A new year is a time of forecasting and predictions…
We look back on what happened in the previous year, what surprised us, what developed as we expected and what we think will continue to influence in the next year. As we consider the marketing technology developments ahead, we are excited about some groundbreaking topics and some bubbling opportunities for businesses like yours to take advantage of. Here are a few things we have our eyes on:
Voice Technology
By now, we’ve seen and heard enough commercials letting us know we can say “Ok Google…” or “Alexa…” and we’ve all known Siri for a while. With this deluge of voice activated devices living in and controlling our homes and businesses comes increased voice relevancy. More and more people are searching the internet using their voice rather typing with their hands. Often times, this means more conversational style search phrases and longer phrases. It’s time to gear your content and SEO toward voice. (Natural SEO was a topic that came up recently in our Facebook Live video.)
Cryptocurrency
This is the year of the globalized payments option. With the explosion of Bitcoin and in-app payment options, people expect to be able to pay for products and services using their preferred economy and payment tool. Brands will need to start accepting more payment services and allowing for a broader spectrum of options. (Want to learn more? Here’s an article from Forbes about cryptocurrency.)
User Engagement
We talked recently about the importance of user experience and that individual-focused marketing is becoming more and more relevant. As developments in artificial intelligence and machine learning come along, consumers expect more from the technology they interact with. For instance, users are increasingly expecting live chat boxes on websites to be natural and accurate. The more artificial intelligence grows, the more it becomes about real people. Brands need to integrate machine learning that gives them relevant and timely information about their consumers, so they can create meaningful engagement.
More Data, More Processing, More Reporting
As more big data becomes available to companies, the challenge will be in processing that data in meaningful ways. This may mean filtering out certain information that is irrelevant to marketing and sales, while channeling the data that is important. It also requires and allows for different departments, such as sales and marketing, to come together and share information that is mutually beneficial through accurate reporting.
Augmented Reality
Virtual reality, though interesting, has not made much of a foothold in marketing technology. However, it has led the way for augmented reality. In late 2017, Apple announced augmented reality features in its iPhone 8 and iPhone X releases. Brands hopped on board to create interactive apps, which are both fun and newsworthy, as well as sales-driven, as they allow customers to “see” items in the real world around them, before they buy. We expect to see even more in 2018.
Change is coming…
We are excited about all the new marketing technology opportunities that lie ahead – and can’t wait to see what brands, both large and small, do with them. If there are features or updates you are looking to integrate into your website or online space, feel free to get in touch with us. We would love to help you connect with your customers in engaging and impactful ways this year. Keep an eye out throughout the year as we will be digging deep into each of these topics.