Make Your Plans for 2015 – Now!
A few weeks ago, we promised to bring you some more end of year review style articles. It then occurred to us that it would be much more helpful to look ahead to 2015 now, rather than look back over our shoulders at what has already happened. Sure, we can all learn from what we’ve done, but we expect you know what those lessons are yourselves.
According to marketing blogger Lizetta Staplefoote posting on visual.ly there are five major trends we should be paying attention to in 2015.
The first is:
• Micro-targeting
The crux of this is knowing your customer inside out. You need to understand your client persona and understand their needs, lifestyle and what motivates them. The more depth of understanding you have, the better you will be able to create relevant strategies.
The second is:
• Paid placements
This is a really important one and one that many social media colleagues have been emphasising the importance of in recent months. Social networks are going to increasingly move into paid media. This is already making it difficult to reach customers via ‘free’ posts via a brand Facebook page. If you don’t pay, nobody is going to see you. It can be difficult to get clients to understand this when they have been used to finding fans for free.
The key to making paid for placements work is to decide which social media channels work best for you. And monitor everything. Who reads you, when do they read you and where do they read you? Some people may read a blog post on LinkedIn but prefer to watch a video on Facebook.
The third is:
• Master the mobile – it’s going to dominate the market
Your customers want an integrated digital experience on mobile technology. Omnichannel is the buzzword of the moment – particularly with retailers- but it is a technology that increasingly appeals to other brands. IBM and Amex both use omnichannel experience to connect with B2B customers.
An omnichannel is a method of providing continuity of customer service through both digital and offline experiences. For example, in retailing, buying online in the shop via iPad stations as well as online at home, is an example of an omnichannel experience.
The fourth is:
• Use More Marketing Automation Tools
This includes learning new tools for CRM, email marketing, content marketing, SEO and analytics. Research suggests that getting to grips with the new tools can increase conversion by 50%. It is also suggested that there will be a lot of new jobs out there for people who will be known as ‘marketing technologists.’ These people will understand the full range of technology available and how to use it to get results.
The fifth is:
• The Need For Quality Content = A Need For More Professional Writers
It seems that the future for writers in 2015 is going to just as blessed as it was in 2014. Many writers are coming to terms with the unfamiliar feeling of being in such demand and it would appear that there’s going to be no easing off.
Brands are becoming publishers and they will need compelling writing that is written for a brand’s well-defined audience. General content won’t do any more. If you can’t afford in-house writers use freelancers and let the in-house content team focus on content strategy, placement and analytics. Brief writers thoroughly and have style guides in place. Make sure everyone is one the same page about what you’re trying to accomplish.
Well, there are a few things for you to think about when working on your 2015 plans.
If you’d like help with content or social media, contact Jade Thompson on +34 951 316 553 or email info@peppermintcreate.com