Top 5 Marketing Trends for 2017
By Beth Hawks
We’re fast approaching the first quarter of the year, but it’s still not too late to dive into a new marketing strategy. However, it can be difficult to find your focus when you’re trying to launch a new campaign. How can you find out what’s hot right now, and how do you capitalize on it?
Make sure you understand the Top 5 Internet Marketing Trends below and have a plan to include them in your business.
Top 5 Marketing Trends for 2017
1. Data-Driven Decisions
2. Personalized Content
3. Cross-Channel Integration
4. Native Advertising
5. Responsive Design
Get the skinny on each of these…
1. Data-Driven Decisions
Proving the ROI of marketing activities is the #1 challenge companies face. However, it’s getting easier and easier to track what marketing decisions are working and which ones are not. Have you identified key metrics you want to track and do you report on those regularly? Do you have a way to A/B test your marketing materials? Do you know what your lead to customer conversion rate is or where your leads are at in the buying cycle?One way that you can implement data-driven decisions is by using Google Analytics. This free tool gives great insight into your organic keywords as well as where customers are spending the most time on your website. You can use this data to create even more content that will help flow potential customers through the sales funnel.
2. Personalized Content
Personalized content is yet another strategy that relies on website visitor data. 74% of online consumers get frustrated when the content they see on a page has nothing to do with their interests. Addressing this alarming statistic is a fundamental shift in how websites are designed, abandoning a one-size-fits all approach in exchange for a personalized experience.This means one website might show completely different content to Visitor A than to Visitor B. How is this accomplished? HubSpot, the inbound marketing and sales software, has developed a SmartContent feature and it’s the preferred platform of choice for our customers. More on what this is and how it works is included in the complete article found below.
3. Cross-Channel Integration
Many companies are still operating in a world where their website is managed in one place, CRM in another, social media in yet another, and so on. Thankfully, integrated marketing platforms now simplify marketing and offer one central system to manage everything. At TBG, we work to get our customers setup on HubSpot. However, there are other options you can explore.Cross-channel integration makes marketers (and business owners) more efficient at managing online marketing tasks. You’ll spend less time maintaining each platform and more time planning and strategizing your next move.
4. Native Advertising
Simply put, this kind of advertising merges product and content, making it harder to separate out what’s an ad and what’s not. It’s most common form is an “advertorial” or written article that subtly promotes a product or service, and it’s so popular because instead of interrupting people – it is designed to naturally fit into the publication they’re already enjoying.
In order to run a successful native advertising campaign, you must:
- Identify your channels
- Find formats that make you an authority
- Create compelling, irresistible content
- Use split testing
- Include a strong call-to-action
- Try using infographics for a different twist
5. Responsive Design
In 2015, Google released its “Mobile Friendly” update that uses mobile optimization as a ranking factor. But beyond helping your SEO, having a website that automatically adapts to fit any screen size is critical in keeping pace with how people consume content. More people now browse the Internet from mobile devices than desktops – and these products come in all shapes and screen sizes. This means that your website must look appealing on a variety of devices, otherwise you run the risk of losing visitors over aHaving a mobile website that resizes ensures an optimal viewing experience for all visitors, and allows you to keep pace as new devices are released.
Ready to learn more? Download the complete copy of The Future of Marketing: What Will Your Marketing Look Like in 2017?
Meet Beth Hawks, Digital Marketing Consultant, TBG Digital
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DOYO Live is a digital marketing and interactive design conference dedicated to the ongoing professional development of marketing, sales, business and design professionals. We accomplish this through our online marketing efforts, in-person workshops and annual marketing conference in Youngstown, Ohio.
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