The world of digital marketing continues to evolve faster than you can say, “What the heck is Twitch?” Adoption of certain tactics has been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Others are losing steam or facing new obstacles.
Is your head spinning yet? Relax. Take a deep breath. We’re here to ease your mind and narrow your focus. Here are three emerging digital marketing strategies you should be paying attention to right now:
LIVE VIDEO
This tactic gained momentum as stay-at-home orders were implemented, pushing companies to turn to a method to reach their customers that not long ago may have been an afterthought. No longer. Web traffic from live video is expected to grow 15-fold from 2017 to 2022, according to a 2019 study by Cisco.
Experian is a regular user of live video. The credit-reporting company holds weekly live video chats on Twitter, using the hashtag #creditchat, to discuss and educate people on credit and finance topics. Callaway Golf went behind the scenes with a live storytelling piece featuring the late, legendary golfer Arnold Palmer’s office.
The benefits of live video are numerous:
Versatility. From telehealth and simulating in-store sales experiences to product demonstrations and banking guidance, live video can be leveraged in a variety of useful ways.
Blended experience. Video marketing offers a personal connection one step beyond a phone call while offering the convenience of a digital platform that especially younger generations usually prefer.
Authenticity. A polished, produced video serves its purpose, but presenting your brand via live video, with its imperfections and off-the-cuff nature, can be a refreshing way to engage with your audience.
Immediacy. No waiting room, being put on hold or waiting for an email response.
OVER THE TOP / CONNECTED TV
First, let’s clarify these terms. Over the Top, or OTT, refers to streaming media services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime or Disney Plus. A connected TV is a television or device that connects to the Internet; think smart TV, Roku, Chromecast.
This is where the “cord cutters” can be reached as the switch to streaming surges on:
- Eighty percent of U.S. households own an Internet-connected TV device, up from 74% in 2019.
- Seventy-six percent of U.S. households with Internet subscribe to at least one OTT service, an increase from 72% in 2019.
Traditional cable/satellite TV is a dying breed, and its digital counterpart offers numerous advantages to marketers:
Reach your target audience easier. With the Internet comes data, and with data comes the ability to narrowly target your desired audience. Knowledge of viewing habits, demographics and geography offer a powerful way to put the right message in front of the right people while adhering to your budget.
Your ads will be seen. Streaming platforms generally don’t allow viewers to fast forward past advertisements, guaranteeing you an audience and boosting your ROI.
Analytics. Yep, more data. A variety of performance metrics will tell you how effective your advertising is and provide the opportunity to make adjustments to the messaging, platforms, schedule or budget. Flexibility equals better efficiency.
Marketo's personalized event invite
PERSONALIZATION
Personalization involves using data to precisely execute marketing tactics at a one-on-one level with consumers.
You’re surely familiar with personalized marketing in one of its most basic forms: You visit the Walmart website to look at digital cameras. You leave the Walmart site and are served ads for the cameras you viewed as you browse other websites or apps. This is known as retargeting. Other examples include:
- Using geotargeting to offer a discount on a nearby product or service based on a person’s physical location.
- Personalizing a product purchase confirmation email with complementary offers the customer might be interested in based on his or her location or original purchase.
The benefit is clear: As a consumer, I’m more likely to engage with a brand that is communicating with me directly and recognizes my specific needs. In fact, 80% of customers are more likely to do business with a brand offering personalized experiences.
Your website is a great place to execute personalized marketing. DoggyLoot personalizes its products based on your dog's attributes; a shih tzu isn't likely to be interested in the 5-pound rawhide a great Dane will shred up in a day.
Sign up for an account with the Shutterfly app, and it will access the photos on your phone containing faces and place them on items you can purchase, such as calendars and photobooks.
Marketo’s Marketing Nation Summit video invitation inserted invitees’ names into the iconic “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign.
So the question you need to ask yourself: How can my brand move beyond talking to a wide audience to engage with potential customers on a more individualized level?
Coming up empty? Not sure how your brand can incorporate live video or leverage OTT? Or maybe digital marketing in general is giving you a headache? 6AM Marketing can help you become a digital whiz. We can assist with all of your digital needs, from strategy and media planning to analytics and content development.
Learn more about our digital capabilities and read a few of our success stories: