SPOILER ALERT: It’s 2019 and Blade Runner got a few things right. We are using artificial intelligence and video phones to communicate. We have the technology for a flying car and robots living among us. Despite the obvious differences between fiction and reality, Blade Runner did a respectable job of predicting human behavior and consumer preferences. Ridley Scott and his team should be proud that they saw 20+ years into the future. Now, let’s try to see if we can look 1 year into the future by predicting the Top 7 Marketing Trends of 2019!

1. Voice Search SEO

In Blade Runner, voice commands functioned by a user who would command the computer or elevator to do something. These days, we have our smart phones serving as the computer. With voice searches on the rise in 2018, 2019 looks like a big year to capitalize on it via Search Engine Optimization (SEO). To capitalize on voice searches, SEO experts and workers will have to figure out how to write like one speaks and find “target phrases.” This won’t change the SEO game completely, but it does another element.

2. Artificial Intelligence & Chat Bots

Artificial Intelligence in Blade Runner is frowned upon. In the movie, the A.I. were known to attack human beings from time to time, and hunted. However, A.I. in our reality can be used for marketing – or in this case, chat bots.

Chat bots on Facebook messenger have become an overnight sensation for larger brands but are also being implemented at smaller levels. There are a lot of ways chat bots are utilized for marketing so it’s best to figure out if you need one, then figure out how you can use it. For more information on chat bots, click here.

3. Video in 2019

This is my last reference to Blade Runner but video in today’s world is used way more than it was in Blade Runner. Cisco claims that 82% of internet traffic in 2021 will be video and we are already feeling the effects of that today. In 2016, the main trend was already video, as we watched it outgrown other forms of media on the internet. Moving into 2019, the video trend will become an internet staple and live video will most likely expand its marketing usage with its many capabilities.

4. Social Listening

Social listening blew up in 2018. In 2019, it will become a common practice for PR & Marketing firms across the globe. The importance of hearing what customers are saying and knowing what your competition is doing has never been more important. However, with all the data social listening can provide, it will take some time and patience to sort through. For this reason, we recommend investing in a social listening tool. Click here to see which tool will work best for you and your budget.

5. “Stories”

Instagram has become a social media powerhouse. It may not have the sheer numbers of Facebook, but Instagram keeps growing and is always looking to be innovative. Brands took advantage of this and now use Instagram’s Stories feature more than ever before. The best way to utilize Instagram’s Stories is to build your brand, connect on a personal level with your consumers and give them an easier, more accessible way to purchase or take action online. Using this feature consistently and correctly will help you accomplish your goals quicker.

6. Micro-Influencers

If you know what an influencer is, you probably follow him or her on your preferred platform of choice. For me, I like to follow photographers on Instagram because I get to see their work up close. A lot of times, I get to see their process on Instagram’s Stories or their quick vlog post on IGTV. (Author’s note: the jury is still out on IGTV and its usefulness for marketing but it doesn’t hurt to try it.)

So, hiring a micro-influencer to aid your marketing efforts will certainly pay off because most of them are inexpensive, have a larger reach and can aid your credibility. This trend will only grow and become more popular so take advantage of it while you still can.

7. The Email Marketing Renaissance

Email marketing never died. It just sort of… shrank. The importance of putting more ad spending and other resources into social media marketing and SEO allowed email marketing to become a background campaign effort. However, email marketing is experiencing a comeback, a renaissance, if you will.

The resurgence of email marketing is freeing up the creativity of digital marketers around the globe because it allows more opportunity to capitalize on the initial ROI. Instead of focusing on social media marketing, SEO and email marketing as different efforts, they are being looked at as a cohesive strategy. Not to say this hasn’t been before but there’s more importance in utilizing email marketing as a customized experience for the consumer, just like the one they may have experienced online or on social media.

I’ll be honest, these predictions are safe as some have become popular already. What I’m truly predicting is the ever increasing significance of these trends and their eventual transition into standard practices. Basically, I didn’t have to do as much predicting of the future as Blade Runner did! Nevertheless, it’s important to start embracing these trends as we move forward into 2019.