6 Marketing Musts in 2018

Trends marketers must know mean budgets may change to accommodate them. On Sunday, a marketing influencer listed a few in his Forbes.com article. Here’s what John Hall — CEO of Influence & Co., a keynote speaker and the author of "Top of Mind" — suggested marketers keep in mind in 2018. Fund Content Marketing Distribution Marketers already have the content and are continuing to create. Hall says the problem is customers aren’t seeing it. He says: “The solution to that problem isn't to create content at an even faster pace. Instead, you've got to think about how you can distribute your content better than anyone else in your space. This goes beyond social shares, especially as Facebook's organic reach is dropping significantly. Particularly in 2018, it's crucial to put together a comprehensive content distribution strategy to get your message to the right people when they need it most.” Align Marketing, PR Budgets for Content Hall says the disciplines are blending. While Hall doesn’t say so, this is especially true in content marketing. Syndication, branded content, native advertising and more need to get attention from both skill sets, in what Hall calls “new tactics that build mutually beneficial relationships with media partners and shared audiences. Modern PR allows you to reach and quickly build trust with new audiences through a greater focus on actual value to those readers — not just to your own brand.” Enhanced Authenticity in Marketing Interestingly, Hall immediately mentions personalization. While Hall mentions face-to-face meetings enhancing personalization, that may not scale. What other marketers often suggest is listening tech that allows marketers to understand sentiment. (Simply putting customer names in emails isn’t enough.) Invest in Chatbots The ones consumers are using, like Facebook Messenger, keep users on their preferred platforms while they interact with marketers. Hall says this is great for brands. He adds: “Plus, the barrier to entry here is low, so consider testing a chatbot on your own team. There are some free tools out there to help you get started, and you can obviously put some spend behind other tools for different experiences. This simple investment can help you quickly engage your audience and nurture a more personalized relationship that keeps them coming back.” Budget for Voice Search Hall mentions voice search. Target Marketing Editor-in-Chief Thorin McGee loves to mention AI, as well. Either way, these types of searches are displacing text search. Hall writes: More consumers are going off-screen and relying on voice-activated personal assistants to search for information, with some analysts estimating that as much as 50 percent of all searches will be conducted through voice by 2020. Your marketing messages need to be crafted with voice search in mind, which means targeting long-tail keywords and featured snippets. Spend on Video Marketing Auto marketers say the medium conveys emotion. Others say it aids in storytelling. Hall simply says this channel isn’t going away. He says: “Fifty-five percent of people consume video content thoroughly, and by 2020, online videos will account for more than 80 percent of all consumer internet traffic.” What do you think, marketers? Please respond in the comments section below.

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6 Marketing Musts in 2018

Fund Content Marketing Distribution

Heather Fletcher

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Heather Fletcher