Top 5 Digital Marketing Trends Expected to Grow in 2015

It is no secret that Digital Marketing has undergone a significant transformation over the last few years. Digital Marketing is becoming critical for businesses due to customers spending more and more time online determining which products or services are the best for them. Changes and advancements in Digital Marketing are accelerating and it can be hard to keep up. If you thought 2014 was full of surprises, wait until you see what 2015 has in store.

1. Content Marketing is Key
According to The Content Marketing Institute, “Content marketing is a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly-defined audience – and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action.” But why is so much emphasis being placed on Content Marketing lately? Because it’s showing positive results. Companies are now establishing authority and gaining the trust of customers by consistently creating valuable content without selling. Instead of pitching their product or service to customers, companies are now delivering information that makes buyers more knowledgeable. The idea is as companies deliver consistent, ongoing valuable information to buyers they will ultimately be rewarded with business and loyalty. The growth of Content Marketing also suggests that traditional marketing techniques like TV ads and radio ads are becoming less effective. Marketing efforts now rely on tested solutions and companies pay more attention to customer experience and present content in a more emphatic, client-oriented way. However, a major struggle for many companies is finding creative ways to stand out among the competition.

2. Video Marketing & Visual Storytelling
During the last few years we have seen the use of videos for marketing purposes steadily growing. Videos are perfect to show how a service or product works in such a way that is impossible to achieve with text or images alone. YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, and Vine play a greater role in content marketing strategies, but visual storytelling pieces like infographics and data visualizations do too. Visual Storytelling can be a perfect medium to help a company’s message stand out from the crowd and nurture engaged consumers. Together with heightened use of videos and visual stories crafted for marketing purposes, companies will inspire emotions and send a clear message about the brand to consumers.

3. Diversity in Social Media
Companies are now provided with an assortment of social media platforms that allow them to produce engaging content and build their audiences across more channels than ever before. Facebook is still the predominant social network for the vast majority of ecommerce businesses (with 1.3 billion users – and growing). However, as important as Facebook is, it should not be the only social media platform used to engage your customers or potential customers. Why? It is common today for businesses to branch out and experiment with multiple networks. By diversifying, businesses are seeing positive results from their investments in social media, including more opportunities to reach different audiences – and ultimately giving the business a solid foundation.

4. Mobile Optimization
The importance of mobile will grow in each and every aspect of business, including Digital Marketing. Many believe that the mobile web will become bigger than desktop usage in 2015. Due to the widespread use of smartphones and tablets, most analysts agree that companies will have to put more thought into leveraging mobile technology in order to create an experience that serves the consumers needs. Otherwise, it is easy to lose customers to competitors who have adapted to this trend. As the shift from traditional PCs and laptops to mobile devices continues, businesses that aren’t onboard are likely to suffer.

5. Marketing Analytics
Marketers already use dozens of analytic tools in order to see how customers interact with their company’s products or services. The importance of marketing analytics will rise in 2015, when companies spending for analytics will rise by 60% and 73% over the next three years. Accurate marketing metrics and analytics provide critical insights into which marketing campaigns actually influence pipeline and revenue. Campaigns help convert leads and really help align company’s sales and marketing processes. Bottom line is without accurate analytics it is impossible to tell what is really working from a marketing perspective.

These are the Top 5 Digital Marketing trends we expect to grow in 2015! Feel free to add to this list if you have any another expectations. We are always excited to hear your thoughts!