The term digital age is used left and right by everyone even closely related to the field of marketing. The problem, however, lies in the fact that while the landscape of digital marketing evolves, the mindset of a lot of these “experts” remains the same. This means that they do their research and adopt new trends quite effectively but keep using them for months and years after their effectiveness starts waning. In order to help you avoid this, here are several top digital branding trends and challenges you should be aware of in a mature digital age.

A Stronger Focus on Brand Marketing

The first thing you need to do in order to improve your digital footprint in this mature digital age is to put a stronger focus on brand marketing. In order to further discuss this, we must first focus on the definition of brand marketing. This means determining the main traits of your business and figuring out how to establish yourself in the competitive market. This is done by identifying and approaching your target audience, achieving some level of consistency, appealing to the emotional side of your audience, and allowing them to develop brand loyalty. Needless to say, all of this is easier said than done.

Proper use of video marketing

Today, we live in a world of video marketing. YouTube is currently the world’s second-largest search engine, which means that a lot of people don’t even bother typing in the keyword into Google if they hope to see a video – they go straight to YouTube. This is true in scenarios where they’re looking for reviews, tutorials, and guides. This is true on social media, as well. 100 million hours of videos are being watched every single day on Facebook alone. This means that with the proper use of video marketing, you can really put yourself ahead of the curve.

Combination of Online and Offline Marketing

One thing that a lot of brands underestimate is the importance of combining old-school and digital methods for branding. In a mature digital age, this is easier than ever, seeing as how a lot of digital marketing specialists focus on both of these services, at the same time. For instance, agencies like Infostarters specialize in both print and ePublishing, which greatly helps in the development of versatile content. A good infographic can always be transformed into a good brochure and vice versa.

Increasing Content Quality

Another thing you need to keep in mind is the fact that with each passing year, the threshold for acceptable content quality gets higher and higher. This is due to the fact that higher competitiveness makes people push themselves harder in order to stay in the game. The best example of this is a simple blogging statistic that just five years ago, the average writing time for a blog post was at about 2 hours and 24 minutes, while today it’s a staggering 3 hours and 57 minutes. Sure, there’s more to the quality of content than just time you’ve spent writing it, but, rushed content often hides numerous flaws. If anything, it shows a lack of commitment.

Making content more immersive

One challenge that a lot of content creators face nowadays is finding a way to make their content more immersive. This is a problem that can be resolved in several ways. First of all, you need to start thinking outside the box in order to give your audience a reason to start paying attention. Second, you need to give them a meaningful CTA (call-to-action), something that will actually make them consider your proposition. Lastly, you need to learn how to pay more attention to detail, seeing as how your audience will definitely do the same.

Social network and influencers

Reputation is the most valuable asset in the business world. Why? Well, because people want assurance when they’re supposed to spend their money, that each dollar that they invest will go into the right place. By teaming up with influencers, you get someone who already has the reputation among your target audience (provided that you’ve chosen the right micro-influencers) to vouch for you. Also, heavy use of social media can help keep you in front of the eyes of your target audience. This is great for facilitating their progress in the customer lifecycle.

Storytelling techniques

The last thing worth mentioning is the importance of using storytelling techniques when creating your content. For instance, you can use your personal story in order to give your business a human side and appear more relatable. On the other hand, it’s highly advised that you avoid portraying your business as the protagonist. This esteemed role should always go to the customers. Your business is an agent that helps them solve the problem. By putting the customer under the spotlight, you’ll make them feel special – and everyone likes special treatment.

Conclusion

In the end, you need to understand that digital branding is merely a tool and that your effectiveness in using it determines its overall effectiveness. Like with any other tool, a professional should always be on the lookout for an upgrade if they are to gain and maintain a competitive edge.