Many within the Automotive market are pretty pleased to see the back of 2018, with domestic car sales falling at their fastest rate since the global financial crisis thanks to the collapse in demand for diesel and nervousness surrounding Brexit. Beyond Britain the forecast is mixed, however major financial analysts including Moody’s have forecast a global picture of overall stability for 2019.

One thing is for sure, it’s the same for everyone and the importance of effective marketing remains critical for brands wanting to protect or increase their market share. So, what are the marketing trends to watch this year?  WDA’s Matt Tudge gives us 5 of the best!

Voice

The arrival of new devices like the Amazon Echo has made voice search more popular than ever and we suspect that this trend is only going to become more pronounced in 2019. The question that then arises is how do you cater for voice search queries? The most effective way you can do this is to research questions your prospects are asking and then answer those in the form of quality content in a blog or comprehensive FAQs section. If you’d like to take advantage of voice search in 2019 our automotive content marketing team can help. Find out more.

Instagram

Instagram continues to see its incredible user statistics increase, with 1 billion people now using the platform. For the automotive industry, particularly B2C sectors, it is a must. IGTV was launched in 2018 to allow the uploading of longer Instagram videos – letting the platform compete directly with YouTube. If you create video content currently and aren’t using IGTV then it’s a missed opportunity that you should look to capitalise on in 2019. Take a look at how we can help your automotive business with Social Media here.

Video

This directly follows on from the above. If you aren’t producing engaging video content in 2019 then what are you waiting for? Videos grab attention and hold our attention longer than any other form of content, but the first few seconds are crucial. If you don’t engage viewers fairly quickly they will stop watching. WDA is fully equipped to assist you in producing engaging video content and then marketing it in the best way possible.

Loyalty rewards

Customer loyalty and retention is vital to any business and customers don’t just want better service they want more fulfilling experiences. Loyalty programs currently show no sign at all of slowing down and 2019 should be no different. However, a large number of loyalty programs that exist don’t drive loyalty as they are too confusing – often, a simple rewards program works best.

Snapchat

Snapchat is one of the most under-utilised digital marketing tools available to the automotive sector. One particular Snapchat tool that still isn’t being taken advantage of is its custom Geofilter. It allows you to create branded graphics that can be placed over a user’s photo when they take one in a specific location. Geofilters increase brand visibility and give consumers the chance to interact with your brand in a unique way. We wouldn’t recommend them for all automotive businesses though. They would be most-effective for B2C brands with a millennial audience. If you’re interested in Geofilters and would like to learn more about them, take a look at this article by Forbes: Thinking About Using Geofilters? 14 Things You Need To Know

If you are serious about overtaking your competition this year and making 2019 one of your most successful yet, let us help. Get in touch today by calling 01332 372728 or by emailing [email protected].

Check out our article on our top 10 trends for 2020 here.

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