It’s that time of year again… As we reflect on the successes (and sometimes failures!) of 2017, we eagerly look forward to 2018 and the new challenges it will bring for us. What’s in store for us marketers and brand experts in the coming months? How will we stay ahead of the curve to reach and engage with the consumer of tomorrow?

Here are 3 digital marketing trends to seriously consider integrating into your 2018 plan.

1. Create personalized experiences

the days of ONE SIZE FITS ALL They are over. Today’s consumer is looking for personalized experiences. Digital experiences exclusively designed to meet the needs and tastes of the consumer. Relevant information is key as consumers are exposed to an overwhelming number of advertising messages on a daily basis. The result? Consumers only engage with personalized ads while ignoring marketing messages that they perceive as clutter. Personalization can be as simple as implementing custom landing pages for multiple campaigns or as sophisticated as offering a fully personalized browsing experience based on the history of web users. Many different types of solutions are now available at lower costs, such as those built into content management systems (CMS) or analytics solutions. Standalone software as a service (SaaS) can also offer custom options that integrate your CMS and analytics for your brand. A unique and deep digital experience for a unique consumer!

2. Embrace artificial intelligence

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology as a tool to provide an individualized experience for each customer is also on the rise. 1-to-1 personalization with AI is based on the same principles as optimization and segmentation, but offers a solution to their two biggest challenges: lagging results and inability to scale. In 2018, you can expect AI website customization services to be adopted in more sectors than the transactional sectors where it had originally become popular. Could being an early adopter of this trend be beneficial for your brand?

3. Create content to capture customer attention

This one is pretty simple: integrating content marketing into your consumer’s digital journey creates customer engagement. Marketers will need to treat content as a strategic asset seriously – creating an engagement strategy that uses multiple media in your product lifecycle is a must for 2018. Using techniques like personas and content mapping is a great way to achieve this goal. The use of video will also be a game changer in 2018, with video getting the biggest upgrade in the coming year. Take YouTube, for example – their traffic and engagement has increased year over year. It has become the second largest search engine after Google. Video is rapidly evolving from simple ads to highly engaging content. This change is driven by social media: Live streaming on social platforms like Facebook, for example, is taking the digital world by storm. Making video content shine throughout the consumer lifecycle, from YouTube pre-roll ads to explainer videos to live streams, are just engaging ways to get your consumer to engage with your brand.

The digital world is constantly evolving and staying on top of trends can sometimes feel overwhelming. Just like surviving the holidays, planning is essential. Your digital marketing agency is an important partner to lean on in achieving your 2018 goals. Feel free to discuss these trends with them to find the best solution for your brand.

2018, here we come!