3 Smart Digital Marketing Hacks to Increase Your Leads in 2019

Are you still talking about Facebook and that kind of stuff in your marketing plan? In 2019 the marketing world is a lot more complicated than that. I’ve been invited to share my views on the latest digital marketing trend to a group of service managers — but I think we all should know about these trends.

The Three 2019 Digital Trends That You Should Know

In this story, I will talk about the three digital trends in 2019: 1) Social Commerce, 2) Chatbot and 3) Voice Search. I have also included a three-point checklist and key takeaways for you to follow when you are completing your marketing plan.

1. Social Commerce

Retail is being reshaped by social media. Social commerce is when social media platforms are used to make a more personalised and targeted in-app experience shopping experience for customers. In the past, physical retail spaces have been used to move inventory through to customers and collect payment on-site, and the retail and merchandising teams would rarely intersect with marketing. However, given how easy it is nowadays for consumers to order online in China, customers can now seamlessly switch between shopping online and offline. Physical retail spaces are now being reimagined as marketing and engagement opportunities.

Credits: PIXLEE (https://www.pixlee.com/blog/5-business-benefits-of-social-commerce/)

Social commerce channels include:
- reviews and ratings
- deal sites and deal aggregators
- social shopping markets
- social storefronts

Credit: UNIQLO social commerce app by Federico Kotek

Checklist for Social Commerce

1. Plan: Nudge prospective customers throughout the purchase cycle
2. Verify: Different platforms have different capabilities in different markets
3. Experiment: Being willing to experiment, thinking long term, and appreciating the value of old and new media channels

Key Takeaway for Social Commerce

“There are few ingredients in the social commerce recipe: key message, stand out in the news feed, and be different.”

Social Commerce needs to be Social and Personal.

2. Chatbot

Hotel Chatbots can help enhance the hotel guest experience, encourages engagement and increase customer loyalty.

You can use the chatbot for:
- Providing service information
- Providing on-site directions
- Tracking booking activity
- Collecting feedback

Case: Chatbot for Restaurants by TheAppLabb

TheAppLabb has made a Chatbot for Restaurants and here is the link for the showcase: https://vimeo.com/257276941. Making your own is easy. There are plenty of chat-bot integration services out there, and you can build one without writing any code.

Checklist for Chabot

1. Personalise the User Experience (UX): In the retail industry, Aerie for American Eagle Outfitters’ created a bot with a “This or That” function to keep the conversation flowing.
2. Engage Deeply: Disney’s Zootopia bot on Facebook Messenger, told Forbes they saw users engaging with the bot for ten or more minutes.
3. Personify the Service Brand: When done right, these personable bots can feel like a friend, facilitate commerce, and help businesses. A company can show, rather than tell, their brand story to their target audience.

Key Takeaway for Chatbot

How might the service business help customers make better and faster decisions?

“People don’t want more functionality; they already have too much functionality. Today most modern applications are more focused on having fewer user interfaces. Instead, they have a single button that does a tremendous amount…”

Less is more. Design matters.

3. Voice Search

Voice search is using your voice to complete actions like search, get directions, and create reminders. For example, say “Ok Google, do I need an umbrella tomorrow?” to see if there’s rain in the weather forecast.

According to recent statistics from Microsoft’s Bing Ads, the number of people using their digital assistant, Cortana, to voice search for hotels has seen a 343% year-on-year increase in the UK alone. Similarly, finding flights by voice search saw a 277% year-on-year increase.

Case: “OK Google” McDonald’s Voice Search (by Mirum Agency 2018)

This is based on Google’s “OK Google” voice search, but Siri will do as well. Take a look at the McDonald’s SA’s Know Our Food question pages, which take searchers to their answers. These pages reveal information, either a behind-the-scenes video or image, as well as to gui de consumers to the Know Our Food website.

Link to the Campaign Video: https://www.mirumagency.com/en/work/case-study/mcdonalds-ok-google

Checklist for Voice Search

1. SEO Re-engineered: Ultimately, people search for things differently with voice compared to how they use text. Think conversationally.
2. Thinking on-site element: Things are tangible and factual. They talk what they see.
3. Humanised Tone and Manner: Make sure your “voice” is one that sounds similar to how people talk, and that it’s one they want to hear.

Key Takeaway for Voice Search

How does it differ from traditional search marketing?

“It’s a new world for search engine marketing! Voice search is not going away. It’s time SEOs start optimising their sites for this brave new world of voice search — so they’re not left behind.”

Write in the way we speak.

Let’s Recap

Besides your regular digital mix, try adding Social Commerce, Chatbot and Voice Search to your marketing plan. It doesn’t matter they come in as a beta or a small trial; you will be amazed by the response that you receive from your clients.

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