The complexity of digital marketing is expected to increase as new technologies and platforms emerge. Marketers are currently dealing with the challenge of managing various channels like organic and paid search, social media, display, and email marketing. The B2B customer lifecycle presents opportunities for using these channels to generate leads, nurture them, and encourage purchases. However, it also poses the challenge of constantly managing marketing activities to maximize conversion amidst stiff competition.
Every year, Smart Insights reviews current trends to provide advice on how marketers can leverage the latest developments. This year, the company partnered with the organisers of the Technology for Marketing (TFM) and E-commerce Expo events to survey the latest trends in managing digital marketing and the latest technology. The survey had 403 respondents, mostly from the UK and the US, and over three quarters were at the manager level.
The report is structured around pillars for future success in digital marketing as defined by Smart Insights. It offers a comparison of one’s use of digital marketing against several factors. These include the digital marketing capabilities that need most improvement, the top-performing digital media, applications of marketing technology including different types of AI, the use of personalization and targeting to improve website effectiveness, the use of different types of messaging, and the trends in popularity of different content formats for B2B vs B2C.
Given the complexity of digital marketing, it is useful to simplify by reviewing the main areas of marketing investment and the success factors for gaining return on this investment. The research reviewed how these activities are managed by asking marketers for their views. This provides a comprehensive view of the future of digital marketing that is relevant to businesses of all types.
Considering the current and future importance of digital marketing, it is best to use a strategic approach. This ensures that digital marketing activities and investments are prioritized, costed, and integrated with marketing and brand strategy. Shockingly, nearly half of businesses do not have a digital marketing strategy, even though they are doing digital marketing. Over the past fifteen years, the percentage of businesses without a planned approach has remained similar. This suggests significant barriers to integrating planning in organizations.
Key Takeaways:
- The complexity of digital marketing is increasing due to the emergence of new technologies and platforms, requiring marketers to track multiple channels such as organic and paid search, social media, display, and email marketing.
- Research conducted by Smart Insights and the Technology for Marketing (TFM) and E-commerce Expo events indicates that marketers need to improve their digital marketing capabilities, utilize top-performing digital media, and apply marketing technology including different types of AI for future success.
- Despite the importance of a strategic approach to digital marketing, nearly half of businesses do not have a digital marketing strategy, indicating significant barriers to integrating planning in organizations.
“Digital marketing today is complex and it’s inevitable it will get more complex in the future as new technologies and platforms emerge. Marketers also have to contend with the complexity of the many channels we need to track in our analytics such as organic and paid search, social media, display, and email marketing.”
More details: https://www.smartinsights.com/digital-marketing-strategy/digital-strategy-development/digital-marketing-trends-2024/
