Change is inevitable in every industry, but it’s a force of nature within the marketing industry. The field has gone through a metamorphosis over the last decade alone, emerging on the other side almost unrecognizable from how it started. I don’t know about you, but this is part of what I love about it. New marketing trends are always on the rise, and the businesses that thrive are the ones that are evolving with marketing. Here’s a look at what’s been changing most recently, and where I think our industry is headed next.
The Customer Is Everything
The old adage used to go that “the customer is always right.” But in marketing today, the customer has transcended above this mentality and taken center stage in every single capacity. Marketers are truly caring about their buyers, taking time and spending money to better understand their wants and needs. Customer experience isn’t just something lightly discussed in passing; there are entire roles dedicated to it, and it’s become a key driver of marketing efforts.
Furthermore, even the law is being changed in an effort to put consumers first. Specifically, privacy laws have been updated, becoming more stringent around protecting customer data. This has prompted sweeping changes in advertising, including a shift away from individual-focused to cohort-based targeting. I fully expect to see these trends continue and deepen – and rightly so.
Socially Conscious
People are social creatures, which is why it’s not surprising that marketing gets more and more socially driven with every passing year. For one, social media platforms have proven their longevity and power from an advertising perspective, which of course has inspired the creation of more platforms all the time. I expect this won’t slow down anytime soon (if ever), but my advice? Wait to see proof of a strong business case before investing into marketing on emerging platforms.
Second, online reviews and ratings have become the gold standard in building consumer trust. This is a form of social proof and its importance must be interwoven into marketing strategies in order to compete today and in the future.
Third, consumers are looking to support brands that are cause-oriented. If you have a social cause or greater purpose beyond profit, incorporating those messages into your marketing can help you win over a greater customer base. This will continue to grow in importance.
Accelerated Technology
Least shocking of all is the fact that tech just keeps getting bigger, better and more integral to every area of our lives, including business and marketing. Chatbots and AI are being used in more applications, and will only continue to be more fully embraced.
Furthermore, the plethora of available marketing and data systems on the market is only going to continue growing. Relatively newer approaches, like account-based marketing for B2B, spur the creation of more software solutions and categories within marketing as data drives more and more decisions.
Personally, I’m a fan of all of these changes and eager to see what comes next. What are your favorite marketing evolutions? What do you predict will be the next big wave in our field? I’d love to hear from you.
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