As a marketing leader, your primary goal is to ensure your campaigns connect with the intended target market. This task is easier said than done in a world of shrinking consumer attention spans and competing digital communication channels.
However, modern marketing is ever-evolving, and certain changes in trends and tools could make a big difference for marketers who want to improve their reach and see more results. Below, nine Rolling Stone Culture Council members explore some key shifts in the digital marketing realm that could help companies better connect with their audiences.
Creating and Tracking Ads Without Third Parties
It would be nice to see platforms find an easier way to create and track ads without as many third-party needs involved. It’s annoying to require numerous sites, logins and processes taking place when you could have an easy, flowing process to reach an audience. – Chris Bianchi, CB Entertainment
Ditching Automated Emails
I wish people would stop using automated email content. Messaging done this way is often rife with errors — from forgetting to insert a contact name to writing something that is out of sync with where the customer is in the cycle. It’s the quickest way to make a potential lead or customer feel like one of a million instead of one in a million. – Vanessa Nornberg, Metal Mafia
Adopting AI (With Caution)
We must adopt AI while mitigating the risks. Plagiarism and fake news are just two issues. A famous author’s work might be included in content without attribution, so it requires fact-checking. Yet, opportunities are vast. Take real-time personalization. It’s powerful when a customer’s preferences can inform which social posts or web links to include in their feed. – Jason Fiber, THX
Catering Advertising to Those Over 50
I’d like to see more advertising targeted at people over the age of 50. Some digital platforms treat everyone 65 and older like one big demographic group — I’d like to see more influencers in my age range. My generation has a huge influence on both consumer and business spending, and yet most advertising features models my daughter’s age! – Nancy A Shenker, theONswitch
Relying on Skilled Industry Experts
It would be more effective to hear directly from real people skilled in the fields that interest a company’s target market. One trap digital marketing can fall into is needing a strategy rooted in expertise and then relying on gimmicks, which only water down the opportunity to educate and inform your niche. – Andy Hale, Hale & Monico
Creating a More Personalized Experience
I would like to see a shift away from traditional advertising and toward creative, personalized content. Companies can connect emotionally with customers by creating content tailored to a target audience’s needs. They can also educate customers about a product or service, build brand loyalty and increase conversions by providing customers with the information they need to make informed decisions. – Kristin Marquet, Marquet Media, LLC
Focusing on Less Saturation and More Respect
“Less is more” has been proven to be effective for decades. It is time to treat digital marketing as if we are communicating with our new best friends. We should be respectful and courteous to someone having a life, and of what and how much we say or do. It is more human, and I think people will follow and engage with your brand more. – Susan Johnston, New Media Film Festival®
Digital marketing could use a higher level of focus and intention around diversity, equity and inclusion. Marketers tell stories that inform everything from purchase decisions and daily habits to even language and culture. We’re going to start seeing consumers grow even more conscious of the brands they interact with, and brands that don’t answer the call for increased DEI effort will get left behind. – Dan Serard, Cannabis Creative Group
Making Educational Content Entertaining
It would be great to see more digital marketing that creates space for exploration and education that can also be entertaining and relevant. When marketing is rooted in expertise and passion, its authenticity shines through and people are inspired to return for more. – Cynthia Johnson, Bell + Ivy
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