IBM’s recent global study of over 1,700 CMO’s proved what many had long suspected – companies across the world are struggling to keep up with the ever-changing media environment. It seems as if a must-use platform debuts every week, and each one becomes the subject of industry analysis and debate before it ever reaches critical mass.
At the end of the day, what matters most is input and output: Is the price your company pays for marketing efforts worth the value of the outcome? As it has become increasingly measurable, ROI has become a key metric for marketers to prove the value of their efforts. As this infographic shows, consumers really do have myriad different options of how to take in and share content, so it’s important to use the most effective means across each channel.
Here are the top three areas where marketing is changing rapidly, and a few ideas that will help you keep up:
Content marketing is on the rise, with 91% of B2B marketers employing the technique according to a recent study. Surveys from the Content Marketing Institute show that the biggest problem most marketers encounter is producing enough content. However, as a marketer, your number one concern should not be creating content, but finding a way to engage people through the content you create. Step up your game in the next two areas we’ll highlight, and you’ll have no problem doing just that.
Ignoring social media is no longer an option for marketers. It has become an integral facet of customer service and brand health. This is both a blessing and a curse. Marketers no longer have to guess what consumer are thinking about their products. They can simply browse Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr. However, businesses have lost supreme control over how their brands are perceived. In the age of social media, there is no such thing as broadcasting – everything is a conversation.
A recent eMarketer study found that a majority of U.S. consumers want companies to listen to online conversations about their brands, so brands that want to master the changing media environment must also master the art of “speaking when spoken to” and engaging in natural, conversational ways. Staying up on the latest channels and finding new ways to leverage each unique platform is also essential. If you need a quick resource to help you get up to speed, be sure to check this post from last week.
While mobile web browsing continues to surpass that of desktop, spending on mobile advertising is still a small portion of overall digital budgets. Smart marketers need to pay attention to this trend and allocate their budgets accordingly in the months ahead.
Consumers use their phones or tablets to research prior to purchase, so it’s increasingly important that marketers make their mobile user experience a good one. Finding out what mobile tactics work for your target requires measurement. Unfortunately, there’s no industry standard to measure mobile marketing efficacy. But we can tell you about two key metrics: audience measurement and ad effectiveness. These are akin to awareness and purchase intent for traditional digital marketing.
