As we move further into the 21st century, technology is becoming more and more integrated into our everyday lives. This is notably true in the marketing world, where new technologies are emerging all the time to help businesses reach their ideal audiences in more innovative ways.  

Marketing technology is a phrase that you may have heard before but may not know what it means. Essentially, marketing technology is the umbrella term for all of the different tools and platforms that marketers use to do their jobs. This can include everything from social media management platforms to email marketing software. 

Marketing technology has grown significantly in recent years and will continue to do so, with some experts even predicting that the marketing world of tomorrow will be unrecognizable from today. With this in mind, we’ve put together a list of seven marketing trends and technologies that we think will play significant roles in the future of your business:

Personalization

Marketing used to be all about broadcasting messages to as wide an audience as possible. These days, however, personalization is one of the most talked-about (and desired) topics among marketers and business owners alike. Personalization involves tailoring marketing messages to the specific characteristics of each customer or user.

This can include sending a different email to each customer to show them slightly different landing pages when they arrive on your website from specific sources or devices. While personalization is by no means a new concept, the sheer volume of data that’s now being collected about customers and users has made it considerably easier for businesses to do this in recent years.

The aim here is not just to identify individual customers’ preferences but also to be able to learn about them over time so brands can provide experiences that are constantly tailored to their needs.

Many consumers are now getting very used to highly personalized content, thanks to the rise in popularity of services like Netflix and Spotify. As a result, companies are becoming more familiar with the need to deliver personalized experiences for their audiences.

Content Marketing

Content marketing is another tactic that’s becoming increasingly popular among businesses looking to promote themselves online. This term refers to the process of creating highly valuable content for your business and publishing it via various channels (e.g., your website, social media pages, eBooks, and so on).

The aim here is to create content of genuine interest or use to your target audience, hoping that it will encourage them to visit your website. The more engaging this content is, the more successful a content marketing strategy can be.

Many brands are now scheming for ways to provide more value to their audiences, and content marketing is one way of doing this. One of the most popular tools here is Google Analytics – an online service that helps marketers track data about visitor interactions with the content they’ve published online.

Social Media Marketing

Social media is changing how people interact with one another, and it’s also transforming how brands market their products. Social media marketing (SMM) is a term that describes the practice of using social networking platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to promote your business.

Using social media to market your company can take many forms, from publishing inspiring content on LinkedIn to creating a compelling Facebook page and regularly sharing interesting or valuable updates.

The focus here is usually on building connections with customers, so brands often try to create more personal relationships than in other forms of marketing. The rise in popularity of SMM has led to the emergence of social media management tools like Hootsuite, which aim to make it easier for brands to keep on top of their social media activity.

Chatbots

As bots become increasingly intelligent, they will likely play a more prominent role in how brands engage with customers online. Chatbots (also known as chatterbots) are computer programs that use artificial intelligence (AI) to simulate conversation with human users.

These chatbots are now being built into some of the world’s biggest messaging services, including Facebook Messenger and Skype. For example, if the client sends a message to a company through one of these platforms, they might receive an automated response from a chatbot rather than a human being.

So is this the future of customer service? Well, it’s certainly clear that chatbots will play a significant role in providing more personalized interactions between businesses and their customers. Still, more research is necessary before we can know for sure.

Here’s a great article that will further discuss chatbot marketing.

Augmented Reality (AR)

Augmented reality (AR) is a fascinating development that’s becoming increasingly popular among brands that are looking to engage with their audiences. This term refers to the process of overlaying digital information on top of real-world images.

For example, when a person uses their phone’s camera to take a picture of their local high street, that image might then be augmented with information about nearby shops and restaurants. This is possible due to a technology known as computer vision, which allows smartphones and other devices to recognize real-world objects using their cameras.

AR isn’t as widely used as some other marketing strategies mentioned here. Still, it has been embraced by some brands looking to provide a more interactive experience for their customers.

AR can also be combined with facial recognition software to enhance users’ engagement with certain forms of content.

Virtual Reality (VR)

Like augmented reality, virtual reality (VR) is another technology receiving increasing attention from brands. This term refers to using headsets to create 3D environments that users can explore while wearing the device.

These headsets are often connected to PCs or smartphones to provide users with access to content that has been specially produced for these immersive environments.

Although VR can be used for a wide range of applications, it’s also finding favor among brands looking to create more engaging marketing campaigns. Many businesses are now trying out VR technology to give customers an ‘inside look’ at what they do or how their products are made – especially if said businesses require people to visit their stores to see the products firsthand.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial intelligence (AI) is another fascinating development that’s set to play a big role in digital marketing in the coming years. This term refers to the process of using software programs and other technologies to mimic human intelligence.

The main goal here is for AI systems to complete tasks that typically require human input – such as processing information or learning from experience.

In the marketing world, AI is most likely to be used in conjunction with chatbots and other forms of automation software. Using machine learning algorithms to make sense of large volumes of customer data makes it possible for brands to better understand their target demographics and offer more personalized services.

Summing It Up

The possibilities offered by marketing technology are almost endless. While some of the strategies mentioned here are already being used in various forms, there’s no telling what might be possible in the future.

Each of these trends has the potential to help businesses achieve their goals in terms of customer engagement, lead generation, and even brand advocacy. So if you’re eyeing to stay ahead of the curve, make sure to incorporate at least one or two of them into your marketing strategy this year. It’s important to keep an eye on these developments and make sure your business is ready to make the most of new technologies as they emerge.