2019 Digital Predictions

Nothing is static in the world of marketing and technology!  From the introduction of 5G to programmatic, 2019 promises to be interesting. Our Klypsters have put their heads together to come up with some digital predictions for the year ahead. 

(No time to read? We get it - that's why we've produced an audio version of the blog for you below! Hit the play button to listen now)

Marketing Predictions: 

Schema Wars

Optimising your Schema Markup (or adding it to your site in the first place) will be more important than ever in 2019. It seems like every week Google adds on to their existing rich snippet capabilities or implements a new featured snippets section that displays anything from movies, Q&A, or live sporting updates, to something as simple as ‘events near you’. All of these  will push the rest of the organic results lower and decrease visibility for positions 2 and onwards. By implementing schema markup you’ll have a much higher chance of being featured at what is known as position 0. You’ll also be able to make sure that your regular SERP listing is more visible and decorated due to a rich snippet such as star ratings or stock information. This will improve the likelihood of your site ranking higher and you’ll have a better chance of standing out from your competitors. 

Don’t forget, it’s not just about getting to position 1 or 0 anymore, it’s about answering the users’ questions, or fulfilling a need. Most of the time your site will require some extra help from Schema Markup to tell Google exactly what you need you are fulfilling and why someone should click on you instead of a competitor.

Context

Our SEM Specialist Jordan predicts increased opportunities for contextual advertising.  You might have noticed increased contextual billboard advertising recently, with large companies like McDonalds and RACQ jumping on board. Being able to deliver ads in the right context, by having traditional advertising mixing with digital analytics & potentially CPC is going to be very powerful. The rise of programmatic also means that contextually relevant ads will be able to be served in real-time.  Watch this space!

Programmatic

Although we have dipped our toes in the pool of programmatic, this is the year we dive right in! Opportunities for digital marketers to access programmatic through media buying agencies will become far easier and accessible, allowing for personalised advertising on all corners of the web. A great example of programmatic done right is by the Amanda Foundation in California, USA. As a pet adoption agency and shelter, the Amanda Foundation used programmatic advertising to match users online search behaviours with the perfect animal for their perceived lifestyle. If you've been surfing the web for running tracks, new Nike sneakers and a fitness watch - programmatic advertising is likely to show you a border collie, jack russell or german shepherd. With the results programmatic has proven to deliver, marketers are going to be left behind if they don’t jump aboard.

Voice

We’re predicting that 2019 will be the year Google enables paid advertising through Google Home voice searches.   You might remember Google showing off new AI capabilities of the Google Assistant in early 2018.  The Google Assistant was then able to call and book a haircut appointment independently (see below video).   The Google Assistant chooses which hairdresser to call in order to make the appointment, but how?  This is where paid voice search may come into play.  LIsten out for more developments in this space throughout the year. 

E-Commerce & Social

While e-commerce and social media advertising have been crossing over for a while now, we’re predicting 2019 will bring huge advancements.  With Facebook rumored to bring new and exciting features to Australia, it is possible that the “social” platform will transform into a more e-commerce focused platform. You will have noticed shopping abilities integrating on both Facebook and Instagram on a small scale, but our Marketing Manager Prue thinks we’re not too far away from loading money onto these social platforms, and eventually purchasing from brands without visiting their website.  

Technology Predictions:

5G 

The introduction of 5G in Australia will allow technologies such as VR, IoT, Beacons and wearables to finally reach their promised potential.  This will lead to advances in these areas, as well as availability to the average Aussie consumer. We saw the speed improvements as 4G was rolled out across Australia years ago, so we look forward to it getting even faster.

Flexible Display

Foldable and flexible displays are really happening!  With prototypes arriving from brands like Huawei, Samsung, Oppo, and LG, foldable displays are predicted to hit the market in a big way. While this is exciting for consumers, it will pose a new and significant challenge to UX design and development, with developers having to factor in how this flexibility with impact clarity, visibility & function.

Digital Responsibility 

Last but not least, we’re predicting an increased focus on digital responsibility.  Current legislation is struggling to keep up with innovation and technological advances the industry is producing.  The responsibility and accountability of companies operating in the digital sphere are unclear and needs to be defined in order to protect the data of consumers everywhere. This issue has become of rising concern following Facebook’s privacy scandal in 2018, and allegations of Alexa and Google Homes “listening”.  Like they say, with great power comes great responsibility.  

Keen for more information and insider tips from our Klypsters? Subscribe to our Klyp's Insights, Drop us a line or shoot our Brisbane, Sydney or Melbourne team a message!