The world of digital marketing moves quickly and it’s important for us to keep up with the latest digital marketing trends in Malaysia. Popular platforms such as Facebook, and also Google always changed their algorithm and for every update gives us new possibilities.

For the past few years, we saw the transition of traditional marketing turn to focus on digital marketing. We have also seen also our digital department and service offering grow and also sift with this industry. That’s why Digital Marketing Association Malaysia (DMAM) is here to support professionals in this industry by creating a community where digital marketing professionals can connect with one another and local business owners, sharing ideas, building new relationships, and learning about the latest developments in digital marketing.

Each member of the Digital Marketing Association Malaysia (DMAM) brings a unique vision and insight to the group. Together, we strive to educate, inform, network, and help one another succeed. The open sharing of ideas and strategies is encouraged and supported at all meetings, whether online or offline.

In 2018, more businesses are allocating more marketing budget to digital marketing campaigns because it can deliver a higher, trackable ROI than traditional advertising channels. We’ve identified some of the tactics that will be a focus for advertisers this year.

1. Facebook Advertising

Social media advertising will continue to grow as active users steadily increase, and Facebook will lead the charge. Think of Facebook and Instagram as the royal family of social media. In 2017, they reached 2 billion monthly users and 1.4 billion daily users. These numbers show the magnitude of Facebook’s dominance and also give them quite the advantage. With 1.4 billion daily users, Facebook has the unique ability to offer lower priced advertising than their competitors.

When combined with their many effective ads technologies, it’s no secret that Facebook will be an important channel for the majority of marketing teams. Facebook has put a huge focus on their ad platform and, when used correctly, is easily one of the most powerful tools for marketers this year

2. LinkedIn Advertising

Ever since LinkedIn was acquired by Microsoft, their advertising has seen many great improvements. In 2018, we saw a new insight tag and the addition of video capabilities (it’s about time), lead generation ads and remarketing.

These improvements to the ad platform have made LinkedIn more effective than it was in 2016. Business-to-business marketers will find LinkedIn to be a powerful tool for targeting users in specific positions or industries.

3. Marketing Automation

Marketing automation aims to reduce the resources required in both sales and marketing. Softwares like HubSpot offer a powerful suite of marketing tools that help develop automation to drive results. There is an ever-growing equity within the development and dispersal of free e-books as well, making HubSpot an even greater resource for businesses of all field

Establishing a successful marketing automation strategy can take time, but once it’s in place, the marketing and sales departments can run smoother than ever.

4. Data-Driven Marketing

54% of marketers are not sure if their marketing technology investments are producing tangible business values while only 25% of marketers are collecting customer data. One of the biggest advantages of digital marketing is the ability to collect and measure data on marketing and advertising efforts.

Data and analytics are often overlooked by businesses – even though it can help make difficult business decisions a little easier. Businesses that do not adapt will find it increasingly difficult to compete in the world of big data.

5. Video

Video has taken over the internet. One-third of online activity is spent watching video. This isn’t going to change anytime soon. Video is the easiest form of content for quick consumption and we love consuming content.

Marketers will most likely increase budgets for video in 2018 to give their audience the content they want. Marketers that produce valuable and engaging video content will see the efforts pay off with increased search and social performance.

These trends will continue as long as digital marketing inevitably continues to advance and improve its effectiveness. As you plan for 2018, make sure to invest money and resources in digital tactics that will reach your audience, keep them engaged and drive them to convert.