Business is moving faster, and companies are continually revamping their marketing strategies to realign with this new paradigm. In 2015, we’ve seen a number of trends emerge, but knowing how to leverage them to keep customers engaged isn’t always easy.
To proactively respond to evolving human nature and market to it, companies are intensifying their use of technology and analytics. These data-driven messages cut through the noise and offer a holistic way to understand customers — all while grabbing their attention by offering the content they’re already seeking. The companies that are able to create these messages stand to get ahead of the competition and capture the hearts and minds of their customers.
Here are the trends you need to know:
Creating an Emotional Connection — Faster
Content is being produced at an ever-increasing pace. The most effective content happens in real time and offers meaningful ideas targeted to the individual user to create an emotional response. With new social media networks and content platforms that cater to this speed, consumers are engaging with brands in the moment and expect content that matches this cadence. Real-time newsrooms for content development are here, and editors are accepting content like press releases as “newsworthy” enough to feature in order to feed their hungry subscribers.
With the advent of platforms such as live broadcasting apps like Meerkat and Periscope, and Facebook Instant Articles, consumers are sharing experiences live, and push notifications have become an expected part of engaging with an app. Tweets are even being indexed in Google’s search algorithms, making these conversations even more influential. The ability to produce quality content in real time that grabs hold of the zeitgeist, but with an authentic spin, is becoming paramount. When companies are able to share who they are, they can dominate the social conversation and create stronger emotional connections that can turn into real increases in revenue.
Transforming Real-Time Engagement
Technology is offering new insights about consumers that enable marketers to become more and more targeted in their messaging. Analytics are evolving to go beyond tracking and monitoring past behavior, and are now even being used to predict future consumer behavior. At the heart of this technology is the ability to target individual actions, predict what they are likely to do next, and send offers and content that speak uniquely to who customers are and what they now want — even if they didn’t know it’s what they wanted.
When everything becomes connected, a wealth of consumer data is created. How companies approach that data and create emotionally engaging content (in real time) is sure to separate the best from the average.
Offering More Targeted User Experiences
As marketing technology advances and the competition for consumers grows more intense, the way companies interact with consumers must change. Mobile has grown in importance to the point that 71 percent of people access social media via mobile devices, and Google has prioritized websites with a mobile-friendly design. In order to capture attention, companies need to plan to engage consumers with a strategic mobile user experience. Communities are continuing to evolve in response to these changes and are offering innovative solutions to connect with consumers, such as branded multi-episodic dramatic Web series, branded comics and interactive infographics. These experiences enable consumers to connect more deeply with brands, which creates stronger customer loyalty in the long run.
B2B marketing is changing. And that means you need to keep up in real time. Those companies that can leverage emerging marketing trends to create more personalized, real-time experiences are the ones that stand to gain customer loyalty and solid market share. It’s no longer enough to simply show up in the social space. Smart companies are using social media and other new platforms to engage with consumers and move them down the funnel before they even realize they’re converting.
To learn more about the future of B2B marketing and how new trends could affect your business, register for gyro’s mid-year trends webinar, “B2B Marketing: 6 Emerging Trends in 2015,” today at 2 p.m. ET.