"Bots are like apps and digital assistants are like meta apps, or the new browsers. Intelligence is infused into all of your apps." -Satya Nadella, CEO Microsoft

It has begun. Yes, again. Digital marketing is about to make yet another dramatic shift. And just when brands were beginning to get comfortable with marketing on the web, too. But digital's next wave is about to crash on the shore. And it might be the biggest yet. The Bot Revolution and the rise of Conversational Commerce is here. 
Here is what you need to know about Digital's Next Wave:
Customer Experience is the Difference Maker: Competition is getting so fierce among brands that Gartner is predicting by 2020, customer experience will be the #1 point of difference. The race is on now to build out and improve this capability. Chatbots are adding speed and efficiency to the customer experience for brands. Not only can a bot provide subject matter expertise but can do so in a 2016 two-way IM experience. Consumers want instant information and bots are providing a new level of speed in customer communications. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines announced this week their intention to build out an experience of Facebook Messenger. Customers will be able to book flights and make changes-all from Messenger. Other platforms like Kik and What'sApp will be fertile ground for more of these experiences. In fact, Kik just announced the opening of its Bot Store this week and many expect Facebook to do the same later this month.
Websites Are Dead. Apps Are Too!  Hate to say it, but its true. In the early days of the internet, the only way you could access content was through a website. Now the exploding number of channels and ubiquity of content has seriously put a dent in the value of the website. Heck, today you can create videos that act like websites. A consumer can engage and make purchases directly from the video experience. Even app downloads are way down, leading experts to believe that the messaging platforms are going to continue on center stage. The average number of app downloads last month for Americans? Zero(Forbes).
Fish Where.... Not too long ago, social networks surpassed websites as the new digital playground. But now it appears social networks may becoming yesterday's news.
 As you can see from the chart, the messaging platforms have passed social networks by and are the trend is expected to continue.  And to add insult to injury, folks are spending more time on the messaging platforms from an engagement perspective. The bottom line is that this an area that cannot be overlooked. The road is filled with once popular brands that miscalculated and now are gone. PacSun was one of the hottest teen active brands. It is now in bankruptcy. Been to a Blockbuster lately? How's everything at your local Radio Shack? Amazon Fresh is here which might mean the end of the local grocer.
The Power of Two-Way Conversations: Live Chat is becoming one of the most powerful tools a brand/retailer can use to engage with consumers. It can assimilate an in-store experience, improve the customer experience and enable the brand to more effectively upsell and cross sell products and services.
Rewarded Advertising: The ad blocking movement is in full swing and resistance to the scorched eyeball tactics of marketers has never been greater. We can all admit to interruption fatigue, but heck, everyone loves earning reward points, right? Everyone loves a gift, no? We love texting and chatting. So what if one of your new friends just happens to be H&M for example? Brands now have the opportunity to deliver real value. You want to know what your target audience is looking for? Just ask them on Kik or What's App. Engaging on the messaging platforms enables a more natural way of communicating. And along those lines...
Word of Mouth Rules! Sharing is one of the most important advantages of the Next Wave. The Messaging Platforms make it easier than ever for brands to build a growing collection of loyal followers who will sing your praises to all of their friends. If you target teens, then you are in even better shape. Kik for example has 50% of all US teens on its platform. Picture engaging with teens in a natural chat environment and seeing them spread positivity about your brands to all of their friends. Contrast this to interruptive and intrusive pop up ads which have officially become white noise. 
The New Ecosystem: There is a massive user base on the messaging apps today and brands are scrambling to position themselves to capitalize on this new channel. Messaging platforms are rapidly becoming the new browsers with bots poised to replace web pages and even apps.
"Messaging apps have evolved to become far more than just ways to communicate with friends and families. They've become fully functioning ecosystems that serve as marketplaces."—Business Insider
First Mover Advantage-The move to the messaging platforms is being called by some a new gold rush for brands. We agree! According to Gary Vaynerchuk, " 
“The upside of being an early mover in a new platform is so much greater than the downside of waiting there for months only to find that it didn’t pop” -Gary Vaynerchuck
So, where are you in your messaging platform strategy? Do you think this new direction is in fact a gold rush for brands? The facts are difficult to refute. We are working with early adopters on strategies, content and services around this new reality. And it's not about going out and building a bot. That's the easy part. It's about working with brand strategists and creatives to leverage the bot as one key piece within the experience. Welcome to the Next Wave, folks. Will you ride it into shore or get wiped out and left behind? You need to get moving on this!
 Dan Sixsmith is CMO @ Augmento, a Next Generation Digital Agency
He is VP @Alinean, Inc. a Value Marketing & Selling Agency
His Blog: "The Digital Advantage by Dan Sixsmith."
Dan also hosts the Podcast, This Week In Digital Marketing. Subscribe here: http://t.co/H6wqFueAB2 

Twitter:@DigitalAdvantg
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