Influencer marketing is not an unknown phenomenon. For years, small and large-scale brands have used influencers to promote their brands on social media platforms and reach generations of customers. Influencer marketing has become a driving force behind the communication strategies for various companies. Generally, bigger brands are engaging more with influencers, as consumers are turning to Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube for everything. The rise of AI influencers has entirely changed the concept of influencer marketing.

The right social media management strategy has always been something of a Holy Grail for marketers and brand strategists, but this moment in time has made designing an effective one particularly challenging. Some tactics that worked last year, or even earlier this year, are no longer ideal. Yet social media remains a critical part of a marketing strategy, especially now. As the world continues to evolve, people are seeking safe options for connecting with friends, family -- and brands. Social media -- the original way to hang out while staying socially distant -- is a pandemic-friendly way for companies to engage their audiences.

It's difficult to predict which methods will connect with consumers most effectively in the ever-changing landscape of marketing. Just when marketers believe they understand their audience, a new technology, new behavior or even an entirely new audience alters everything. That said, it's practical to reflect on the past year's patterns and pay attention to growing trends that will influence next year's success. Here are 10 marketing trends you would be wise to keep your eye on going into 2019. The current marketing funnel accepts anyone, assessing them for profitability and rejecting them if they're deemed unfit.

Marketing is being shaped by emerging technologies, methods and patterns. It's difficult to predict which methods will connect with consumers most effectively in the ever-changing landscape of marketing. Just when marketers believe they understand their audience, a new technology, new behavior or even an entirely new audience alters everything. That said, it's practical to reflect on the past year's patterns and pay attention to growing trends that will influence next year's success. Here are 10 marketing trends you would be wise to keep your eye on going into 2019.

The Bharat Bandh on April 2 called by Dalit groups was a result of the successful use of artificial intelligence (AI), the geographic information system (GIS) and big data, according to a core group of US-based Dalit activists. The protest, which surprised many because of its sudden eruption, was organised against the alleged dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. New Jersey-based Deelip Mhaske, who heads a secretive network of some 100 overseas Dalit activists based in the US, the UK, Australia and the Middle East said the protest shows that Dalits no longer need to be affiliated to any political establishment. "A new era for Dalit politics has begun by adopting artificial intelligence, the GIS and social media," Mhaske told PTI in an interview as he gave an insight into how Dalit groups were mobilised during the protest. Most of these Dalit activists in the secretive group are from the IT sector and work in some of the top info-tech companies.

Dutch carrier KLM, already an airline industry leader in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to field customer service inquiries through social media channels, can now deal with many social media interactions without a live agent. The enhancement allows it to answer more questions in a shorter period of time. "This is exactly what the customer needs," said Air France-KLM senior vice president of digital Pieter Groeneveld. KLM said its team of 250 social media service agents engage in approximately 30,000 conversations each week, double the volume they were handling just 13 months ago. On average, conversations consist of five or six questions and answers.

Dutch carrier KLM, already an airline industry leader in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to field customer service inquiries through social media channels, can now deal with many social media interactions without a live agent.

Social media is fast evolving, breaking down the barriers and is growing into a marketing juggernaut. It has been predicted that number of social media users will grow at 8% in 2017, which will be close to approximately 2.39 billion people. Recently, it has been seen that video has been solely responsible for the consistent growth of users on the social media platforms. As the social networks strive to keep people online, the push to videos makes sense. Highlighting the predictions for the marketing technology space in 2017, Penny Wilson, the Chief Marketing Officer at Hootsuite said, "In 2016, we saw companies harness social media communications as a primary marketing function, with social spend overtaking broadcast advertising spend for the first time. In 2017, companies will tap into social channels like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to deliver a'human touch' to the customer experience, at scale. Many customers are always online, in many locations and across numerous devices. The widespread availability and increase in touchpoints allows brands to create personalized and meaningful connections with customers, at every stage in their respective journeys. In 2017, I expect this wave of social adoption to expand immensely, with more companies tapping into live video capabilities, like Facebook Live, to create meaningful customer moments. Tapping into the powerful, real-time tool of live video will fuel deeper and more personal engagement, turning customers into advocates."