Digital Trends for Marketers in 2014/15

Online consumerism is at an all-time high and this has had a massive effect on digital marketing. As technology and social networking advances, this online shift is only going to become more prominent and many companies are faced with the prospect of change or they may risk losing out on business. Here are just some of the digital marketing trends that are set to be big in 2014/15…

Social Media

Social media has completely changed the way in which businesses and customers interact. More and more people are choosing to communicate with companies via Facebook or Twitter rather than the more traditional methods of telephone and email. When it comes to marketing, companies have the ability to interact with a wide range of potential customers in numerous different ways, whether it be though online advertising, Twitter trends, Facebook Campaigns or using any of the many other major social media outlets. Expect this trend to continue and grow throughout 2014 with more companies realising the power behind this medium. With this in mind, it is likely we will see more novel and experimental approaches to digital marketing and social media is guaranteed to be at the forefront of this.

Big Data

Big data has been the hot topic over the last several years and this is certain to continue throughout 2014. In a nutshell, big data is any large volume of data which cannot be processed using traditional methods of analysis. The types of data this includes can be anything from train tickets, to bank transfers to social media posts and everything in between. Rather than viewing big data as an abstract concept, it is likely that more companies will begin looking into the practical applications of this technique. Companies such as eBay, Amazon and Netflix are already utilising big data but it’s expected that smaller businesses will start to follow suit, very soon. You can read about the impact of big data on Ecommerce here.

Personalisation

One of the inevitable outcomes of the rise of big data is the personalisation of the customer experience. Businesses are not only gathering more data than ever before but the data they are recording is much smarter and much more valuable. This insight allows marketers to construct a completely bespoke customer experience, utilising a whole range of tactics. Personalised marketing is going to be incredibly important throughout 2014 and well into the future but companies should be careful of the potential pitfalls. Customers may be guaranteed a much more streamlined and efficient consumer experience but many have their doubts about the way in which this is achieved. The only way in which companies can personalise their marketing is through data tracking and this is causing unease amongst many internet users. It may be the case that personalisation can only be truly successful when combined with a transparent and comprehensive privacy policy.

Real Time Marketing

Real time marketing describes the process of targeting consumers with products and services which have some sort of relevance to their own personal circumstances or global circumstances. One such example of this technique is when charitable organisations utilise online advertising, social media and email to garner support and funding after a recent tragedy. This form of marketing has obviously been inspired by online concepts such as Twitter’s trending topics and therefore the demand for instant gratification is definitely there, whether it be for news, information or products. Although real time marketing is still very new, we are likely to see this technique grow in popularity throughout 2014 and beyond.

Video

Visual media has gained a major boost in popularity within recent years thanks to applications such as Instagram, YouTube, Vine and Snapchat as well as ever faster internet connections. The trend has been for extremely short video clips which convey meaningful information. It will come as no surprise that the business world has recognised the potential within this trend. Utilising video, companies can interact with their customers on a much more personal level, conveying important information in a novel and interesting way. Although the technique of using video within marketing has been used in the past, usually for viral campaigning, it has yet to be fully embraced within the business world but this is due to change. Smartphones will play a large part within this trend, not just due to video based applications but also due to the concept of augmented reality. This technology is still very new but basically allows users to scan a specific QR code on a physical object which activates a video to play over the real time image. Augmented reality is definitely a snapshot of things to come and could completely change the way in which digital marketing is undertaken.