Every year, Mary Meeker releases her Internet Trends Report, which paints a picture of the current state of the Internet. Her report spans the gamut of Internet technology from social media to online gaming. This year’s report clocks in at 334 pages, which can be daunting for marketers wanting to learn about digital marketing trends. We sorted through the entire document to bring you the highlights of what marketers need to know. Meeker’s report divulges a wealth of information that can be applied throughout your digital marketing strategies and provides insight into Internet usage across the world. 

Online Advertising

Internet advertising spends continue to rise year-over-year with mobile advertising spends seeing the biggest increases. Google holds the coveted top spot in online advertising revenue, growing 1.4 times from the first quarter of 2017 to the first quarter of 2019. Facebook experienced 1.9 times growth over this same period, but revenues rank a distant second to Google. Advertising platforms including Amazon, Twitter, Pinterest, and SnapChat also increased at a rate of 2.6 times, but still, have the lowest share of the market. 

According to Meeker’s report, better targeting, new creative, and high-relevance contribute to ad share gain. For example, Facebook allows for targeting through audience customization, YouTube uses machine learning to automatically time-edit clips, and Pinterest includes shoppable catalogs throughout their listings. 

Data-Driven, Personalized Recommendations

Pre-1995, winning businesses used human data and insights to improve customer experiences. Now, the most successful businesses use digital data and insights to improve customer experiences. Online commerce helps customers save money and time through personalization, accelerating the process of discovery. Through data collection, businesses understand what customers want and can improve business processes. Data can be used to make recommendations and personalize the search process for users. By utilizing digital data, businesses can manage data growth and eliminate inefficiencies. 

“Data is now fundamental to how people work and the most successful companies have intelligently integrated it into everyone’s daily workflow… Data is the new application.” — Frank Bien – CEO & President, Looker, 6/19

Artificial Intelligence 

Meeker’s report supplements the messaging we firmly believe at G5. Data and artificial intelligence, when used properly, can improve customer satisfaction. A survey of retail customers, which could also be applied in the real estate industry, shows:

  • 91% prefer brands that provide personalized offers/recommendations
  • 83% are willing to passively share data in exchange for personalized experiences
  • 74% are willing to actively share data in exchange for personalized experiences

Data and artificial intelligence can be used to provide users with personalized experiences that lead to brand loyalty, customer satisfaction, and increased revenue. Meeker’s report states:

“Artificial intelligence will drive even more automation into businesses and feed processes and engagements that will deliver new levels of efficiency and products that are tailored to business outcomes and individual customer preferences. Today, companies are leveraging data to improve customer experiences, open new markets, make employees and processes more productive and create new sources of competitive advantage.”

Moving Forward

Mary Meeker’s Internet Trends Report for 2019 provides insight for marketers on the current state of the Internet and will be helpful in gauging what to expect moving forward. Marketers should pay attention to the rise in online advertising including the ad spend on specific platforms and devices. Consumer desire for personalized experiences leads the way for advances in artificial intelligence. At G5, we utilize artificial intelligence in our digital advertising campaigns to target the right prospect at the right time with the right messaging. AI and online advertising will continue to grow and it’s important for marketers to partner with a subject matter expert like G5 to take advantage of these new technologies. 

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