This is the time of year when we speculate on all of the wondrous and mysterious things 2015 will bring to the table. Hoverboards? They still need some work. Robot maids? The Roomba is trying its best, it really is. But sometimes, the New Year doesn’t need some big enhancement or revolutionizing product—sometimes, it all comes down to a new way of looking at your old problems. And 2015 looks to bring businesses into a new age of marketing, one that values substance over style.
Let’s take a look at three inbound marketing trends to watch in 2015:
1. Authentic Marketing and Transparency Will Be Vital To Your Customer Base
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: authenticity is important to your customers. In 2014, consumers had more say and influence in what they expected from brands than ever before, and that trend looks to flourish in 2015.
Gone are the days of empty promises, fake testimonials, and slimy sales tactics. Why? Consumers are smarter than ever and have access to instant information on your products and services. They’re less likely to buy from you when they can look up reviews, articles, and news on your company at the click of a button.
In 2015, the leading brands will be the ones that engage with their customers in an honest way through their inbound marketing strategies. It already started in 2014, and I’ll bet my boss’ car that you’ll see more companies touting their authenticity in 2014.
2. Content Marketing Will Take Off As Businesses Bolster Their Online Presence
One way to improve your business’ authenticity is through original content… and companies are finally catching on. If you’re aiming to be a thought leader in your industry—one that customers flock to for questions and valuable information—you need to produce content that entices them to stay in contact.
None of this is new, of course, but more and more businesses will have a better understanding of the value custom content provides to them. The key word here is value because too many businesses use the copy and paste strategy. In 2015, if your company isn’t producing content on the reg, you’ll be a step behind the competition from the start. In fact, 78% of CMOs think custom content is the future of marketing. So, we’re definitely not alone in our prediction.
3. Personalization Will Be the New Go-To Practice for Engaging Customers
Sure, you’ve personalized some emails before… or maybe you segmented your contacts based on what you were offering and your customers’ interests. But in 2015, this won’t be a proactive approach. It will be THE approach to center your strategy around.
For too long, marketing revolved around the idea of throwing a wide net with the hopes you’d catch a couple keepers. But that doesn’t help your ROI and if you’re a small business, you might not have the money to throw at an expensive ad campaign. But targeting your content and services to be as personalized as possible can do wonders for your lead generation strategy, and won’t break your wallet.
The Internet has been around long enough for users to understand when they’re being talked to personally and when they’ve been sent an automated message. Smart content is paving the way for personal relationships to flourish under this new system—with improved click-through rates by 14% and conversion rates by 10%. And since almost 75% of online consumers are frustrated by businesses that promote content that has nothing to do with their interests, it becomes all the more apparent how important personalization is to consumers.
What Does This Mean for 2015?
It means 2015 will be the year your company focuses on your consumers wants and needs, rather than your own. Don’t get me wrong, yours are just as important, but peddling your content isn’t how you get there—authenticity, original content, and personalization is.