Each year, venture capitalist Mary Meeker releases a highly-anticipated report identifying important trends in the tech world. The 2018 version was unveiled at the end of May and contained insights and observations on internet adoption, competition between some of world’s most prominent companies, and privacy concerns. Here are a few key points that apply to the digital marketing landscape.

Internet and mobile use

More than half of the world’s population now has access to the internet, which means user growth is becoming harder to come by, falling from 12 per cent in 2016 to seven per cent in 2017. Similarly, smartphone shipments remained stagnant year-over-year.

While fewer people are purchasing their first smartphones, time spent on mobile devices is growing. Indeed, smartphones have become the primary online access point for millions of users, an event that presents massive digital marketing opportunities. As TechCrunch recently reported, “people are shifting their time to mobile faster than ad dollars are following.” The future of online advertising revolves around personal mobile devices.

Ecommerce and online retail

Thirteen per cent of retail transactions occurred online in 2017, a troubling trend for brick and mortar businesses and a boon for Amazon, the site where most consumers begin their buyers’ journeys.

Amazon can’t function in a vacuum, however; it relies on a complex online retail ecosystem including YouTube, Instagram, and Google to generate interest in products and direct traffic. For retail businesses, advertising dollars must be carefully targeted across this ecosystem to reach the widest possible audience.

Privacy concerns

In 2017, users were awakened to the important role their personal data plays in tech companies’ pursuit of profits. As such, these companies faced what Meeker called a “privacy paradox”: users want their information protected, but also expect the personalized digital experiences that data-sharing enables. Expect this issue to feature more prominently in next years trends report, especially in the wake of Facebook’s Cambridge Analytica scandal.

As a Premier Google Partner digital marketing agency with access to valuable insights on Google’s preferred practices, GrowthEngine Media has a firm grasp on the most pertinent trends and issues affecting today’s online landscape.

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