Digital Marketing trends you might be surprised by…

Politically and socially, 2019 has been a pretty confusing year so far. From the ongoing upheaval surrounding Brexit to the change in Prime Minister and even the weather there have been plenty of unexpected outcomes to deal with. And it doesn’t stop there because in the world of digital marketing too there are a number of interesting trends emerging that you might be surprised by.

50%+ UK Instagram accounts have dabbled in fraud

According to a recent study, more than half of UK Instagram accounts and the majority of influencers have dipped a toe in the water of Insta fraud. That could be setting up an entirely fake account or something like buying followers or making use of Insta bots. Perhaps even more surprising is that one in five of those who took part in the study said that they intended to continue engaging in the fraudulent activity.

Apps are on the up

In the second quarter of this year consumers downloaded record numbers of apps to their phones – more than 30 billion in total. As a result, the amount that consumers are spending on apps jumped 20% as compared to the same time period last year. In terms of the division between systems, 80% more was spent on iOS apps as compared to Android. The popularity of apps is something that marketers tend to ponder on an ongoing basis but these stats would indicate that, in 2019, they are a powerful way to reach consumers.

Targeted mobile messages are failing

In fact, around 77% of consumers say that they find this type of marketing “annoying.” This is likely to be a bit of a blow for businesses that have invested heavily in mobile marketing campaigns that are designed to boost revenues and increase audience share. Crucially, if marketing messages are perceived by consumers to be intrusive or irrelevant they are likely to give a poor impression of the brand that they represent.

A recent study found that there is no dominant preference among consumers either towards email or mobile ads. However, the key differentiating factor seems to be that messaging is useful and relevant – contact for contact’s sake simply does not work.

Print is not dead

Several surveys have found that, in both the US and the UK, consumers are still interested in more traditional forms of advertising, such as print. In fact, 80% feel that traditional ads still have value. So, it seems there is plenty of scope for varying marketing approach to accommodate a combination of digital and traditional, depending on your audience.

Consumers are more likely to buy big online than this time last year

From furniture to cars and BBQs, consumers are now much more comfortable buying big ticket items online than they used to be. 46% said they are more willing to do it than this time last year, rising to 56% for those aged 26 to 35. Key to this is the way that consumers are researching these purchases – recommendations from others are often crucial.

These are just a few of the digital marketing trends that have emerged so far in 2019. If you’d like to discuss your marketing needs with our experienced team, get in touch.