The Future of Digital Marketing: What to Expect in the Next 5 Years

Digital marketing or online marketing is the new way of business advertising nowadays. It differs from traditional marketing because it uses digital platforms and devices for marketing a business. Businesses use the internet or network connection to convey the message they want their customers to know and connect with them. They use online video, search engine marketing, social ads, and social media content.

Digital marketing has been widely popular in business because of its impact and cost-effectiveness. Many people around the world have their own electronic devices – from mobile phones to personal computers. Businesses can use these electronic devices to reach many people with just a few clicks. So what does the future hold for digital marketing, and would it be future-proof for your pest control business?

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not unfamiliar anymore for some. It did not exist back then, but AI has been widely used. AI tools will be able to use algorithms that can help businesses identify the future behavior of their customers. In addition, AI can be integrated with businesses to help them learn about their customers and use that data to create more effective marketing strategies, products, and services.

There are many businesses right now that are already using Artificial Intelligence technologies like Chatbots. Chatbots are computer programs that are used by businesses to converse with their customers. It mimics human intelligence to talk with the business’ customers. They are programmed to recognize questions and provide customers to give accurate answers. This helps businesses to stay active whenever their customers have concerned. Thus, there is no need for business employees to be active 24/7 to answer their customers’ inquiries. As the years progress, AI and AI tools will also improve. It will help businesses save time and more accurately understand their customers’ preferences.

Improved Personalization

Personalization of marketing is important because not all customers are the same. There are billions of people worldwide; not all are your target audience. Personalizing your marketing campaigns will attract customers that matter to your business. Relevant campaigns are most likely to yield leads and soon convert them. In the future, businesses can get more accurate predictions and information about their target market. When that happens, they can make the right recommendation to their customers. For example, a customer had a previous transaction with the business. The business will use this data for marketing the relevant products and services to them. They can send automated emails to them to promote their business even more. As a result, digital marketing will become even more tailored to the customers’ wants and needs.

Increased Awareness

Traditional marketing is good, but digital marketing is even better. It is easier to access for both the business and the customer. The customer will likely stumble upon your business by scrolling on the web. That said, digital marketing can increase your brand’s awareness. There are many digital tools like Google Ads or Facebook Ads that businesses can use to bump their business up and increase the likelihood of appearing on the customers’ devices. The business will not need to come face-to-face with its target audience for them to become aware of the business. As a result, it will completely eliminate the presence of paper ads since it is more time-consuming and requires more money to produce. Moreover, programmatic advertising will change the course of the business industry even more by using data insights and algorithms to provide the proper advertisement to the customer.

For example, a customer has searched before for a “pest control marketing agency.” In no time, customers will likely see more pest control marketing agencies on their social media feeds or other websites because algorithms suggest that this specific customer is looking for one. This makes it easier for the business to be visible to its target audiences.

Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing is not new, but it may become even more popular in the business industry. By having influencers market your business, you will reach even more customers because of the influencer’s followers. But some influencers have “fake” followers, meaning that some of the accounts following their accounts are not real people. Fortunately, this issue is already getting resolved and, in no time, will no longer be a problem in digital marketing.

Multichannel Marketing

Businesses are not restricted anymore to marketing their brand in just one platform. The most popular platform that many companies use is social media accounts like Facebook and Instagram. However, there are still other platforms that businesses can use to establish their online presence. For example, businesses can create their own website to publish anything business-related freely. Moreover, other companies are providing their own platforms where businesses worldwide can advertise their brand for free or for a fee. The more platforms businesses use, the higher their visibility will become.

Search Engine Optimization

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is another essential digital marketing strategy many businesses use now. However, some that still need to optimize their business may be seen updating their brand websites, social media content, and other relevant content to rank high on the search engine results page (SERPs). Additionally, using AI to create content may not be optimal, as Google can now easily detect AI-created content. Instead, use a specialised SEO marketing company to do the work for you. It’s usually best to use a local SEO service as they’ll be more likely to understand your product, especially if your product is only available in your country, so search “marketing penrith” or something similar depending on your location to find the perfect company.

Video Content Marketing

Video content marketing involves creating videos to showcase the products and services of the business. One good example is live selling, wherein the business will stream a live video featuring its product and services. In the video, they can show how the product is used and the benefits of the product. This will increase the brand’s credibility, as many people are mostly skeptical when purchasing a product and services, especially online.

Now we have “shorts” videos or videos that are only a maximum of 60 seconds. Since people’s short attention spans, “shorts” videos are a great way to get their attention immediately and convey the message immediately. Businesses should now think of ways to be creative in just a short video and ensure that the message they want is being addressed. “Shorts” videos will become increasingly popular because they can be more easily remembered than text-based content.

Voice-based Marketing

If there is video content marketing, there is also voice-based marketing. Businesses can use their voice or voice generated from text-to-speech tools to market their products. A good example would be the ads in between music on Spotify. Businesses can market their products solely using just voice, either on their own website or paid ads on different platforms. Many websites or applications are now being used to convert text into speech, and businesses can use this voice in their marketing.

Virtual and Augmented Reality

Only some use virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) in their business because of their high price and lack of access. However, it can be a great way to improve the user experience. In fact, it will be one of the best marketing trends in the business industry in the future. Furthermore, the advancement and transformation of the world can pave the way for VR and AR to become much cheaper and more accessible for businesses.

Visual Search Marketing

Visual search is already available, like Google Lens. It allows users to search for what they are looking for through the image they have. This is great, especially if they need help finding it using text in the search bar. Visual search will help other users worldwide avoid seeing irrelevant websites or content. Thus, it would be best for businesses to incorporate more images on their website as more developers are now improving the capabilities of the visual search feature.

Start Digital Marketing Now!

It is no doubt that digital marketing is future-proof. Technologies are ever-changing, and so is digital marketing. Gone are the days when businesses used paper ads like flyers and paid for a TV commercial or radio advertisement slot. Additionally, only a few brands use billboards for marketing their products. Startups and small businesses are not one of those because buying an ad space on a billboard can cost hundreds to thousands of dollars, which is not practical. As a result, many businesses are now going digital, and you should too! Expand your pest control business online by doing your own digital marketing, or look for a pest control marketing agency to help you out!