What are the Future Digital Trends?

First in the line-up is Chloe, our Digital Account Executive. Giving you a full round-up of digital trends and what’s on the horizon for the next 6 months, here’s her thoughts on what could be coming up.

The digital landscape has changed dramatically over the past 6 months, and it’s not showing any signs of slowing down anytime soon. The digital revolution is well underway, as consumers daily lives now centre around all things digital more than ever before.

1. Voice Search

Digital assistants are becoming more integrated into our lives with the help from Apple’s Siri, The Google Personal Assistant and Microsoft’s Contana. The integration has gone further into our homes, with the introduction of products like Google Home and Amazon Echo.

It might not seem like this would have a massive impact on digital marketing. However, there has been a change to the way we search for things. For example, if you were searching via text for the CEO of Microsoft you’d probably search “Microsoft CEO” using a short phrase to find your answer. When you use voice search you’re more likely to search “who is the CEO of Microsoft?” There is a subtle change in the use of language here.  This of course we have an impact on the keywords we use as Digital Marketers, and considerations we will consider when planning a campaign. There is potential for this to have a big impact on the way consumers find information and the type of marketing we use to reach them.

2. Augmented Reality & Virtual Reality

With the launch of the iPhone X, there is a push on augmented reality, fusing the physical and digital world together. Within the coming month social media channels will potentially incorporate it into their offerings. Looking at an example, the Pokémon Go phenomenon, the popularity of this was initially nostalgia driven. It also grew in popularity due to the newness of the technology and wide spread availability globally. The total immersion of the game and interactivity among users was one of the key benefits of the game. More apps, social media and games will centre around augmented reality.

The same for virtual reality, this is becoming more accessible and affordable. There is plenty of scope for how VR can be incorporated into a marketing strategy. For example, it could be used for a Hotel to promote their venue for weddings, by showcasing actual weddings at the venue, rather than a tour of the empty space. Immersing potential clients into the experience of the venue.

3. Instant Everything

When consumers grow up surrounded by social media and technology, the expectations of instant communication and entertainment become inevitable. Generation Z consumers gravitate to instantaneous social channels such as Snapchat, Facebook Live, Musical.ly. The obvious downside to this is that there is an expectation for instant responses and activity. This expectation is set to increase, with marketers having to be very adaptable to change content within a few moments.  Also, innovation will need to happen rapidly and to a high standard.

From a business perspective, there are some exciting opportunities ahead, with some of these immerging technologies. In terms of using voice search, digital marketing professionals can adapt their keywords strategies, to expand the reach of campaigns. With augmented reality and virtual reality, there is scope for brands to be able to immerse their customers to fully experience their offering. Instant everything, will quicken the pace for how strategies are implemented and brands adaptability to digital changes.

These are the key trends that I think are set to make the biggest impact on digital marketing within the next year. Let us know if you agree or share your views with us on Twitter : @EDGE_Creative.