Each new year presents change, challenge and opportunity for B2B marketers. What is for certain is that the emphasis on digital marketing will continue to grow. In particular, digital marketing will become key for all companies in all industries as more than ever before, people are online, taking part in digital activities. What are some key digital marketing trends that are important to focus on this year? Check out the five trends we’ve highlighted.
Omnichannel Marketing
Omnichannel marketing is creating a presence across digital and traditional marketing channels such as websites, social media and events. As more and more channels continue to be created, especially online, there are more opportunities for your organization to create and distribute content to connect with your target audience(s). The transition from channel to channel is a key component of omnichannel marketing. Making sure you have touchpoints on these various channels for your audience allows you to create a consistent, unified experience that they can appreciate. It is important to note though that you don’t need to have a presence on every single channel. Instead, ensure the channels you focus on make sense and can deliver the results you are looking for.
Social Media, Videos and Podcasts
With the rise of reliance on digital comes the increasing usage of social media, videos and even podcasts which has seen a 51% increase in listeners since a few years ago. If you feel pressured to create new content for these channels, don’t! It is much more effective and efficient to repurpose existing content. For example, if you have a blog that has great statistics and snippets in it. You can turn this into social media posts with a stat or even a short video if you want to compile these stats together. You can also take panel style interviews, traditionally shared as a webinar, and turn it into a podcast, snippets for social media sharing and more. As you think about all the options for your organization, one valuable stat to keep in mind is that viewers can retain up to 95% of the information or message of something when obtained by a video, so if possible, see how you can leverage your existing content in a video.
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Personalization
While personalization isn’t a new aspect of digital marketing, it still matters. 90% of people say they find personalization appealing. The level of personalization can vary, but something as simple as personalizing their name in an email can go a long way. Your audience members want to feel valued and it’s in your best interest to deliver the best, personalized experience that you can. As more businesses turn to social media, email marketing and more, they will also be offering those personalized experiences. Stand out among the rest by creating a human connection with your audiences and forming those valuable relationships can start with a small personalization effort.
Virtual Events
We saw a large increase in virtual events in 2020 and 2021, especially webinars. While the anticipation of in-person events grows, virtual events aren’t going anywhere. Even as in-person events return, virtual events will still be popular and used by many organizations. There are many benefits to holding an event virtually such as ease of access, no geographical restrictions, which allow for a broader audience, and budget-friendliness. As you think about virtual events for your organization, it’s important to keep audiences engaged. Oftentimes the attention-span can shorten the more time spent looking at a screen, so finding interactive ways to engage can be game-changing.
Voice Search
As more and more people use Google Assistant, Alexa and Siri there is an increasing usage in searching the internet by voice. In fact, almost 50% of people are using voice search to research products and services. Why is this important? This can impact your search engine optimization (SEO) efforts. How people search by verbally speaking can differ from how they search while typing something in on their computer or mobile device. To address this, think about what keywords someone would say to search what your company offers. Keep it conversational and relevant to see the best results possible.
As digital marketing continues to change as new technologies emerge and strategy shifts are made, it’s important to keep these new trends in mind as your organization plans and executes marketing efforts. If you’re looking to elevate your marketing game, check out our courses. With on-demand sessions, exercises and 1:1 coaching with a marketing expert, you’ll walk away with an effective strategy and plan specific to your business to boost results.
