Marketing and advertising are constantly changing to meet the needs of businesses each year and adapt to the prevalence of digital devices and content throughout culture. In the future, there are many exciting trends that experts predict will stand out as effective marketing strategies. Many traditional means of advertising are beginning to fade away in favor of more effective methods that use digital content and other aspects of the internet to educate consumers, spread brand knowledge, and develop a company’s identity.

The digital world is incredibly fast-paced. From technological advancements in AR/VR to the ever expanding Internet of Things (IoT), B2B marketers have to work hard to stay ahead of the game with marketing trends.

While we certainly can’t see into the future, with some forward-thinking and educated predictions we can identify some of the most important marketing trends that are likely to dominate in 2019. To help you make sure your B2B marketing strategy is on-point come the New Year, check out of the 5 essential marketing trends for 2019.

Internet Watching Catches Up with TV Watching

According to a recent study, the internet will catch up to TV in terms of number of hours watched. The study predicts people will spend 2.6 hours a day online and 2.7 hours watching television in 2019. This will cause marketers to rethink where their ad dollars go, many deciding to invest online instead of television ads.

Chatbots are on the Rise

2018 saw an explosion of websites using chatbots to engage customers, and we can expect even more of it in 2019. In fact, we think the novelty of chatbots will fade in the coming year and the tech will be seen as quite common, even expected. Chatbots will most likely become the first touchpoint for many consumers in 2019.

Chatbots, however, offer round-the-clock service with increasingly sophisticated AI technology. Chatbot AI has come on in leaps and bounds in recent years, and as a result most client queries are able to be resolved with minimal human intervention through pre-programmed scripts. And resolution is exactly what makes chatbots such a valuable marketing tool — they offer fast, accurate, and (cheap) customer service solutions.

VR/AR isn’t the future… it’s the present

Virtual and augmented reality are no longer futuristic concepts confined to sci-fi films —they are very much in the here and now. Most businesses are just beginning to explore VR/AR as a marketing platform — whereas some big brands and retailers have been making the most of this tech for years already.

With its experiential nature, VR/AR provides an open space for B2B marketers to deliver products, services, and ideas to their clients in an innovative way. Tech brand Cisco used AR to walk their clients through a virtual trade show — just one recent example of how the technology is permeating the B2B world.

Reach out to a VR/AR development company to find new, creative ways of delivering your products or service to your clients. Virtual product walkthroughs are relatively simple, but provide a fresh take on the traditional ‘demo’.

Banner Ads Take A Last Breath?

The digital age has transformed the way brands and consumers interact. Not long ago, you could sell what you had through blatant advertising, but 2019 will see even more online surfers using ad blockers. This will force advertisers to optimize their content marketing and influencer marketing strategies. Banner ads will no longer cut it, brands will have to find creative ways to offer consumers real value.

Integrated Marketing Will Become Even More Relevant

We’ve been hearing for years that print is dead, and for years we have been having tremendous success using print for our clients. And, with so many marketers focusing on new digital trends, there will be even more space in print publications with which to make a splash.

We know of companies that went against the grain and chose to spend a little extra money to send print newsletters instead of email newsletters and they got tremendous results. Imagine in the age of HubSpot and MailChimp that someone could have such a successful campaign that hinges on an old-fashioned tactic.

Now we are not suggesting that you completely abandon digital marketing. On the contrary, we are saying that print is a powerful complement to your digital channels. With so many banner ads and email boxes filled with advertising, print marketing is a great way to break through the digital noise and be heard.

Source:
https://www.business2community.com/marketing/5-surprising-marketing-trends-that-will-continue-to-blow-up-in-2019-02129656
http://thevisualcommunicationguy.com/2018/08/29/10-marketing-trends-for-2019/
https://www.heinzmarketing.com/2018/10/6-essential-marketing-trends-2019/