Marketing News Roundup: Digital Spending Record, AI/ML, Interactive, Meaningful Marketing & Deadlines
If you’re looking to catch up with some useful news from the world of marketing, you’ve come to the right place! Here’s some of what’s hot:
US digital marketing spending will top traditional for the first time
“US digital ad spend in 2019 will surpass all traditional advertising for the first time, growing to $129.3 billion, according to eMarketer’s latest forecast,” reports James Hercher at Ad Exchanger. “Digital advertising is being driven by mobile, which is now more than two-thirds of the digital category, and by TV dollars moving to streaming and online video.” Hercher notes that Google is predicted to account for 37.2% of all digital advertising in 2019.
Growing role for AI and ML in content marketing
“Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are poised to revolutionize content marketing operations,” writes Mark Stiles at CMS Wire. “At some point soon, the conversation will stop revolving around whether you should use these technologies and will be about whether you were an early or late-adopter and what the resulting impact is to your business. Since machine learning at its core is about learning, the sooner you can embed it into your internal process, the more time the technology will have to become proficient in your specific business operations.”
Principles of inclusive marketing
“Inclusive marketing means creating content that truly reflects the diverse communities that your company serves,” writes Michael Peachey at Marketing Interactive. “As marketers, our responsibility is to relay our brands’ messaging in a way that resonates with people from all backgrounds, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender identity, age, religion, ability, sexual orientation, or otherwise.” Ensuring inclusivity starts by making sure your tone is appropriate and your use of language is intentional, Peachy advises. It also requires marketers to represent all their audiences in materials, pay attention to context, avoid cultural appropriation, and counter stereotypes whenever possible, he writes.
Use interactive marketing to engage the senses
“Interactive content is highly effective because it connects users with a brand on multiple levels,” writes Deep Patel at Forbes. “It provides a creative and unique experience that is personalized to each user – this means it keeps their attention longer, increases excitement, and they’ll be more likely to seek it out.” Patel examines five interactive marketing trends in his piece: assessments, quizzes, and calculators; interactive, gamified video; augmented reality; 360-degree video; and voice-activated technology. “These interactive campaigns work best when they incorporate a multimedia approach,” he writes. “The more ways you can engage a person’s senses, the more immersive the experience will be.”
The fundamentals of meaningful marketing
At AdWeek, Jeff Tammes encourages marketers to “go beyond storytelling to create work that positively impacts people while positively impacting revenue. To not just move them, but to support, inspire, and provoke action.” He suggests that success with meaningful marketing begins by identifying gaps in the marketplace (aka “pain points”); requires a laser focus on what your brand stands for; necessitates that all your stakeholders have input into bringing your concept to life, and necessitates a commitment to the goal.
Leverage your deadlines for email-marketing success
“Deadlines are critical for achieving small or large objectives,” writes Kevin George at Business 2 Community, in a post that provides seven suggestions for email marketers who want to ensure deadlines work for them, rather than against them. George suggests email marketers begin by creating goals for their campaigns, develop campaign calendars, be consistent in their approach to campaigns, plan and create content well in advance of send dates, make strategic use of design, and use email automation tools.