2018 is winding down, which means it is time to reflect on the year and envision what 2019 may bring. We at Hall have come up with some bold predictions for marketing, technology, and life in the new year… do you agree with any of our guesses? What trends do you predict for 2019?
Digital Marketing Predictions
Voice Search
Voice search will become more and more prevalent making the need for microdata in search more and more important, specifically for location, hours and product pricing.
– Tim Howe, Lead WordPress Developer
Voice search is going to continue to rise. Visual search will start to grow.
– Will Bouchard, Junior Paid Search Marketer
In the digital marketing industry we will continue to see a strategy that is customer focused with an emphasis on chatbots, voice assistance, and conversational content to engage users in different ways.
– Olivia Brown, Client Services Coordinator
Social Networking
Video will become a more dominate advertising space. With a huge push to integrate video for most social media and shopping platforms, advertisers are choosing to expose users to relevant ads integrated within their day to day digital experience.
– Luda Paliyenko-Sherman, Director of Digital Acquisition
Sponsored content will continue to grow through “brand ambassadors” and “influencers” on social media as well as podcast networks like Gimlet Creative.
– Tim Suellentrop, WordPress Developer
User Generated Content (UGC) will be the focus of marketing efforts. UGC, like comments or videos of using a product, is created by customers voluntarily. UGC is unpaid thus trustworthy.
– Irina Startseva, Junior Web Developer
Miscellaneous
Amazon is going to start advertising products on their packaging in 2019.
– Mike Johnston, Director of Digital Performance
There will be an increased focus on cross-device advertising, which will require more innovative ways to remember users across their different devices.
– Ryan Brooks, Junior Web Developer
Amazon Prime Video will have a feature that will allow you to immediately purchase products and/or clothes featured in the TV show or video you are watching.
– Anna Pillsbury, Administrative Assistant
Technology and Internet Predictions
Cat videos will continue to be popular.
– Tom Hall, President
Privacy
Increased creepiness with voice search, virtual assistants, and your digital footprint being tracked.
– Olivia Nishi, SEO Specialist
There will be issues with different country levels of regulation and censorship of the internet, causing more issue for companies and communities to deal with.
– Tim Howe, Lead WordPress Developer
The U.S. will pass its own data privacy legislation, similar to Europe’s GDPR, as data breaches have become more frequent and consumers have been more protective of their personal information over the past few years.
– Tim Suellentrop, WordPress Developer
Privacy concerns with free services such as Facebook and Instagram will continue and maybe those services will start charging.
– Jonas Levasseur, Vice President of Operations
Virtual Reality
AR and VR will be more predominate.
– Will Bouchard, Junior Paid Search Marketer
Virtual reality is on the rise.
– Jessica Lavoie, User Experience Developer
Miscellaneous
AI will get smarter. A new type of meme will rise and fall.
– Ryan Brooks, Junior Web Developer
I think convenience will be a huge source of inspiration for people developing new apps. Everything will be delivered to you.
– Vanessa Ricks, Client Account Representative
A larger push towards faster static sites. Faster network speeds to keep up with the increase in streaming content.
-Matt Harrison, Vice President of Technology
As more and more Apps become available for your favorite websites and brands, the use of the traditional website for repeat customers will be limited. The traditional website will be more of an acquisition channel focus rather than both that and customer retention.
– Mike Johnston, Director of Digital Performance
General 2019 Predictions
Planetary
We’ll discover friendly life on another planet.
– Olivia Nishi, SEO Specialist
We’re all moving to Mars! Pack your bags. It’s going to be warm.
– Jessica Lavoie, User Experience Developer
For 2019 everyone should learn to work on cars and buy massive amounts of water and gasoline ‘cause 2020 will look like Mad Max.
– Tim Howe, Lead WordPress Developer
Miscellaneous
One of the Avengers will die and it won’t be who everybody thinks it will be.
– Ryan Brooks, Junior Web Developer
I will win one of our company arcade game challenges!
– Olivia Brown, Client Services Coordinator
Well, I didn’t end up coming across a $20 bill in the grocery store’s parking lot for my Chipotle fund as I predicted last year. But, I did end up getting 2 free burritos from the manager one visit, “just for being kind.” I’d call that a win. So, this year, I’m predicting that a random sidewalk solicitor will chat my face off for 10 minutes and ask me to sign up for their cause and a chance to win a brand new Tesla Model X. *Fingers crossed* Let’s see how this one manifests itself…
– Zachary Gilseth, Email Marketing Manager
Now that our predictions have been made, only time will tell if they come true! Keep in touch with us throughout 2019 and see what digital trends actually DO occur by signing up for our blog! Happy New Year to you, and let’s hope 2020 doesn’t really look like Mad Max.
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