The following is a guest contributed post by Seamas Egan, Director of Marketing and Sales at Campaigner.
It’s officially time for marketers to conduct an annual review of the strategies and tactics they’ve implemented throughout the past year. As the pace of technology innovation continues to accelerate, it seems marketing undergoes a new transformation each month. It’s critical that marketers ensure they are equipped with tools and tactics to meet the dynamic challenges of digital marketing. By thoroughly analyzing and measuring how successful 2017’s campaigns were, marketers can make informed decisions about the tools and strategies they should use in 2018.
Campaigner recently conducted a survey about their 2017 strategies and proposed changes for 2018. Read on for the findings and tips that will help other marketers prepare for the year ahead.
Top-of-the-Class Social Media. Facebook Gets Top Marks as LinkedIn Gets Honorable Mention
Social media continues to prove itself as a critical medium for marketers with 73 percent listing it as a top strategy used in 2017. However, all social media platforms are not created equal. Tech behemoth Facebook received the most support from email marketers with 48 percent planning to invest in the site. Surprisingly, the more esoteric networking site LinkedIn will also attract greater attention from marketers, with 11 percent planning to invest.
At variance with Facebook and LinkedIn, Snap and Instagram aren’t inspiring that same confidence among marketers. In fact, only 1 percent of marketers will invest in Snap, and only 8 percent in Instagram, for 2018. Marketers should account for this as they allocate resources for the year ahead and shift their expectations toward platforms that have proved successful in the past, such as Facebook.
Predictive Analytics – Coming to You in 2018
While we’ve certainly all heard the phrase “predictive analytics” used within the marketing realm, it’s a concept that will begin making headwinds before we know it. Throughout the course of 2017, only a few businesses have truly experienced first-hand how predictive analytics is shaping up to be a great way to sell smarter and sell more.
As the year progresses, the applications of predictive analytics will come into focus as it pushes to the forefront of the digital marketing space. In fact, while only 5 percent of marketers implemented predictive analytics in 2017, 44 percent expect to see more of it in 2018. Marketers should take heed of this and be sure they’re shifting their budgets and staff toward digital development, especially when it comes to predictive tools to make smarter and more effective marketing decisions.
Content Over Everything
Throughout the course of 2017, content continued to be a critical marketing pillar for engaging subscribers. In fact, 81 percent of marketers noted they have used newsletters in their email marketing strategies, surpassing tips, infographics, videos, and slideshares in popularity.
When planning for 2018 marketers should make sure they are allocating funds to content development, specifically for newsletters. Crafted and relevant content must be a part of every marketing campaign, especially if marketers want to keep subscribers loyal to their brands. Email marketers can get a head start on 2018 by building a strong pipeline of newsletter content now to keep subscribers engaged throughout the course of the year.
In order to ensure a fruitful 2018, marketers should keep these findings and suggested best practices top of mind as they plan their campaign strategies for the year ahead. They should plan to hone in on Facebook and LinkedIn, incorporate predictive analytics for more targeted campaigns and focus on creating great content to keep readers coming back for more in the new year.
