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As we gear up for 2018, it would be ill-advised not to turn our attention to the upcoming trends that will dominate the world of marketing over the next 12 months. We may not have a crystal ball, but we can confidently predict that these five trends will play a major role in 2018.

  1. Big Data – Vital in Converting Customers

What is it: large data sets that reveal actionable insights about your customer base.

Big Data will play a crucial role in helping you understand your audience and the customer journey. Greater understanding about who you are targeting, will allow you to reach the right people at the right time with exactly the right message.

Mining data from available resources also allows for predictive analysis into customer behaviour, a tool that will inevitably grow in popularity throughout 2018.

  1. Smart Content – Intelligent Distribution and Integration with the Customer Journey

Content seems to be the buzz word around town. And as digital platforms continue to be widely embraced, content will continue to be King throughout 2018.

However, it will no longer be enough to flood your audience with content in the hope that something sticks. To stand out amongst the barrage of messaging that consumers receive, content needs to be intelligent, personalised and thoughtfully crafted.

To drive conversions, it is vital that content is not ‘churned’ out. It must be created off the back of data and research, it needs to be purposeful and diverse and it should be distributed in such a way that it truly becomes a valued part of the customer’s journey.

It will need to communicate the right message at the right time and it needs to extend beyond a simple blog post. Content comes in many forms and a successful content strategy should embrace this. Forms to watch include video and augmented reality which both gained momentum in late 2017 and show no signs of slowing down.

  1. Transparency – Authenticity is the Key to Building Relationships

Everywhere you look there is marketing. It invades our lives 24/7. To cut through the noise in the past, foolish brands have tried to beef up the truth, engage in cause marketing or have made grand promises that simply don’t hold up.

After years of ‘false promises’ consumers are getting smarter and more progressive. They want Transparency.=

Moving forward, authenticity will be the key to winning customers. Building trust through genuine communication is the way to build relationships with cautious customers. 

  1. Integration of Platforms – Lines Will Blur

As digital platforms continue to evolve and as consumers continue to adopt these platforms into everyday life, it is undeniable that online and offline worlds will continue to collide.

Digital will no longer stand alone as a separate discipline. The most successful brands will recognise the need for integrated marketing strategies and will extend digital activities into the offline world.

Larger brands are leading this trend and it is expected that smaller brands will follow suit in 2018.

  1. Customer Experience – Personalisation Will Define Successful Brands

Floppy disks, fax machines and impersonal email blasts – these are all things that have become a thing of the past.

As customers become accustomed to hyper-targeted communication and interactions, automated bulk email blasts will quickly find their way straight to the trash can.

Targeted communication, tailored messaging and personalised landing pages should form the basis of all campaigns. Doing so, will result in rich connections with existing and potential customers which leads to retention and growth.

To achieve marketing success in 2018, it is vital that all marketing activities are personalised and tailored to the consumer.

To make sure your business is at the forefront of these emerging trends, speak to the knowledgeable folk at The Marketing Room today.

 

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