Marketing and associated trends are constantly changing, and marketers are tasked with understanding and meeting these changes head on.
As 2016 came to a close, digital marketing teams were hard at work implementing new B2C marketing trends, technologies, and strategies into their 2017 plans.
Here are 6 digital marketing trends to watch for in 2017:
1. Artificial Intelligence Marketing
AI Marketing (also referred to as Artificial Intelligence Marketing or AIM in many cases) is one of the most anticipated digital marketing breakthroughs in recent years. Together with big data and machine learning, AI will both revolutionize and optimize marketing through highly targeted, personalized consumer experiences.
AI solutions can take large amounts of consumer and market data, segment and analyze this data at a beyond human level, and present findings back to marketers that enable intelligent campaigns and execution. With artificial intelligence solutions on their side, marketers can focus on high-impact strategy, content, and execution.
2. Proliferation of Mobile
Today, more people than ever before are ditching their desktops for mobile browsing activities. With more than 29% of all e-commerce sales in 2015 coming from mobile, the trend is only expected to rise in 2017.
Marketers are going to have to allocate a considerable amount of resources, time, and energy to mobile-focused strategies. This can be as simple as including mobile components across various marketing campaigns, or as complex as implementing geolocation ads across social platforms. Regardless of exactly what tactic, marketers should be focused on mobile as a rising trend in 2017.
3. Customer Data Integration Into Cloud Platforms
With marketing technology becoming more robust each year, marketers now have the ability to integrate and combine various solutions into singular cloud platforms. This provides digital marketers with a one-stop view into their campaigns, analytics, and workflows, as well as their store supplies, website content, and user functionality.
Combining these various tools enables marketers to automate processes, engage directly with consumers at point-of-sale, optimize campaigns, and analyze metrics – all in a single location.
4. Marketing Across Channels and Devices
As digital marketers have seen throughout 2016, consumers are now frequenting multiple channels and platforms, and this trend shows no signs of slowing down in 2017.
To take this trend to the next level in the new year, digital marketers should leverage the data and advanced technologies on hand to create highly targeted and personalized cross-channel campaigns. These campaigns will also need to extend across various devices, and not just desktop and mobile. The rise of tablets, virtual reality (VR), and even gaming consoles as consumer buying tools should not be ignored.
5. Social Media
There has been plenty of buzz about social media and marketing, and rightly so – brands have to invest serious time and resources in social strategies in 2017. With more social media outlets than ever before, consumers will have their attention stretched to the absolute limits.
Digital marketers can use this to their advantage, however, by building and scaling a robust social presence to interact, communicate, and engage with consumers. For savvy digital marketers, social media can actually present an opportunity to leverage consumer relationships and turn them into revenue.
6. Reporting on Metrics
In 2017 and even beyond, digital marketers must track, measure, and report on metrics, no matter how small or insignificant they seem. These insights help marketing teams understand and target specific audiences, grade campaign performance, and shape marketing strategy.
Without data-driven insights behind decisions, marketers can’t be 100% confident in processes. Detailed dashboards also help digital marketers determine fresh audiences, campaigns, and strategies to move the brand forward.
Final Thoughts
In 2017, digital marketing trends will focus on leveraging technology and data to help marketers execute on highly targeted campaigns. What are some trends that we missed? Let us know below in the comments!
Looking for more B2C marketing trends for 2017? Check out our recent post, “5 B2C Marketing Trends to Watch For in 2017”.
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