2014 is well underway and it is important to be aware of the digital trends that are set to take 2014 by storm. The digital space is always evolving, and it is important to identify and define digital technologies and marketing techniques so as to give your company opportunity to grow the business. It is important to ask which trends will give your company an advantage and potentially translate into commercial benefits. In this post, we highlight three trends that you need to be on the lookout for to reap the most benefits in the digital space: Real-Time Marketing, Creating Youtility, and Empowering Employees & Fans.
What is Real-Time Marketing? Some call it “Agile Marketing”, while others often opt for “Marketing in the moment”. Whatever title you give it, RTM is really about process; flow and shift. It is a process that requires brand relevant content, that is not an advertising campaign, but rather an ongoing process with no start or end date. Real Time Marketing has been defined as: “using data analytics with a process flow to shift marketing messaging in real time or near real time.” The main aim of RTM is facilitate a shift in your marketing message, usually informed by data analytics; no shift in brand messaging means the “real time” element is none existent.
“Youtility” is a term coined by author Jay Baer. According to Baer, youtility “is marketing so useful, people would pay for it.” You create Youtility through the three Cs; that is: care, context, and creativity. Listen to your customers and interact with them; in this digital era, customer service is front and centre, and a two-way dialogue is mandatory. Companies are no longer passively sitting back, but rather are proactive in their innovations and actions, with interactions leading proactive companies to product innovation, different marketing techniques, and sales.
Empower your fans. Allow your fans to tell your brand story in the digital realm. Fans enjoy seeing creative content they’ve had a hand in creating.
The above points cover “always-on” marketing trends. The aim is to give your brand, and indeed your fans, a means of telling your brand story through the digital medium, providing creative marketing and product innovation through the art of fans engagement.