The best marketing trends last the test of time.
Martech trends to follow throughout the year.
With 2018 well past the first month, perhaps, you have already drafted and begin to implement specific marketing strategies for your company. A good reason to start early is to get a head start on the competition. As technology enhances every step of the marketing process, here are a few marketing technology trends to follow throughout 2018:
#1. Personalization Will be the Hero
Regardless of the industry, customers expect a degree of personalization as part of the package. This personalization can be in various forms, such as website personalization in e-commerce stores or financing options like cash on delivery, online payment, and EMI options. Financing options in particular are in demand, since different customers prefer different modes of payment.
#2. Automation and Chatbots
Speaking of technology and its integration to business platforms and activities, one really important and indispensable part of both your website and your social handles will be automated chat bots. Chat bots will enable you to reach out to your customers’ queries instantly. 32% of people expect a response within half an hour, and only 36% of people who report a problem through social networking sites expect instant help.
Chatbots enable businesses to automate customer service to a great degree through the use of smart technology. By getting in early and earning yourself a head start on the competition, you can turn marketing technology from a terrifying adversary into your greatest asset.
#3. Machine Learning and AI integration
Personalization will play a huge role as far as marketing is concerned. However, personalizing each email for every customer wouldn’t be an easy task. Machine learning and AI integration make your task a hundred times easier. Simply categorize leads according to buyer personas and let your AI algorithms do the rest.
#4. Videos and More Videos
Video is increasing in popularity and are fuelled by social media networking platforms. Dominance on YouTube is the biggest advantage any company could have. Not just YouTube, but also Instagram. Earlier this year, LinkedIn ran a beta test on video advertisements. Therefore, having a team of video content creators could be the best investment you can make.
#5. Online PR through Social Media Avenues
Probably the biggest and most profitable trend is to have an active social media presence. Your social media managers are your online PR agents – they communicate with customers instantly and respond to any queries or grievances. They also keep customers updated with the company’s latest offerings. This will prove to be extremely helpful as customers first turn to a company’s social handle before contacting the customer service help lines. Company’s must also tie up with influencers in their field as customers trust other customer opinions.
The year of 2018 could prove to be a big year, given that IoT, or Internet of Things, is set to take over. Follow these martech trends while you draft your marketing strategy for the upcoming year. The stakes for marketers will continue to rise, and companies will need to look toward shifts in customer behaviour. The best way to understand what your customers want and how your company is perceived is through data-driven techniques to find the right audience.
