Actionable steps across the pillars of digital marketing from our recent report

Digital marketing today is complex and it’s inevitable it will get more complex in the future as new technologies and platforms emerge. Take the huge adoption and interest in Open AI ChatGPT, as an example. 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.

March 2024 update

Here we'll update readers on the latest developments in digital marketing relevant to marketers.

The best AI tools for marketers?

At the end of the article, I recommend different Generative AI tools beyond ChatGPT and show how widely they have been adopted. I have recently written a new update asking Which are the best Generative AI tools for writing marketing plans and strategies? It's shocking how widely Gen AI is being used for…

My example dialogues and use cases show the amazing opportunities for marketers from ChatGPT and other generative AI tools

I’ve been advising on digital marketing and new innovations for over 25 years. Since it was called Internet Marketing… This tends to make you super cynical as to new claims about marketing innovations. Over this time, many of the techniques for digital marketing and approaches to planning digital marketing strategies and campaigns have remained similar. Much Martech now promises to be be ‘AI-powered’ while still relying on manual analysis and customizations. In fact, I’d say that it’s the development of search and social media platforms that have been the main drivers of change. Until now, that is... Having tested ChatGPT, I believe it will spark mainstream adoption of AI amongst marketers, since it will be used as a practical tool to support creative development to help marketers working on search, email and social media…

Mapping the most effective AI technologies for marketing across the customer lifecycle in the coming year

Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology is a hot topic in marketing at the moment, with the huge interest in ChatGPT (see our articles on using ChatGPT for marketing). But AI is a broad term covering a wide range of different technologies, many of which have been available for some time. We originally wrote this article based on the opportunities for using AI for marketing in 2017 and have updated it since with examples. Artificial intelligence means any technology that seeks to mimic human intelligence, which covers a huge range of capabilities such as voice and image recognition, machine learning techniques and semantic search. That's why, in our AI and Machine Learning briefing for members, we have identified fifteen artificial intelligence techniques that businesses of all sizes can implement, rather than techniques that only major tech giants can devote…

Evaluating technology options for innovation in marketing - do you know your Hype Cycles?

If you're involved in marketing strategy development, you will be constantly making judgments and reviewing with colleagues which digital technology innovations are most relevant to your organization. The Gartner Hype Cycle, which is published each year is a good tool to use to find out about both newly emerging innovations and more established marketing technology that could be relevant. In this article, we compare different examples of the well-established Gartner Hype Cycle tools which serve to highlight the adoption of new technology services within marketing technology. Gartner publishes many different hype cycles reviewing the adoption curves for different types of technologies, but as a digital strategist, I am most interested in those focusing on digital marketing technologies. A summary of the report with the infographic is published annually and I have been monitoring them and sharing them for over…

Drive the direction of your technology business' growth next year with an integrated approach to marketing strategy and planning

What is the secret of marketing for tech companies? As a popular topic amongst marketers of all backgrounds - this growing sector merits its own discussion, helping us answer questions such as: How do you budget marketing for IT/technology companies? What are the most reliable growth hacks for startups? How can IT and technology marketers stand out to win more high-value customers in an increasingly saturated digital landscape? The global technology market is expected to rise to $3,168.13 million by 2027. This evolving international digital landscape affects us all, and as marketers, it is crucial to react and adapt to stay relevant to our customers. At Smart Insights we encourage members to use OSA to structure their marketing planning. The macro-environment for tech marketers opens up new opportunities which fuel strategies and…

Our financial services social strategy recommendations and best-practice case studies put you in the driving seat to accelerate your financial services' ROI from digital marketing in 2024

Over the past few years, financial service organizations have embraced social selling programs and employee advocacy. Those integrating the data they have generated by their financial services social media strategies into a single source of customer truth are flourishing. Financial organizations are effectively engaging with digital customers, differentiating with real-time communication via social channels. There has been a clear shift from pre-review to post-review with the industry treating social media posts as interactive communication rather than static advertising. Companies are recognizing that social media provides a wealth of value, enabling differentiation through human communication. They are driving value by integrating this with their CRM systems, tracking ROI, and ensuring compliance. To drive such value, organizations expect solutions to help them track ROI, integrate with CRM solutions,…

Grow your IT/high-tech business across the 'internet of things' by applying these latest industry strategies for technology product marketing

What is product marketing?

Product marketing describes the management of all processes involved in taking a product to market. This field of marketing involves working with R&D, manufacturing, logistics, comms, and sales. Since your role is so closely tied to the products in your category, product marketers take the role of advocating for the customer when product-related decisions are made (positioning, launch, development, etc). In this blog, we will explore what makes technology product marketing different.

What is technology product marketing?

Technology product marketing refers to product marketing when your products are IT/high tech. Typically sold in a B2B environment, technology product marketing is renowned for extended stakeholder relations and, currently, an increasingly competitive market. Of course, the nature of IT/high tech means many technology products will be software. The growing Software as a Service…

Combine opportunity, strategy, and action to identify the right approach for your pharma brand

The last few years have been a rollercoaster ride for many of us, not least those within the pharmaceutical sector. Digital transformation is rapidly altering the way pharma brands communicate and deliver their products: consumers are becoming more knowledgeable and proactive, whilst businesses are having to adapt to an increasingly digital-first world. And this has all happened alongside broader trends which KPMG believes will have a significant impact on revenues and business and operating models: “The pharmaceutical sector is at a crossroads. In a heavily disrupted marketplace, characterized by shifting payer attitudes and patient empowerment, neither incremental adjustments nor steady evolution are likely to halt the decline of the traditional pharmaceutical business model.” As a result of these different trends, it’s important for businesses to evaluate their digital communications and value delivery. Within…

Try these 8 new and trending customer-centric approaches to help you keep proving your value to leads and customers over email

Marketing trends forecasts should be resources marketers can consult to help them set strategic priorities for the coming year. But all too often they recycle the same old ideas or serve as thinly disguised showcases for vendor specialties. So let’s make this email marketing forecast more useful by focusing on one overarching development we see happening in the world of email marketing and the supporting events that make it a significant development. For my part, I expect that email experience will be the defining trend for 2024 – the increasing focus on improving our customers’ experiences with our brands, products, services, representatives, and messages. Many of the more specific trends included in forecasts that are beginning to trickle in revolve around improving our customers' experiences of our emails. That includes everything from building…

Are you benefiting from the latest sector innovations in your healthcare business' marketing strategy?

We are now in a period of significant change for healthcare marketeers, as digital developments continue to increase the importance of both digital communications and value delivery in healthcare. Now, businesses need to continue to innovate their business models to make their online experiences and customer engagement communications even more effective, to attract and retain healthcare practitioners (HCPs) and consumers amidst uncertain/disruptive times. In our future of digital marketing trends report, we focus on how innovations in digital communications can support brand marketing and sales teams to communicate these new value propositions.

Disruption and change management

The authors of The future of Biopharma highlight trends of disruption within the biopharma industry specifically. This disruption is a result of a shifting power balance in two primary directions. The first shift is in the balance…