How Will Digital Marketing Evolve in 2015?
When it comes to digital marketing, the only thing we can say for sure is that it will always continue to evolve. Although this is also true to a certain extent of traditional marketing, digital marketing has the added consideration of technological developments.
The ways in which we use technology for marketing are constantly changing as new and improved services become available. Staying on top of these trends, whilst also observing best practices and changes in other areas, can be a full-time task. It’s also essential to address customer expectations in a multi-channel way. It is no longer good enough to have a strong presence on one or two platforms; customers expect to be able to find the information they want, when they want it and where they want it. This is also true of communication. If a customer is reaching out to your brand in a place that you aren’t focusing on, then the chance of providing that customer with a negative experience exists. For this reason, it is important to pay attention to emerging platforms and never assume that what’s not big today won’t be big tomorrow.
Additionally, the customer experience has been forced by social media to not only be informative, but also to become entertaining. This means that more thought than ever before has to go into marketing campaigns at the risk of losing the attention of the user. People tend to spend only a few seconds glancing at something as they scroll through their news feed, so if your content doesn’t stand out then you don’t stand a chance!
So how are we to know what’s in store for digital marketing in 2015?
Over the past year, using paid posts has become a much more popular and successful way to get your content seen. Whether this is on Facebook or Twitter etc, this is a trend that is sure to boom in the coming year. The potential for increased audience is absolutely huge and even the smallest of payments can bring you content in front of thousands of people. However, it is important that these promotions are put together carefully through in depth research and testing.
The development of wearable technology is another concept that is sure to see a surge in popularity in 2015. Although the technology has been in development and in the public conscience for several years, it is only recently starting to be embraced. Google Glass is currently the most famous wearable technology and is starting to be spotted on the street more prevalently.
The one thing that does seem to be certain of digital marketing on the whole is that perceptions are shifting so that it is no longer looked at as part of a wider tactic. It is an entire concept in itself that can be broken down into several different components. It is only through embracing all of these components that a truly successful digital strategy can be achieved. As we move into 2015 this will be understood by larger numbers of people and organizations. This will equate to a greater effort by marketers to integrate all aspects of their marketing. This in turn will mean more time will have to be spent analyzing customer engagements and building stronger, genuine relationships.
Although several important changes will surely take place in terms of the very technology which is used for digital marketing, it seems evident that the biggest change will be community. The human factor is set to become all the more important and will change the way that brands interact with their consumers. This change has already become apparent in 2014 and will surely continue into the next year.
By Alix Jones
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