*This post has been updated to reflect 2020 data.

Our team at Builder Funnel attends the annual Digital Marketing Conference INBOUND in Boston every year. We know we are always bound to come back to Colorado Springs overflowing with new ideas, inspiration, and technology updates for the coming year. 2017 was no exception.

With a heavy emphasis on storytelling, social media marketing, video marketing, and emerging technology, it’s fair to say we came back with our notebooks full of ideas.

How do you stay on top of an industry that is constantly evolving everyday? Let’s start with what you’ll need to know about emerging technology in the Digital Marketing realm.

1. Off-Site Publishing for Remodeling Companies

Blogging has been an important aspect of content marketing, search engine optimization, and social media sharing for the remodeling industry for years. But how does an increasing amount of mobile users affect this?

In fact, roughly 86% of time spent on mobile is in apps (and nearly all of that is spent among the same 5 apps). That means that the vast majority of searches conducted on mobile are directly in apps such as Facebook, Google Maps, and Instagram. So what does this mean for the future of search?

Medium is an increasingly-popular off-site publishing blogosphere that has taken the internet by storm. A popular app as well as search engine, Medium offers the added benefit of not only sharing your brand with new viewers but also of capturing more views on mobile in particular.

The biggest differences between Medium and your own blog include the following:

• Medium articles are optimized for people rather than bots factoring in search like on your website
• Medium is all about the aesthetic experience of reading on a mobile device whereas mobile websites still tend to be an afterthought rather than a forethought
• Medium opens the door to audiences that don’t use Google as heavily for their search engine whereas your website heavily relies on Google to be found
• Medium boasts 30 million monthly visits to its stories, whereas Google boasts 1 billion active users between all of its platforms (Gmail, Google+, Google search, etc.)

If you’re looking to gain some traction or even just begin blogging altogether on Medium, check out this helpful article to get started.

2. Podcasting for Remodelers

I know your initial reaction to this idea, because it’s the same as mine. A podcast? Talking and recording it? What can I possibly talk about for 20-40 minutes? How do I set a schedule for this? Where do I publish? How do I get people to listen to it?
But if your biggest question was “why,” then I do have the answer to that.

A voice adds humanity to your brand. And a thoughtful, intelligent voice boosts you as a thought leader rather than just another remodeling company.
If you think you don’t have enough content to turn into podcasts, consider every single success story you could tell – how many problems you’ve solved, designs you’ve developed, and lives you’ve improved.

And, as you may have guessed, iTunes, Google Podcasts, Podcast Republic, Stitcher, and CastBox are among the top apps used on mobile. In fact, 104 million Americans listen to podcasts monthly (Infinite Dial 20) and 45% of monthly podcast listeners have household income over $75K.

Podcast viewership skews to 25 to 54 year olds and with the increase in speak to search tools such as Google Home and Alexa, podcasts are built directly into the software. This style of content has never been easier to digest.

If you don’t plan on starting your own podcast any time soon but would still like to try speaking on one, give us a shout! We just launched our Builder Funnel Radio podcast, and we’d be happy to interview you!

3. Voice Search with Google Home, Alexa, and More

Are you Team Alexa or Team Google Home?

These voice search techniques are transforming the way search engine optimization works. The way people speak and interact with a human-like product isn’t the same way they type. Our brains have been convinced that we type out searches one way because Google taught us how. But now, with the emergence of speak to search applications, we are re-learning how to search.

Now, I ask questions. Are your blogs and website optimized to answer questions?

4. Video and Live Stream for Remodeler Marketing

Have you heard video referred to as the currency of social media?

It’s true. According to Wordstream, 1/3 of time spent online is watching video and 85% of internet users watch videos online. In fact, 50% of video consumed is done so online, and a staggering 92% of mobile video viewers share with others. And if you want more gasp-worthy statistics, read the full article here.

Beyond just social sharing, video has proven to increase landing page conversions, email click through rates, and search engine standings. According to OptinMonster, 66% of consumers prefer watching a video to reading about a product.

So what does this mean for your remodeling company?

It means that video is critical to your remodeler marketing strategy.

Videos can be used all along the Buyer Journey by viewing them as integrated with your Sales Funnel. For example, when people are still in the discovery phase and are looking for information on your company, a video within your blog talking about the same topic could be helpful.

Or, if someone is considering your remodeling services, an educational video or a quick video about your company culture could help close the deal. If you’re ready to convert someone, a testimonial video or proof of performance is the perfect option.

Live video has been increasingly critical for businesses on Instagram and Facebook. Facebook claims that videos uploaded natively or hosted live on their platform receive and audience of roughly 10x that of YouTube in its algorithm.

If you are new to live video, I recorded a quick video to give you some background.

5. Maximizing Messenger for Remodelers

Perhaps you’ve heard that Facebook Messenger plans on being the only app you need to use (other than Facebook, of course). The statistics for 2016 and 2017 Facebook has rolled out seem to hint that this could be the future.

Messenger can now be used by business pages on Facebook in very strategic, communicative methods that can’t be overlooked. This app generates direct engagement with potential leads by engaging them in conversation on the spot. Messenger users can send message directly to your remodeling company

Facebook page rather than fill out a Contact Us form, for example.

But beyond just engaging in conversation, Messenger offers these other incredible business applications:

• Sending content such as eBooks to users
• Booking meetings through a scheduler
• Engaging users during and throughout events (such as Inbound, for example)
• Chatbots coded to answer basic questions users may have when interacting with your Facebook page

Facebook boasts that 11% of the world’s population uses Messenger actively, from video or voice calls to sharing images or engaging with brands. This is another channel where people already are expecting you to show up, and it’ll hurt your business if you don’t.

Implications of Emerging Technology for Digital Marketing

As marketers, we’re no strangers to emerging technology seeming to be unpopular but then resulting in disrupting the entire field. As 2018 approaches, it’s imperative to consider these upcoming trends moving forward with your marketing strategy.

If you have any questions, feel free to find us on Medium, check out our Podcast, ask Alexa, watch one of our videos, or shoot us a message on Facebook…