The landscape in the digital advertising industry continues to evolve at a rapid rate, with technology advancements facilitating huge changes in the sector.
Keeping abreast of the latest developments is hugely important for any business that wants to stay at least one step ahead of their rivals.
Experts have predicted that annual global ad spend will reach around $400 billion by the end of 2021, making it easy to see why monitoring trends is so important.
With that in mind, we take a closer look at five key elements that we believe are well worth following in digital advertising.
Brand Building
Brand building has historically been an important part of the digital advertising scene since its inception and that trend is unlikely to change for the foreseeable future.
Amazon’s CEO, Jeff Bezos, famously said that ‘your brand is what other people say about you when you’re not in the room’ and his words still ring true today.
If you want consumers to feel positive about your business, building a strong brand plays a pivotal role in achieving that.
A strong brand image creates trust, boosts staff motivation, builds customer loyalty and helps companies to stay true to their principles.
Programmatic Advertising
Programmatic advertising has grown in popularity in recent years and industry experts have tipped it to become far more prevalent in the future.
The process is based on an automated bidding procedure that sells ad space based on analytical and budgetary data provided by the advertiser.
Display ads were previously the most common form of this type of advertising, but these have been surpassed by video ads in recent times.
Programmatic ads can appear across a variety of platforms including website, social networks, television and digital signage.
Automation Software
Automation software allows marketers to capture leads and track their progress along the sales journey from initial contact to completing their purchase.
The tools are an essential resource for businesses, allowing them to gain in-depth insights into the performance of their digital advertising activities.
They help to build relationships with prospective clients by providing them with content that is relevant to their individual interests.
Many companies have started to embrace automation software and we expect the trend to accelerate over the next couple of years.
Live Streaming
A key element of a successful advertising strategy in the future will undoubtedly be live streaming, particularly for businesses where engagement drives sales.
Social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram offer firms the ability to advertise their goods and services in real-time, thus increasingly the possibility of securing a sale.
Utilising the services of influencers or industry experts is a great way to take your advertising activity to the next level and more businesses will head down this route in the future.
Visuals matter when it comes to advertising and there is no better way to get your key messages across than in a real-time environment.
Voice Search
‘Alexa, tell me where I can buy a new Ford car.’ Voice search marketing is expected to become all the rage over the next few years as advertisers wise up to the possibilities on offer.
Voice devices have become an integral part of homes across the world, providing users with access to a plethora of information on demand.
Smart devices have traditionally provided users with ad-free search results, but the landscape is expected to shift towards a more monetised mode of operation.
Amazon is believed to have held talks with major brands about advertising on their Alexa devices, and it is likely to be just a matter of time before this becomes part of everyday life.