“The latest trends in digital marketing for 2018 and how can they be implemented for a successful communication between businesses and their customers”
Nowadays, no brand is bigger than its marketing strategy. What makes a company globally successful is the efficient optimization of multiple online and offline channels for communicating with both customers and investors. To achieve the desired results, marketers from all industries need to keep up to date with the latest industry trends and think about how they can implement those within their company’s practices. Digital platforms offer businesses more opportunities to engage with their elusive customers and learn more about their online behavior and purchase intent. Testing new marketing tactics is always useful when looking for more effective ways of engaging with your audiences and differentiating from competitors. Whether it is content personalization, mobile apps or micro-targeting, your business will certainly benefit from the incorporation of at least one of the latest digital marketing trends:
Take advantage of Increased Mobile Use
Mobile is overtaking desktop internet use, with more than 77% of UK consumers using smartphones, in comparison to the 50% who prefer desktop devices only. While mobile-optimized sites are an efficient way of providing satisfactory user experience, mobile app development is likely to bring you more tangible results when it comes to customer engagement. Reason being- the largest part of mobile use time is spent on shopping and social media apps, with a 6% year-over-year growth. Moreover, the fact that the most lucrative demographic group of 18-34 year-olds are the ones with the highest mobile use is yet another reason for companies to focus on providing high-quality mobile experience. However, while some specialists in the field advice for a “Mobile-First” approach, recent research has revealed that it is multiplatform engagement companies should be striving towards. Since most people tend to access online content via both desktop and mobile, your marketing efforts should be evenly distributed between the two platforms. A mobile marketing strategy that gives results is one that takes into consideration how your target customers browse the web- are they active on social media, have they subscribed to your newsletter or downloaded your mobile app? Having this knowledge will give your marketing strategy the necessary focus to effectively track any changes in customer engagement and conversion rates.
Micro-targeting and personalization
Customer segmentation is a commonly-used marketing approach which has been further developed in the new digital era. Segmenting your audience into different groups to be targeted with one general message has been an effective approach till now. Today, however using big data, companies are able to generate personalized calls, which are action based on each of their customers’ preferences and purchasing history. Whether it will be on social media, through an email newsletter or mobile texts, micro-targeting and targeted advertising have become vital for both B2B and B2C companies wishing to influence positively their customers’ purchasing behavior.
Social Media as a Marketing Tool
Whether on mobile or desktop, whether it will be Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter, Social Media is the place where you are in control of your company’s image. Utilizing those platforms for communicating with customers and monitoring the overall feedback for a company’s services is an invaluable opportunity for marketers. If taken advantage of, this method can result in improved brand awareness and increased trust, along with a better insight into customers’ needs and expectations. Take as an example some of the most successful global fast food companies- KFC, Chipotle, McDonald’s- they interact with their customers via Twitter on a daily basis, creating a sense of informality and personal care.
Offering Deals and Promotions
Other than social media interaction, another way of engaging with your customers and creating a positive brand image is through offering discounts and promotions. Incentivizing your customer who has subscribed to your newsletter with exclusive offers is an effective way of increasing revenues and brand awareness. In 2018, 76% of retailers plan on increasing the promotions they offer, with the hopes of improving brand awareness and customer growth.
Localized Digital Marketing
For global businesses, developing a good localization strategy can be an effective way of reaching customers within smaller, niche areas. Creating location-specific content with the help of skilled translators and cultural experts will provide your company with the necessary advantage to differentiate itself from the competition. In addition, developing local search ads is another cost-effective way of generating more sales and leads. However, when approaching foreign markets, it is recommended that marketers work closely with language service providers, to avoid content misinterpretation and to keep a consistent brand message.
Choosing whether or not to implement some of these marketing trends will depend on your business goals and the type of consumers you are targeting. Whatever your marketing approach is, reliable and personalized communication remains essential for building a trusting relationship with your customers. This is especially relevant when it comes to establishing your business within foreign markets – even the best marketing strategy would be bound to fail if efficient communication is lacking. To avoid being lost in translation, at 1-StopAsia, we recommend trusting the services of professional translators and language experts, who will help ensure that your marketing efforts lead to the desired results.