There are more than 25 million small businesses in the United States. As a business owner or marketer, what does this mean for you?

It’s simple. You’re up against a ton of competition.

How in the world can you stand out? Digital marketing is one great place you should start.

Check out these internet marketing strategies that will work in 2019.

1. Prioritize Blogging

Blogging has been picking up steam over the last few years, and in 2019 it will be bigger than ever. Content marketing is a huge part of SEO, which means that by blogging, you’ll be able to greatly increase the amount of traffic to your site.

In fact, B2B marketers that use blogs receive 67% more leads than those that do not. So not only is it a great way to generate more traffic, you can also generate more leads and sales through blogging as well.

As you continue to blog, you’ll spread your website’s reach. Be sure to pick different subjects so you’re not always writing about the same thing.

Then in your blog posts, in addition to providing valuable content, you can include information about your products and services as well.

2. Host Webinars and Live Events

Another big trend for digital marketing in 2019 is hosting webinars and live events. These are great for multiple reasons.

First, people love watching video. Multiple studies have found that videos are super engaging and catch people’s attention more than text or images alone.

Second, live video is growing in popularity. Through hosting a webinar or live stream, you’re giving your audience a direct way to engage with your brand.

They can ask questions in real time and get an answer right away. Webinars are also great ways to explain your products or services in greater depth.

In other words, they’re an awesome sales tool! Consider adding this to your digital marketing strategy in 2019.

3. One of 2019’s Biggest Internet Marketing Strategies: Artificial Intelligence

Another huge trend in digital marketing is the increase of artificial intelligence (otherwise known as AI). Basically, artificial intelligence is technology that can think in a human-like way to help you identify customer needs.

As machine learning continues to grow in capability and scope, it will be a bigger and bigger part of internet marketing.

In other words, we will soon have technology that takes care of lots of marketing’s day to day tasks. This will allow marketers to spend more time on strategy.

4. Catering to Millennials

As Millennials continue to get older and have increased spending power, it will be important to consider their influence as you market your business. Companies who do this in 2019 will find great success.

Here are some ways to attract Millennials to your brand:

• Engage with your audience on social media. Respond to comments. Post exciting and interesting content on the platforms they use most (Instagram, we’re looking at you).
• Consider creating an app. If it makes sense for your business model, an app is a great way to have a direct means of communication with Millennials.
• Prioritize convenience. Millennials are known for wanting quick information. They’ve grown up with the internet and are used to being able to find what they need super quickly. Provide content on your site that fulfills this need and you’ll be successful with this demographic.

In all you do, try to think of your marketing in terms of Millennials. They’re the future of the economy.

For help targeting your digital marketing, set up a free

5. Utilize Chatbots

The robots are here. Okay, not really…but chatbots are here and in 2019 will be more important than ever!

What are chatbots? They are a computer program designed to simulate conversation with human visitors. They can be implemented on your website or be set up through messaging applications like Facebook messenger.

Chatbots are a great way to automate customer interaction but still do it in a natural, engaging way. They can also save your team a lot of time and help you decrease the size of your customer support team.

Many businesses use them as a screening tool. Here is a common scenario.

A new visitor comes to your site to learn more about your products. A chat window pops up and asks them if they’re a new visitor.

They answer yes and then the chatbot asks them what products they’re interested in. They can choose from a drop-down, and then the chatbot can ask them if they’d like to schedule a free demo with a sales rep.

With no human interaction, you now have a qualified lead that you know wants to talk about a specific product with a sales rep. Talk about a great lead!

This is just one way to utilize chatbots. There are so many possibilities!

For more tips and tricks, check out my marketing blog.

6. Social Media Influencers

Over the past few years, social media influencers have grown in popularity and impact, and they’ll continue to do so in 2019.

These days, there are all types of influencers out there. No matter your target audience, you’ll be able to find one that reaches your market.

Another trend with influencers is the rise of micro-influencers. There are lots of influencers out there with millions of followers, but in many cases they’re super expensive to work with and out of reach for small companies.

That’s where micro-influencers come in handy. They have a smaller reach but are much more affordable, and often have a more specific targeted audience anyway.

Closing Thoughts

Now that you’ve learned about these internet marketing strategies that will work in 2019, it’s time to make a plan for your company. Where do you want to focus?

If you have questions or want to learn more, contact me today. I’m here to help!