The best companies start planning for next year as soon as Q2 ends and with Q1 already behind us, it’s time to discuss the latest game-changing trends that have the industry buzzing and decide which ones hold the most promise and which are nothing more than a gimmick. That said, here are five most promising trends that will surely be a part of every successful digital advertising strategy in 2018.

1. Engagement Economy

The philosophy behind the term “Engagement Economy” is fairly simple. It describes a new digital era where everything and everyone is connected. The Engagement Economy represents a shift in relations between sellers and buyers and extends across organizations in order to include customers, employees, prospects, and partners. In this new engagement era, marketers need to reach beyond their consumers and engage all stakeholders across the entire business. This means that brands which have the ability to deliver the desired experiences to their customers will thrive, unlike those who fail to embrace the Engagement Economy.

2. Micro-moments

Described by Google as evaluative and highly critical touch points during which customers have the highest expectations from brands to cater to their need for reliable information anytime and anywhere, micro-moments are used to power the shift towards mobile phones and smart devices. Whether it’s looking for the cheapest concert tickets, finding the nearest coffee shop or purchasing a home, there are numerous micro-moments that stimulate us to reach out and grab our smartphones. A successful brand will be able to correctly anticipate and address those micro-moments by providing just the right information at just the right time and fulfill their customers’ needs.

3. Authentic visualization

It is reported that by the end of 2018, around 84% of all communications and interactions between brands and customers will be visual. This comes as no surprise as unique visuals can be used to raise brand awareness, customer engagement, message association and provide the customers with a more digestible form of information.

Social media platforms such as Snapchat and Instagram are already pushing the boundaries of visual storytelling.The two most prominent types of visual content used to convey brand messages are, of course, video and photographs. In 2018, we will see even more brands investing in high-quality photographs and videos, and possibly looking more into ways to enhance photographs and videos, such as interactive video, in order to increase their brand awareness and connect with their customers on a deeper and more personal level.

4. Customer-oriented content

Personalized content is nothing new, however, devising a proper marketing plan that includes providing customers with a completely personalized experience can only be accomplished with a dynamic, customer-centric approach. The simplest way of accomplishing this is to combine a dynamic website with a smart advertising automation plan in order to deliver top content and create an experience that matches the customer’s specific preferences. This customer-centric approach benefits both the brands and the consumers as it accurately fulfills the consumer’s needs while increasing brand awareness and lead conversion.

5. Augmented reality

Earlier this year, Apple has announced ARKit, a developer toolset that will allow users to create augmented reality applications and experiences on iPhones and iPads. Considering that these apps and experiences will become available on millions of phones and tablets, it becomes clear that Apple will be dominating the AR marketplace and will push the trend even further in the near future. Some developers have already started advertising their augmented reality apps and if you wish to step up your digital marketing efforts, you might want to consider hiring the most professional digital agency Singapore has to offer.

These are just some of the currently discussed trends in the field of digital marketing. As with all trends, some have the potential to completely change the industry as we know it and usher in a new era of digital advertising, while others will prove themselves to be nothing more than a mere gimmick. This is why companies need to avoid blindly following every new trend that comes along. Instead, those trends need to be carefully studied and implemented only if they have a practical benefit for your company.

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