Today’s world is connected, tech-reliant and extremely integrated with the digital world. Every year, new technology emerges and brokers find new and innovative ways to cut through the clutter and reach their target audience.

And 2019 will be no exception. Here are the top six emerging trends ready to take over digital marketing.

1.    Social Media Shifts

The time of Facebook dominance may be coming to an end, at least for users under the age of 55. The latest report from Communications Market Review shows that over the last three years, Facebook usage has been on the decline for the under 55 demographic, although Messenger is still showing opportunities for growth. The importance of Messenger is bound to grow with 1.3 billion people using the platform every month, and businesses seem to have finally found a way to use Messenger as a relevant chat and advertising channel.

Instagram ads and e-commerce will continue to grow; this is becoming a popular way for microbrands and other small businesses to make a name for themselves in the local market. While Instagram may be known as a primarily influencer marketing platform, brands themselves should be using it more and more to come up with creative ways to engage and interact with their audiences. Be on the lookout for more live video and augmented reality options in Instagram Stories that are guaranteed to engage followers with comments, poll questions, direct feedback and sale promotions.

2.    Voice Search

By 2020, 30% of web searches will be conducted using voice search. A recent survey by Bright Local found that 58% of consumers they contacted had used voice search as a way to find local businesses within the past year.

The way we interact with search engines and perform queries has been evolving now for some time. In 2019, it will be time for mortgage brokers to try to find real strategies to accommodate voice search. For many, voice search and commands are helpful multitasking features, plus they make technology more accessible and faster to use without the use of typing.

Improvements in Google Assistant, Siri and Alexa are bound to bring the features of voice search to those who still haven’t discovered their usefulness. Marketing campaigns tailored to this trend will go against typical SEO strategies to match commonly asked questions or phrases, and will move further away from strict keywords. However, true voice search-optimized strategies are hard to come by as most mortgage brokers don’t really know the implications of how voice commands will alter the search engine world. When you are developing new PPC campaigns or optimizing your content for SEO, try to keep voice search top of mind in 2019.

3.    Video, Video, Video

At this point, if you’re not using video for advertising and marketing purposes, you are already behind the curve. The dominance of video has been fast and it isn’t news to most mortgage brokers, but it is worth noting that this is not just a passing trend. Google has predicted that by 2020, 70% of buyers will watch at least one video on their way through the buying cycle.

If you have been hesitant or have resisted finding a way to integrate video into your marketing strategy, the time is now. In 2019, it should be top priority to find creative and affordable ways to use video in campaigns, ads, on your website and even in email. While it may have been a pricey line item in a marketing budget in the past, video has come a long way with tools like BombBomb, Lumen5, Camtasia and PowToon, which can help create easy and great-looking videos for a fraction of the cost of professional video production.

4.    Personalization

From contextual websites to video shout-outs within emails, 2019 will be all about marketing personalization. AI-powered tools and solutions would have most likely been on many “trend lists” last year, so in 2019 it’s how mortgage brokers use AI technology that is going to be most important.

The growth in this area has been rapid and will continue into 2019. And with AI, information gathered from customers and contacts can be used to personalize almost any messaging. Along with more advanced chatbots, you can expect the rise of AI-made phone calls, recommended lists and products, personalized customer service and other communications you won’t even realize are powered by AI.

Using AI, mortgage brokers can gain a wealth of knowledge from prospects and existing customers. This feedback can lead to extremely targeted ad campaigns and better service for existing customers. Think of Netflix’s recommended lists or Spotify’s playlist created just for you, but from more companies and used in creative ways you wouldn’t see coming.

5.    Speed Matters

Long gone are the days of the flip phone. Today, in many industries, most conversions and web traffic are driven by smartphones. This means that site speed is crucial to making sure people who visit your site stay there.

The Google AMP program has been shown to significantly increase site mobile conversion by making sure that when someone clicks on a link on your site, the page loads quickly enough to keep the visitor’s attention. This is all part of the prospect experience: When there are so many options for entertainment and learning online, if your site doesn’t load quickly, a visitor will simply go somewhere else.

Also, Google’s Speed Update shows that Google also understands this need for speed and has already started penalizing sites with slow speeds.

6.    Content Is Still King

At this point, who doesn’t use some kind of ad blocker on their browser? More people are also watching PVR TV shows so they can skip commercials. Consumers are also so used to intrusive online ads that they don’t even notice them anymore. Business Insider recently stated that by the end of 2018, over 30% of all Internet users will be ad blocking. The fact is people put more trust in reputable content from authoritative sources than they rely on advertisements to guide their purchasing decisions.

Content in 2019 can’t be general or overly simplistic. People want engaging and informative content. The better your content is, the more likely it will get noticed online. Along with other top trends like video content and personalization, content doesn’t need to be as static as it once was. Being creative and finding new and better ways to make your content stand out is the mission in 2019, so use every medium and resource available.

Marketing will continue to adapt and grow as new and more innovative technology and strategies are developed, but these six trends are bound to stand out in 2019. Staying on top of the latest trends and most recent SEO updates, and being ready for new disruptive technology is, as always, every mortgage broker’s top marketing challenge. However, by recommitting to video content, optimizing the right social platforms and focusing on a personalized touch, your mortgage business will go a long way in 2019.

Now, let’s hear from you. Which digital marketing trend will you be focusing on in 2019?

Let us know in the comments section below.