The future of digital marketing has been laid out in a new infographic compiled by Borenstein Group, and there is some valuable insight for B2B marketers.
Here’s a breakdown of some of the most important digital marketing trends that B2B marketers should be aware of in 2015.
Electronic Payment Systems On The Rise
Electronic payment systems like PayPal and ApplePay, in combination with global marketing techniques and social media, make it possible for new products to overcome local boundaries and go global in the blink of an eye. Content sharing also plays a role since it can bring products to the attention of many more people in a much shorter time span.
Payment platforms are also growing year by year. PayPal for example, saw its annual revenue grow 19 percent from 2013 to 2014, and total payment volume also increase by 68 percent.
Social Media is the Message
A strong social media prescience is increasingly important, but the Borenstein study indicates that we will see more social media brand meltdowns in 2015. You don’t need to look far to find examples of misunderstood messages blowing up and putting a glaring black mark on a company’s image.
Mobile is becoming the primary medium that companies will use to reach customers, and with that naturally comes the social media channels that best reach people on their mobile devices.
Authentic and Sharable Content
Successful content in 2015 will be authentic, and highly sharable. Sharability means that it will have higher focus on visual content such as images and graphics, and a lower focus on text. In the B2B world, 39 percent of marketers share infographics frequently and the most important content elements in social media posts are images and photos. Also, 95 percent of B2B buyers prefer shorter contact formats, and the most common pieces of content they search for are white papers, case studies, and webinars.
Data Analytics the Way Forward
Big Data is becoming a major player in all types of marketing, and B2B is no exception. In 2015, marketers will look into using data analytics for making crucial advertising decisions. The Borenstein study referred to it as “the new psychology.” In the past, advertisers did rely on psychological principals to create powerful campaigns, but now we have tremendous scores of data that can be even more effective.
A report from Forbes indicates that leaders in data-driven marketing have a significant advantage over those who aren’t up the speed in this arena. The leaders obtained greater customer engagement and revenue in their campaigns.
These trends may come as no surprise, but it pays to be aware of them. To be competitive and successful in 2015, it is advisable to get on top of these trends and make the most of them.
