Digital Communication - Question 3

 

Five recent trends in digital communication and digital marketing:

1.   Chatbots

Chatbots communicate with users, helping them complete their goals since it is artificial intelligence (AI) software. Chatbots interact with people by means of text chat windows. Verbal interactions are also possible. The artificial intelligence learns more about customers as more data insights is collected by the system over time over time. This therefore makes it possible to offer a service that is continuously-improving. Example, Facebook using chatbots to provide weather reports or basic customer support functions (Digital Marketing Institute, 2020).

 

2.  Marketing in messaging apps

Businesses in all industries have taken a significant interest in apps like Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp recently due to the fact that there are 1.3 billion monthly users are active on Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp has 1.6 billion active users.

People are less active on traditional channels such as email and social media and are more active on instant messaging apps. With short and personalized text, companies are allowed to reach a broad audience though the use of messaging apps. Example, consumers active on Facebook messenger returning to a company website if it has a live chat option (Digital Marketing Institute, 2020).

 

3.   Voice interaction

Due to devices such as Siri and Alexa, there is a continuous rise in verbal interaction with devices. It is the preferred way of interacting as people like to talk. The way people want to search, shop and discover new things is what these devices are catching up with.

The device will only give a few choices, mostly supplying just one choice when a person asks the device to conduct a search in which it replies verbally. Marketers write in a conversational tone therefore using keywords that people will speak rather than type. By doing this, they can target voice search users. Example, using Siri when searching something online will eventually allow the device to familiarise with how you search and shop (Digital Marketing Institute, 2020).

4.      Interactive content

Anything that people can click on, swipe, or interact with online is considered interactive content. Marketers consider interactive content highly effective at educating the buyer (Digital Marketing Institute, 2020).

Many companies have been experimenting with interactive content recently, such as:

1.  Polls and quizes

2.  Augmented reality ads

3.  360-degree videos

 More memorable and fun content from brands is wanted by consumers. This is due to the fact that it helps them feel more connected to the company. People are offered a more immersive and engaging experience through this type of marketing technology, eg. augmented reality and video content (Digital Marketing Institute, 2020).

5.    Video marketing

Video marketing, such as live video, is highly-engaging. A powerful method of digital marketing when combined with influencer marketing is live streaming. A huge audience can be drawn by having a live stream with an influencer that is directly interacting with comments. These influencers can include social media influencers or much more traditional sources, such as celebrities, athletes, and musicians.  Example, watching an influencer on a platform such as Twitch market certain products for a company (Digital Marketing Institute, 2020).

 

Reference list:

Digital Marketing Institute. 2020. 10 trends in digital marketing in 2020, 27 January 2020. [Online]. Available at: https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/10-trends-in-digital-marketing-in-2020

[accessed 9 June 2021]