The rate at which the marketing landscape shifts is enough to make your head spin.

But one of the best decisions you could make for your business is to anticipate those shifts, educate yourself on trends, and tweak your strategies.

Sadly, this is where many business owners fall behind because they don’t know how or where to begin.

The digital marketing trends in 2018 bring exciting opportunities and this video explains which ones to care about plus free tools to ensure your success in the year ahead.

Digital Marketing Trends 2018

For the rebels at heart, the word alone can send signals to resist and rise against. But in the marketing realm, it’s when the wise pull out their pens and start taking notes.

Learning and adapting to developing trends could mean the difference between being Blockbuster or Netflix.

With that, I’ll admit, it can be overwhelming trying to decide where to devote time and attention to.

The key to making it work for you is to keep it simple and decide which trends are worth focusing your marketing efforts on.

Here are a few to consider.  And remember, any links mentioned are a click away in the description below:

Facebook Ads

Despite the rising cost, Facebook Ads are still cheap compared to traditional media.

It’s no wonder they remain the most effective form of advertising available today in terms of cost and results.

And as organic reach continues to plummet, it’s a reasonable option for anyone feeling the impact.

Additionally, Facebook continues to diversify ad formats with options like carousels, videos and slideshows, all optimized to help businesses reach specific goals.

If you’re considering running Facebook Ads and need inspiration, you can download my free Facebook Ad image guide that helps you cut your costs and boost your results by up to 80%.

Content and Context Marketing

Demand for high-quality original content has never been higher.

People are consuming content faster, more frequently and through an array of multiple mediums.

To meet demands in 2018, you must become a publishing force of nature by creating well-thought-out content tailored to the specific needs and desires of your market, as well as deliver it on their platforms of choice.

Integrating context marketing into your content marketing strategy will help you deliver the right message, to the right people at the right time.

If you’re not exactly thrilled about cranking out more content, download my fast content formula to help you create effective content quickly.

Video

Here’s two reasons to get over your fear of the camera: Mobile video consumption is expected to rise by 35% this year and video marketing generates a reported 66% increase in leads.

Video marketing really is the next best thing to being in-person and allows you to engage with your audience on a level comfortable to them.

Virtual reality tech is also gaining traction, promising even more of an interactive consumer experience.

There’s really no better time than in 2018 to start infusing video with your marketing and advertising campaigns.

If you want to start driving sales with video but don’t know what to say, you can download my video ad template and script.

Personalization

Delivering content based on the interests of your target market is hardly a new concept.

Relevant content equals more conversions and sales.

But a wave of new personalization tools is setting the phasers of conversion optimization from stun to kill.

Here’s a few to explore: Drip is an email marketing platform that allows you to tag website visitors and assign them to various campaigns based on their behavior.

Right Message is software that personalizes your website in real time with features like dynamic opt-ins and swapping in testimonials from people similar to the viewer.

And of course, Facebook Ads and the Facebook pixel, two of the most powerful tools to help you tailor and target your message and marketing for maximum conversions.

The End of Internet Marketing “Douchiness”

Consumers are jaded and skeptical after decades of hype marketing tactics from so-called experts and high-profile hotshots.

Most of them proved to be nothing more than a smoke and mirrors act, leveraging their image to persuade consumers into buying their products.

That scene fades to black as consumer tolerance lowers for the fake, phony, and fabricated.

As a result, we’ll see more humble Fiats replacing flashy Ferraris.

The market is hungry for authenticity and transparency.

Brands that fail to adapt will unravel and those with an honest, trustworthy presence earn their way into the hearts and wallets of their market.

Community

There’s never been a time when know, like, and trust have been so crucial to not just business success but survival.

That’s why building and serving a community of your ideal target market should be a core focus of your marketing strategy in 2018.

Harnessing the power of much needed connection and delivering value will create the trust your audience needs to become loyal customers and brand ambassadors.

You can engage with your community on social media but email is ideal, as it offers more control and remains an effective system to nurture relationships.

Whatever route you take, investing in a community of your own is sure to pay off in dividends.

Voice Search and Latent Semantic Indexing

Google Assistant, Siri, Cortana, and Alexa offer the convenience of hands free internet search and the world is taking advantage of it.

A predicted 50% of all searches will be voice searches by the year 2020 and we’re well on our way to hitting the mark.

But it’s more than just cool technology.

For businesses, it’s a goldmine of opportunity to generate highly targeted leads and skyrocket conversion rates.

Websites optimized for voice search using latent semantic indexing will earn that precious rank at the top of search results.

Start preparing now if you haven’t already.

Social Mobile Dominance

Mobile use is up, social media use is up, and social media use on mobile devices is definitely up.

You need to have a mobile specific social media focus.

This as a solid opportunity to stand out and get your offers directly in front of your target market.

But the game is played differently on the small screen and your desktop strategy won’t do.

Everything from the length of your copy to your ad formats impact your views and visibility.

Invest in understanding the moving parts of mobile social media marketing to optimize your strategy for maximum engagement and profitability

Richard Branson nailed it when he said,

“Every success story is a tale of constant adaption, revision and change.”

The truth is, digital marketing is simplifying and progressing toward its roots of authenticity, values and human to human connection.

That’s a prospect even the rebels of change can appreciate. Here’s to making 2018 your best year yet.