Not sure where to stake your digital flag? Here’s how to optimize your marketing strategy

Nishtha Singh of TatvaSoft gives tips on optimizing marketing strategy basis digital and technology trends foreseen to rise in 2018

Every now and then, there comes a trend that takes over everything, especially in regards with technology. Digital marketing has become one of those trends, but instead of getting tired of it, I continue to be amazed by all the ways it's incorporated into our corporate lives.

2017 is about to end and the year 2018 is hot on our heels. Although, the needle for digital use in businesses has budged over the past three years, the ways humans operate are becoming more tech-focused with every passing second. And if you aren’t keeping up, then I must say that you have a lot to lose.

There has never been so exciting time for brands to leverage a variety of emerging technologies and platforms to attract current as well as potential customers. In the digital era, the key to success is knowing which platforms and technologies present best opportunities for your business and audience. The following post explores some of the most interesting trends that seems coming down the line that could prove fruitful if done in the right way.

Blockchain Infiltrates Paid Media    

Popularly known as a technological foundation for today’s crypto currencies. Right from digitizing to decentralizing, secure and incentivize the validation of transactions, the technology has an ability to do it all. Due to which its impact will be significantly felt in the programmatic ad world- driving down costs, eliminating all the waste and fraud. Most of the companies especially the blockchain companies like adChain, Bitteaser, Native Video Box and NEM have all entered the ad tech space.

AI Transforms Web Analytics

Disruptive technologies like AI, Machine learning, and other natural language processing are being used in programmatic solutions as well as influencer advertising solutions. In fact, it may quite interest you to know that many of the successful demand-side platforms (DSPs) have some form of AI already integrated. Moreover, it is assumed that in the upcoming years the supply side platforms will start to embrace AI en masse.

You may even find a new wave of AI-driven analytics cropping up (DemandJump) in 2018. Such kind of solutions will completely disrupt the traditional looking analytical tools allowing marketers to be choosier with how they spend their time and ad dollars, thus, maximizing return.

Influencer Marketing Is All About Strategizing

From a tactic to a strategy, this approach in influence marketing has led to approx. 35% increase in sales since last year. In case, if you are thinking that it’s just about offering a round-up post then you are wrong. Influencer marketing is way more than a round-up post. I personally believe that in the upcoming years, more and more companies will begin to adopt a strategic model.

Media Companies to Take Market Share Globally

Whether you own a renowned agency or not, media companies at a global scale are gearing up to sign significant service contracts with brands. With the advent and rapid growth of native advertising, media companies are all set to create and build their own content studios, i.e. internal agencies.

Let me inform you that media companies have a distinct advantage over most agencies, I mean they have their own significant audiences to tap into post content creation. In the upcoming years, we are about to see companies branch out more by offering more than just creative services, i.e. from paid media to virtual reality, content studios, etc.

Native Advertising Agencies

I know just a few agencies across the globe that specialize in delivering native advertising distribution of content. But the fact is that over 360 native ad tech companies are available in this space. In fact, I have come across numerous agency owners this year asking to help them create a paid content distribution team or native advertising team. And this couldn’t be a mere coincidence.

Native Advertising Technology

2017, we have already seen the native advertising technology landscaping increasing from 272 native ad tech companies to nearly 370. And I have no reason to believe this trend will slow down in 2018. On the contrary, it is more likely to speed up.

Conclusion

This isn’t all! There are many trends to be welcomed in the year 2018. So let’s keep our fingers crossed while entering the new era of transparency with paid media, whether native or not.