Marketing a small business has gotten much more complicated with the introduction of the internet, social media, websites, ecommerce and other digital tools. The new infographic by MDG Advertising has five marketing trends you should be watching out for in 2018.
Titled, “5 Big Marketing Trends to Watch in 2018,” MDG’s infographic provides the tools and techniques marketers will benefit from in the coming year. As expected, technology plays a huge role in these strategies.
What this means for small businesses is they can also adopt the recommendations made by MDG. One of the benefits of digital technology is you don’t have to be a large enterprise to leverage the full capability of digital solutions.
In the blog, MDG says, “Marketers who embrace nuanced strategies and new approaches, — such as micro-influencers, data-driven personalization, AI, and AR — will thrive not just in 2018, but also long beyond.”
The data for the infographic was sourced from Salesforce, Adobe, Interactive Advertising Bureau, MarketingProfs, Contact Marketing Institute, Brightcove, Mediakix, HelloSociety, AdWeek, and Influence.co. This has resulted in a very informative report about the technology, tools and strategies for successfully marketing your small business in 2018.
2018 Marketing Trends for Small Businesses
Here are the 2018 marketing trends for small businesses identified in the report.
Micro-Influencer Campaigns
Instead of marketing with macro-influencers with millions of followers, MGD suggests taking a look at micro-influencers with followers under 100,000. Why? It’s because more people relate to real people than to superstars. For example, 70 percent of YouTube subscribers say they relate better to channel creators than to celebrities.
When it comes to cost, going with micro-influencers is much cheaper. Compared to the $271 micro-influencers charge, on average, to share a sponsored post, the number goes all the way up to $800, on average, for macro-influencers.
Data-Driven Personalization
Personalized marketing is now expected by consumers, and according to MDG, 86 percent of marketers believe personalization is not an overhyped idea. With all the available information in today’s digital ecosystem, it is much easier to deliver personalized campaigns, even for small businesses.
Proper data management, powerful CRM systems and marketing analytics tools are some of the technologies making this possible.
Augmented Reality Experiences
With a combined market forecast to be worth $692 billion by 2025, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are also technologies marketers should be considering. MDG suggests these technologies can help marketers to showcase their products and services, engage with audiences and deliver relevant and valuable information across different verticals.
AI-Powered Efficiency
The efficiency of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is improving the way businesses run their organizations. So applying this technology to marketing is also a natural step. The report identifies AI as the Holy Grail for marketers because it makes offerings more effective, boosts productivity and delivers richer insights.
Customer Journey Mapping
Keeping track of the customer journey has been a labor-intensive effort. According to MDG, in 2018 marketers will have the tools and technology to monitor the customer journey across multiple touchpoints. But more importantly, marketers must use this technology to better understand the role the customer journey plays.
Takeaway from the Report
The key takeaway from the report is the importance of embracing new technologies and using them effectively. This not only applies to marketing but also every area of your business operations.
For more from the MDG Advertising research, have a look at the infographic below.
This article, "Research Identifies 5 New Marketing Trends Your Small Business Should Consider (INFOGRAPHIC)" was first published on Small Business Trends
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