In the past couple of decades, digital marketing has transformed traditional marketing and advertisement to an unprecedented level. In fact, marketing for different kinds of organisations and companies has now become synonymous with digital processes. This has become possible widely because of the advantages that digital marketing has over other conventional marketing processes. Digital marketing is more focused, personalised and cost-effective as compared to any other promotional campaigns.
India Inc. has also realised the importance of digital marketing processes, and hence the adoption rates among Indian companies have been rather rapid. Digital marketing, as an industry, has demonstrated annual growth of up to 30%, which is an ode to its relevance for businesses of all sizes and natures. As the number of internet users, coverage of high-speed and 5G internet, and overall digitalisation keep on increasing, the relevance of digital marketing will only increase in the future.
However, the risk is always associated with digital marketing campaigns and processes if not used properly. It is estimated that around 97% of digital marketing campaigns fail to deliver the estimated objectives due to various reasons, such as poor campaign strategies and insufficient market research. It is critical that a marketer is aware of the latest trends in digital marketing for the most effective utilisation of available digital tools and attaining the short and long-term targets of a campaign.
Here are a few latest trends in digital marketing:
Making the best use of Influencer Marketing
The impact of influencers on digital marketing goals is way more than marketers anticipate. Influencers are often considered genuine information sources, especially regarding product and service reviews. Different categories of influencers could be introduced in the marketing campaigns. This is the reason why 70% of Indian consumers think that influencers have helped them in knowing a brand or offering better. Hence, the eventual purchase decision has been affected by the reviews and inputs of social media influencers.
The benefits of this approach include high engagement rates, as influencers often have strong relationships with their audience and high credibility. Furthermore, influencers can reach niche audiences genuinely and authentically which traditional advertising may struggle with. Their content can also enhance a brand’s storytelling efforts, making it more relatable to consumers. Lastly, influencers often provide unique insights into consumer behaviour, helping brands target their offerings better.
Understanding the Scope of Omnichannel Marketing
This is another buzzword that has influenced the digital marketing scene to a great extent. It is a multichannel approach to sales and marketing that aims to provide customers with a seamless and integrated shopping experience, regardless of whether they are shopping online from a desktop or mobile device, by telephone, or in a brick-and-mortar store.
The concept of omnichannel marketing is quite straightforward. The customer has a wide range of channels through which they might connect with the business. This connection could be in the form of a query, complaint, sale order or after-sales requests. In a highly digitalised world, a business cannot expect customers to follow a strict hierarchy of contacting a brand. Furthermore, a business should also be able to communicate its messages to the customer through different mediums. Hence, omnichannel marketing is an integrated process enabling businesses of all kinds and natures to improve the overall marketing process.
In an omnichannel strategy, the customer’s interactions across all these channels are coordinated and consistent. The goal is keeping the brand’s message, objectives, and design across each channel and device. Omnichannel marketing acknowledges that customers engage with brands in many different ways and on different platforms, and it aims to deliver a consistent and unified customer experience across all of them.
Introducing AI and ML in Digital Marketing
As explained in the previous point, digital marketing has now focussed on providing the highest customer experience through personalisation. Providing curated content that matches a consumer’s preferences and tastes was quite tough a few decades ago as it included a significant volume of data analysis and efforts. However, with the advancements in AI and ML, such personalisation is easy to attain.
AI and ML help in customer segmentation by identifying patterns based on behaviour, preferences, and past experiences. This helps marketers deliver personalised content and offers to different customer segments. Predictive Analysis is another tool which can be used to evaluate and forecast the future behaviour of customers in a given segment.
An important aspect of marketing includes customer relationship management which involves after-sales support offered to a customer. AI-powered chatbots can handle customer queries 24/7, providing instant responses and improving customer experience. They can also gather valuable data about customer preferences and behaviours.
Short Videos and Video Marketing
Well, the impact of a digital marketing strategy or tool could be best evaluated through their popularity and relevance. By 2025, around 650 million Indians will watch short-form content for an hour daily. In 2021 alone, Indians spent 3.1 billion minutes daily watching short videos on different social media platforms. As the total volume of short content and time spent on short videos continue rising, the importance of video marketing shall rise even further.
Videos are much more effective than other digital marketing tools and with reduced attention spans of target consumers, these are quite effective in attaining marketing goals. Particularly, short videos lead to high engagement, are mobile-friendly, feel authentic, allow effective storytelling, and are favoured by social media algorithms. Their versatility can serve various marketing goals, from brand awareness to product promotion. However, their success hinges on quality and relevance. The content must be engaging, valuable to the audience, and align with the brand’s marketing strategy.
Long-Form Content and SEO Marketing
Even though these are not quite new marketing tools, their effectiveness is pretty much the same as it was a few years ago. Long-form content refers to content with a large count of words, typically over 1200 words. This could include blog posts, guides, e-books, and whitepapers. This form of marketing is especially effective in B2B campaigns.
SEO is optimising your website and content to improve its visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs). This involves using relevant keywords, creating high-quality content, improving website loading speeds, and making your site mobile-friendly, among other things. The advantage of long-form content is that it thoroughly explores topics, delivering valuable insights to readers and positioning a brand as an authoritative voice. It fosters trust and demonstrates expertise. Additionally, its in-depth nature encourages readers to spend more time on your website, positively influencing SEO.
OTT Advertising
OTTs in India have been witnessing tremendous growth, particularly after the pandemic. In 2022 alone, the sector witnessed customer base expansion by over 20%, which is quite enormous, provided the size of the Indian market. As a large number of target audiences (particularly for a B2C enterprise) are spending time on these platforms, it is critical to target them. Once again, personalisation’s role is critical in the increased popularity of OTT advertising. These platforms gather substantial user data, enabling highly personalised ads. They also provide extensive reach, as content can be viewed on various devices. OTT viewers are typically highly engaged, making them receptive to advertising. The platforms provide valuable metrics on ad performance, supporting informed decision-making. Furthermore, OTT advertising is flexible; ads can be easily changed and it’s cost-effective, with no minimum spend, making it accessible for all businesses.
Voice Search Optimisation
With the rise of smart speakers and voice assistants, voice search is becoming a key aspect of digital marketing. Businesses in India will need to optimise their content and keywords for voice search. As the number of voice assistant users in the country continues to increase, marketers should be concerned about increasing their efforts to improve this aspect.
Summing up
Several key trends mark the evolving landscape of digital marketing in India. Influencer marketing, leveraging trusted voices for genuine engagement, has surged in popularity, while omnichannel marketing ensures a seamless, integrated customer experience across diverse touchpoints. The incorporation of AI and ML technologies enables personalised and predictive marketing. Short-form videos respond to changing consumer preferences, driving engagement, and short-term brand recall, while long-form content and SEO establish lasting brand authority and improve search visibility. The proliferation of OTT platforms offers precise, flexible, and scalable advertising opportunities. As voice search optimisation emerges, businesses must adapt to this new frontier. These trends signify a dynamic shift towards more personalised, data-driven, and cross-platform marketing strategies poised to shape the future of digital marketing in India, further magnifying its influence and reach.
