2017 – Best Practice (Top Marketing Tips)

First of all… Can you believe 2017 is here!!2017 Just Ahead Green Road Sign Against Clouds

With 2017 less than a month away, it’s time to start thinking about your overall 2017 integrated marketing strategy and how to get the most out of your efforts.

With this in mind, we’ve pulled together a list of seven imperative digital marketing trends that should be considered by all when thinking about next year’s strategy.

(#7 – this may be the most difficult one of all.)

For more insights and data points to drive more value from your social media spend and digital efforts, just drop us an email or give us a call… We are happy to help.

No source is more richly abundant with marketing and consumer trends than M2 Digital Media Group and it’s committed fulfillment team who can draw upon comprehensive plans (with verified research) to uncover the most piercing insights shaping 2017 trends.

That said, let’s dive right in.

Insight #1: Prepare for Cross-Device Marketing – and Quickly.

DMA’s SFB reports that the average consumer is now connected through five addressable devices, breeding opportunities and headaches of equal proportion for marketers. Kevin Dean, President of Experian Marketing Services, writes in the Statistical Fact Book about the challenges of marketing across multiple devices. “The marketer not only has to recognize the same consumer…but also must track any actions the consumer takes,” Dean wrote. However, graduating to cross-device communication may be a hurdle for some marketers, as 69% say they do not have data alignment within their companies according to DMA’s SFB.

Insight #2: Invest Big on Social Analytics, Then on Social Budgets

Last week, DMA reported that social media in still in its infancy. Before anyone gives us credit for provocative perspectives, we’re somewhat stating the obvious about the great opportunities still presented by social media. 70% of companies are still not collecting data from social media channels. This gap will close this year given that 47% of marketers say that social channels offer the greatest opportunities in the next two months. That’s compared to 37% who see email and websites as the hotbed of opportunity followed by 26% for SEO. They’re backing up those expectations with their budgets. According to the DMA SFB, social media will grow to 24% of marketing budgets within five years, up from 10% today.

Insight #3: Double Down on Video

Video rules, and it’s taking over the social media landscape with 4 times as many consumers preferring digestible video content over text. Marketers are picking up on the trend as well, with 69% of marketers saying their budget on video content is “increasing” or “significantly increasing.” Another accelerator of video is the explosion of programmatic video, projected to be 2/3 of total digital video spending in the U.S. by 2019. Marketers that bet and budget right will outpace their competitors in delivering ads that are more timely, relevant and responsive to consumer interests.

Insight #4: Triple Down on Programmatic

The use of programmatic ads isn’t just growing on the video side, it’s now representing a larger portion of the overall advertising market. Programmatic continues to grow faster than content of audience-based advertising, capturing 50% of all spending in display advertising. Mobile programmatic spend is also increasing drastically, moving from 43% of total programmatic spend in 2014 to 69% in 2016. DMA Board Member and CEO of MediaMath Joe Zawadzki said greater adoption of a programmatic-first approach is all about “delivering a more seamless, relevant user experience that drives true outcome-based results.”

Insight #5: Market to Customer – especially Millennials – In-store

With 80% of millennials using their phone in-store and 74% of millennials willing to receive location
based mobile alerts, marketers have a tremendous opportunity to provide relevant offers to their customers directly on their phones. For example, Target’s rewards app presents offers to customers as they walk through their stores’ various departments. With advancements in beacon technology, marketers can place precisely relevant offers directly in the hands of their customers.

Insight #6: Mobile is a Moving Target

Currently 4 out of 5 Americans carry a smartphone with them every day (compared to 3 of 5 globally). While smartphones are not likely to be obsolete anytime soon, they may be outpaced soon. DMA’s SFB projects that by the end of 2016, one out of every four U.S. consumers will be using a wearable device. What’s that mean for marketers and 2017 planning and budgets? That they need to be prepared to produce and distribute content to fit the format, the channel, the time and the place for their current and target customers.

Insight #7: Talent Game Plan Recalibration

Over 30% of executive say “lack of skills” and “lack of human resources” are holding them back from improving data quality. But how can marketers determine where to invest in the proper talent? According to DMA’s SFB, the top marketing talent being hired today is in web design (23%) and mobile & app development (14%). Investment in technical acumen will ensure marketers can leverage the data and technologies to reach their customer effectively and efficiently.

CONCLUSION:

If you are still not clear how to utilize this information, what’s holding you back?

If you have questions, JUST ASK!! We would be happy to help…

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