Foundational Marketing vs. Future of Marketing

Although marketers must focus on what’s trending, they also need to optimize what’s proven to work and rebuild foundational elements when necessary. It’s important for marketers to find a balance between foundational marketing strategies and an eye toward the future of marketing.

Foundational Marketing

The average business is wrapped up in looking to and embracing future marketing trends, and they should be, but that’s not to ignore some of the core, traditional marketing practices that should be a part of any growing business strategy.

Technical SEO

There are more than 200 unique factors in Google’s search algorithm, making SEO management a more complex entity than it may seem on the surface. To maximize technical SEO, marketers must create and/or revise content to boost CTR, improve SERP rankings, and create more compelling messaging that will organically capture the attention of site visitors.

High-Value Content

High-value content is all about the reader. It is created to provide valuable and helpful information that is so relevant to readers that they’ll gladly share it to all who will listen and use the info they’ve read. It isn’t about the quantity of material on your site, it’s about the quality and the relevance of the information provided to your target audience.

User Experience (UX)

The way the client feels when interacting with your business via mobile, desktop, and other platforms is the principle behind the concept of UX. Marketers know they must curate a great experience whether the customer is visiting a website via their PC, browsing on their smartphone, or interacting with the company via a wearable or other device.

Future of Marketing

No one can truly predict the absolute future of marketing. However, there are marketing trends and data that points us to the “next big thing” and where marketers should focus efforts to stay current and in some cases, ahead of the curve.

Immediacy Redefined

The way customers interact with websites is changing. There is a desire for immediate feedback, information gathering, and responsiveness to client needs. If your site takes three seconds or more, expect a 40% abandon rate. Marketers must create a sense of urgency around their site’s sense of urgency. Otherwise, a line of “abandoned” users will be in their future of marketing.

Purpose Drives Profits

As of September 2016, Tesla spends $0 on marketing, yet generates 40x ROI. Meanwhile, Daimler (Mercedes-Benz) spends over a billion dollars globally every year on paid media. One difference? Mercedes markets with a message focused on its cars, while Tesla markets around the purpose behind its cars. Tesla vehicles represent a collective stance against the “big oil machine,” while Mercedes-Benz cars and SUVs are…just cars and SUVs. (Although, recent reports say Mercedes has unveiled its first fully-electric SUV.)

While there are several other factors to consider when comparing the two brands, it seems people are more than willing to get behind the Tesla name. Future-thinking marketers will understand the power behind purpose-driven marketing, and leverage ideas and concepts versus products.

A.I. – Specifically, Chatbots

A chatbot is a computer program designed to replicate real human interaction. The technology uses either contextual information or auditory methods to gather information from a client in need. It then draws upon a deep well of data to ensure the most relevant answer is provided. Is it perfect now? Nope. Will it be highly evolved in five years? Most likely. Should you start thinking about it now and integrating this marketing trend into your UX plan? Absolutely.

Marketing is evolving over time. What’s hot today may not be on-trend in a few years. However, those who actively balance the tried-and-true methods of foundational marketing with the latest in sophisticated marketing trends through omnichannel strategies will emerge as a force to be reckoned with in their industry.