of all search queries. Finally, we will see the impact of machine learning, chatbots, and artificial intelligence on digital marketing and online advertisement realm.

Are you ready for all these changes? How would you adjust and deal with these changes? Feel free to share your feedback with us in the comments section below.