This affiliate marketing article was originally published on The Drum on 30/09/20. You can view the original article here.
As tech continues to evolve and become more innovative, the way that we live our lives and run our businesses changes. As technology advances, affiliate marketing does at the same time. Here are some of the ways that we believe technology will affect affiliate marketing in the future.
“The future will dictate how affiliate marketing strategy confirms. Tech is just one of the pieces in that puzzle, at Affiverse we are constantly watching for future changes and applying new strategies for our clients to keep up with this change” – Lee-Ann Johnstone, Affiverse
Zero click marketing & visual search
Did you know that more than 50% of Google searches are zero-click searches? Due to the advancement of technology and smartphones with voice search, the way that customers are searching for and consuming content online is changing every single day.
With so many people already using zero-click searches, brands and affiliate marketers must ensure any strategies match this trend. This aligns with the increase in visual searches with more consumers opting to search using images or screenshots rather than by using keywords. Any strategies must adapt to suit this.
It goes without saying that any content online in 2020 must be optimised for voice search queries and this is set to be even more crucial in the future. In fact, when you consider the innovations that people such as Elon Musk are working on, such as his idea to link the brain with a computer, this could go one step further.
As new innovations come along, we must be ready to change the way that we market. Otherwise, we’ll be left out in the cold.
Language evolution
While some affiliates believe that the language that we use online has evolved a lot over the years, this is likely to be phased out in the future. The keywords that we are now using in 2020 are miles away from the kinds of keywords we would have prioritised in the past. Who knows what way users might search for a product in 2030?
A few patterns to expect in terms of language include conversions being driven with other tools and practices. The web development and app development industry is already evolving and adapting which is causing it to become more competitive. As technology advances, real-time tracking is improving with smart contracts and blockchain technology. These are important elements of affiliate marketing and so we must find ways to replace them rather than lose out.
Maintaining privacy
As new e-privacy initiatives start to affect the UK and EU alike, businesses across these kinds of regulated sectors must ensure they are ready to adapt. Any major changes that happen online must always come with a need to implement a new level of e-privacy.
It is expected that the new ePrivacy Regulation will cover metadata alongside personal data. This will affect analytics that come with dealing with any anonymised data. Affiliate marketers must find a way to tackle this and understand any differences that can be implemented right away. Without the protection of customer data, affiliates can find themselves in hot water.
Meet the Changes Head-On
In summary, businesses and affiliates alike must adapt to meet any changes head-on and ensure they have processes in place to adapt to react quickly. Each time a new development in the tech industry comes along, there will be a whole host of new changes and affiliate marketers must understand how they can meet these demands.
It is up to affiliates to keep an eye on the news and learn more about any changes that might affect the way that they do business. If you can stay ahead of the competition, you can put yourself in the best possible position.
