The marketing landscape has seen a tremendous shift in the last five years, largely due to data aggregation, and 2018 will be no different as communicators continue to gain a greater and increasingly granular understanding of customers.
Marketers have become proficient in gathering performance and consumer data through a wide variety of online experiences. These insights have enabled organizations to provide more relevant content throughout every stage of the sales funnel -- from the awareness stage all the way to the conversion stage. In the past, audience data metrics, informed by Google and Facebook analytics, could be applied effectively in organic social media content. But the days of free content are in the past as the industry has moved to a pay-to-play approach to reaching consumers.
Boosting content is an easy way to gather impressions, but the ease of the process means that marketers have, in some senses, lost the creativity that was once required to set a brand apart. The inspiring ads of yesteryear have been replaced with an intense focus on metrics, resulting in ads that are persistent and targeted but unwanted. All of the ad blockers available today speak to this.
But now there’s a shift. What used to be good indicators of engagement (targeted impressions, likes, comments and shares) are no longer highly valued as the means by which someone is converted to a customer. It’s about building sustained, long-term relationships and serving up the perfect personalized ad exactly when consumers are ready to see it and ready to buy.
Retargeting will continue to be useful, but marketers need to move full-speed ahead into all-out personalization in the coming years to have any lasting impact on consumers. According to Forrester, more marketers will take on expanded roles in 2018 and forward-thinking brands will "surge ahead of their peers by fully embracing customer-obsessed marketing."
This shift brings back some of the creativity and inspiration that was lost in the world of retargeting and simple data aggregation. As the way marketers gather data continues to evolve and consumers become increasingly expectant of relevant recommendations, organizations will be forced to get creative once again as they play with highly personalized content and tools.
Walk the 1:1 personalization walk.
According to Accenture research, 75% of consumers have a higher likelihood of buying when they receive personalized recommendations based on individual preferences. Hyper-personalization will become even more of a trend in 2018 and businesses and organizations will do well to start incorporating it now. Although this evolution will call for more creativity and, admittedly, some hard work on the marketer’s side, the reward of a customer that buys again and again will speak for itself.
Some sites that are already doing this well are Netflix, YouTube and Amazon, which feature relevant recommendations based on previous activity and interest. The popularity of these companies underlines the fact that consumers are increasingly willing to share personal data in exchange for convenience and suggestions that are valuable and useful.
Unleash chatbots to connect with early-stage customers.
One way this heightened customer experience will play out, especially in real estate, is through chatbots. These hold a lot of potential and promise for the real-estate industry as a physical manifestation of Siri or Alexa that takes a role in the home buying/selling cycle. This level of sophistication will allow people who are still in the early stages of the sales funnel to get information without having to endure the pressure of talking with an agent that’s attempting to make a sale. This positive user experience may not result in closing right away, but that high level of informed personalization and interaction will build crucial trust as the relationship develops.
Reach customers through immersive new channels.
Additionally, augmented reality is opening up ways for buyers and sellers to showcase homes in richer ways than ever before. In just a few years, homebuyers will be able to get a virtual tour of a home they’re interested in with all of their furniture inside. The introduction of drone photography means that buyers will be able to see every panel of the roof to make sure sellers are accurate in their descriptions. By incorporating these technologies, digital marketers will be able to make leaps and bounds in refining consumer-facing experiences.
The Bottom Line
As the inclination for buyers to share personal data and preferences accelerates, it will be imperative for marketers to become laser-focused in prioritizing the customer experience. By keeping in mind these key priorities -- deploying a smart personalization strategy, integrating upcoming technology and embracing immersive new channels -- marketers will be poised to build loyal relationships with customers -- customers that are excited to hear from their company and look forward to communications. That’s something for marketers to celebrate!
