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Technology and marketing tools are constantly evolving, and to remain current and gain a competitive edge, it’s essential to keep up-to-date with the latest developments. And, this knowledge will help you discover new ways to grow your business, generate leads and enhance your relationships with your existing customer base.
Last year there was a lot of noise around augmented reality, the increase of video and rich content, voice recognition software and influencer marketing, but are you up-to-speed with how to utilise these advancements correctly? And what are the other emerging trends you need to know about now?
We’ve seen that it takes an average of five years for a new marketing concept to become mainstream and fully understood by marketers. For example, take account-based marketing (ABM). We saw email marketing grow in popularity in 2000, marketing automation develop in 2005, predictive marketing come into play in 2010, and ABM in 2015.
So, to help you stay ahead of the curve, we’ve rounded-up the trends you need to know about this year.
The low-down…
1. Say hello to voice marketing
“Hi Siri”, “Hello Alexa” and “OK Google” – voice recognition software has become a common feature in our everyday lives. And, last year research revealed that at least 41% of adults conduct at least one voice search daily, and Google’s voice recognition accuracy rate now exceeds 95% of the English language.
But how does this impact your marketing activity? With today’s consumers actively using it, it’s essential that businesses do the same, to give their customers what they want. A few ways businesses are using voice recognition software is for web ads as an alternative to text, to automate customer call services, hospitality and leisure sectors are using it to create virtual assistants for guests, and businesses are ensuring they are searchable on Google via voice.
2. Augmented reality
Augmented reality (AR) is being used to change the way businesses operate and it allows consumers to visualise and imagine what it might feel like to own a product or experience a service before actually purchasing it.
Gatwick airport utilised the technology through its passenger app that helps passengers use AR maps on mobile devices to navigate through the airport, to improve its traffic flow. Other businesses that have taken advantage have been Ikea with its Ikea Place app that helps its customers see what its furniture will be like in their own space before purchasing its furniture, and Dulux, with its Dulux Visualiser app that helps consumers try out a shade of paint in a room before they buy a whole tin of it.
3. Predictive analytics and machine learning
Whilst the process of gathering and storing lots of data has been happening for a long time, it’s only recently that businesses have started using it effectively.
Predictive analytics technology looks at a set of data – that is already known – and makes an accurate guess at something which will happen in the future. And, it provides real-time analysis that gives companies insight into trends and outcomes of their processes.
So what benefits can your business gain by using this tech? You’ll be able to improve your sales processes with better lead scoring, boost your marketing efforts with cheaper, more effective ads, build models of buyer behaviour to understand your customers’ journeys, and streamline your internal operations and set achievable growth targets.
