Like so many technology-driven industries, digital marketing is constantly evolving. Companies must grow to face the challenges associated with this new demand.
According to Qualtrics' “ Global Consumer Trends for 2021 Post-Pandemic: How Consumer Behavior Will Continue to Change ” report, more than 75% of consumers “took a new interest in online activities” in 2020. This affected virtually every sectors. Twenty-one percent even purchased a product online for the first time.
Companies must grow to face the challenges associated with this new demand. This is why so many organizations across industries are focusing on their digital marketing efforts. In fact, digital advertising revenue, just one segment of digital marketing, is projected to reach $460 billion by 2024.
But like so many technology-driven industries, digital marketing is constantly evolving. This raises the question: what does the future hold?
Content Marketing
According to a survey of global marketers in 2020, content marketing is the activity that has the greatest commercial impact on business efforts – 17% of respondents identified it as such.
Content is a broad term that describes a wide variety of materials that marketers use to promote their businesses, such as:
• Blog posts
• Articles
• Infographics
• Videos
• Newsletters
• Case studies
• Online seminars
• e-books
• Podcasts
• Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR)
• Articles on thought leadership
The goal is to attract your audience by giving them something for free or at a low cost, with the aim of promoting brand awareness and compelling them to take action – i.e. engage with your business and purchase your services and products.
Today, companies are employing a range of approaches to developing and distributing content to attract new consumers and retain existing ones. Thanks to new and emerging technologies like AI, there are more and more possibilities for content marketing.
Artificial intelligence
Speaking of AI, it is proving to be a fundamental technology in marketing efforts. And companies are quick to notice. The PwC Survey of more than 1,000 companies in the US found that more than half have increased adoption of AI.
One application of AI is the use of chatbots, a digital customer service marketing tool that not only frees up time for human representatives but also addresses the unique needs of consumers. Now, it's practically impossible to visit a large website or Facebook page without seeing a chatbot pop up and asking if it can help you. Businesses can also use them to communicate with consumers, answer questions, and resolve issues quickly.
AI is also being used in digital advertising campaigns, evaluating the performance of individual campaigns and adjusting messages accordingly.
Voice assistance
Didn't think voice assistance technology was a marketing tool? In fact, it can be – and often is. Now that tools like Alexa, Google Home and Siri are household items and household names, companies are curious about how they can leverage technology to help consumers find their items. Today, for example, there are targeted ads on voice-operated devices.
SEO strategies are also different from voice-based search. They depend on unique optimization and marketers must guide their plans accordingly.
Of course, voice assistants would be nothing without AI, which is why these essential tools go hand in hand.
Generational Segmentation
The oldest members of Gen Z are entering their 20s. Meanwhile, the oldest Baby Boomers are solidly in their 70s. As audience demographics change, companies are revamping their approaches to reaching consumers accordingly.
While Boomers and Gen X are far from forgotten, today most companies are focusing on attracting Gen Z and Millennials. These consumers tend to prefer digital marketing efforts that are responsive and focused. Organizations would do well to research the needs and wants of their new target demographics.
Customization
Increasingly, consumers are paying attention to marketing efforts that are uniquely tailored to them and their interests. SmarterHQ's Privacy and Personalization Report further found that 72% of respondents engage exclusively with messages personalized to them. Using big data, AI and other tools, marketers can appeal to different segments.
For example, they can target social media ads to people from different demographics and with specific interests. They can also send emails with personalized greetings and alter their newsletters according to the desires of different segments of their consumer base, including those who have already engaged with the brand or not.
This leads to a better overall customer experience and more meaningful interactions between the brand and the consumer.
Inclusivity
Marketing efforts must appeal to people with a wide range of backgrounds, ethnicities, races, socioeconomic statuses, genders, sexualities, ages, jobs, and more. It is extraordinarily important for brands to be inclusive and representative of diverse populations. Retail ads, for example, should appeal to people with different body types, and many brands are recognizing this by being body inclusive.
Meanwhile, companies are also including a variety of content that is representative of minorities and appeals to many different segments of the population – better reflecting real-world diversity.
Inclusion also encompasses accessibility or reaching people with different abilities. For example, marketers are encouraged to use alt tags on images, word descriptions of featured content, and upload captions for videos in content marketing and social media.
It is quite clear that digital marketing must encompass new methods and practices to attract today's consumers. While some of yesterday's strategies are outdated, new ones are taking their place.
Brands across all sectors must work to renew their ideas and reach new target populations, recognizing critical trends in the modern landscape. One thing is certain: the world of digital marketing is constantly changing and organizations must be at the forefront of innovation to stay up to date.
Source: BairesDev
