In the year 2014, marketing plunged ahead into new and uncharted territory. Here are some of the new tools and techniques to be aware of for the 2015 marketing year.
Social Media
In keeping with the last several years, social media is still the biggest hotspot for advertising in 2015. Companies that provide their followers with useful or interesting information by sharing posts, blogs, and photos have consistently shown that they can keep those followers and continue advertising to them basically for free. However, these organic advertising markets are disappearing and now essentially all advertising is pay-to-play.
Useful and Reliable Mobile Apps
Image via Flickr by Jason A. Howie
When customers download an app for a company, they are demonstrating their interest in that company’s products, but that valuable interest can quickly be lost. Keeping apps relevant and useful by adding information about new products, price cuts, and store locations help make the app valuable. Statistics show that the number of users with a company’s mobile app is steadily increasing, more so than the number of likes on Facebook and Twitter followers, so apps could be even more crucial than social media tools in 2015.
Integration of Physical and Digital Marketing
Digital technology is advancing quickly enough that real-time advertising is possible. GPS built into mobile devices allows ads on the device to match with the mobile user’s current location. For example, if a user steps into a mall with a Macy’s inside, a Macy’s ad can pop up on their phone when they use the Google app to search for “designer shoes.” Location and identification information for advertisers (IDFA) will play a large part in marketing in 2015.
Efficient Data Collection and Management
The Internet is a goldmine of data on thousands of different things, and there are hundreds of millions of complex users. Instead of focusing on collecting “the most” data, marketing agencies should shift to collecting “the best” data in 2015. This means focusing on only relevant consumer behavior and offering plenty of security and consumer control over data collection to prevent future government intervention.
Be Prepared to Pay
Data collection becomes even more critical when you take into account disappearing organic markets. Investing in data management software like Hadoop or Spark may be the only way to make sure your business is reaching your precise target market and only paying for the advertising with the highest return on investment.
Customer Interaction
As part of their social networking scheme, companies should aim to interact more effectively with customers. Even in cases of one-way communication from the company to the consumer, companies should always offer valuable information to customers to guide their buying habits. In two-way communications, companies should also give reasonable expectations to customers as far as how likely they are to reply, how quickly, and how personally.
Now that you’re aware of the necessary tools for marketing in 2015, your business is ready to face the new year. So jump on that mobile app bandwagon and start collecting data to give your customers the best possible user experience.