The fast pace of technological developments and the Covid pandemic forcing the world to change shopping behavior is disrupting digital marketing. However, rapidly evolving technology is often considered too complex or too expensive (or both) for small businesses. However, there are some digital marketing technology tools that are both easy to use and affordable. Here are five factors to research and possibly employ in your future campaigns.
1. Artificial intelligence
AI is a “machine” that thinks and reacts like a human. It is a fast-growing branch of computer science that affects every area of our lives, including digital marketing.
AI solutions help aggregate and understand complex data, qualify sales, predict future ROI, better predict ideal customer profiles, and present a competitive advantage. AI-powered marketing platforms can even help define more competitive, context-sensitive pricing and predict the effectiveness of upsell strategies.
Recommendation AI is a perfect example of how artificial intelligence can help your digital marketing efforts and sales funnel be more effective. The solution personalizes product recommendations, automatically generates the most effective CTAs, and delivers the best user experience in real time.
2. Semantic Search
Google has been using semantic search for years to generate more relevant search results and search snippets. Now, semantic search is making its way into digital marketing, enabling small business owners and marketers to better understand search intent and create copy that converts better.
Text Optimizer (pictured below) is an example of how artificial intelligence allows content creators to analyze all possible purchase journeys and adjust their copywriting skills accordingly.
3. Augmented reality
Augmented reality superimposes virtual objects on top of the real world. AR augments reality by allowing buyers to test products in real-world environments, making it a more effective digital marketing technology tool.
“Can you imagine having this?”
AR helps answer this question in an affirmative and convincing manner. The basic idea is that consumers are more likely to invest in something they can experience first.
Here are a few examples of AR empowering digital marketing:
- IKEA Place lets you virtually place IKEA products in your room.
- Topology Glasses lets you try out their glasses.
AR is also finding its way into museums, art galleries and even universities as the pandemic forces us to shop and travel from home.
Apple offers free tools to help you create AR-based apps that blend your products with the reality around them.
You can even integrate AR technology into your website through WordPress.
4. Text to Video
It’s hard to imagine any digital marketing campaign without video.
Videos grab attention on social media, make ads more effective, increase email open rates, make your assets more engaging and shareable, and more. However, not many businesses have the budget to invest in video content.
Fortunately, new digital marketing technology tools let you create professional videos with just a few clicks of a button. You can easily convert existing assets such as text and images to video.
Invideo is one of the pioneers of small business-friendly video creation technology that makes video marketing feasible on a modest budget.
5. Remarketing
Remarketing, also known as retargeting, was originally introduced by digital marketing giants such as Facebook and Google. It allows you to reach users who have previously interacted with your brand or website. Since you already have data about their interactions with them, you can connect in more meaningful ways.
Many businesses don’t realize that you can also create website remarketing visits to better engage past visitors. For example, if a user reads your sewing guide, you can give them a custom CTA to purchase your sewing kit. You can connect with them as they continue browsing your site or on their next visit.
Ultimately, remarketing allows marketers to integrate multiple marketing channels to create more detailed customer profiles. The more channels we use, the more data we collect. This includes field data, email engagement, social media interactions and monitoring, and more.
All of this allows us to develop a truly customer-centric focus, delivering tailored, cross-channel, consistent and connected experiences. Remarketing has a positive impact on SEO KPIs, prompting marketers to rethink shopping behavior and focus on conversions rather than clicks.
Review: Digital marketing tech tools to try
Ultimately, digital tools will improve search and product discoverability by creating personalized experiences and allowing marketers to better understand (and serve) target audiences.
To adapt to the rapidly evolving technology, businesses should try to add it to their marketing strategy.
You can invest in advanced content development and lead nurturing applications, intelligent and increasingly independent chatbot-building platforms, and enhanced dynamic personalization software.
Marketers should always seek out, learn and test digital marketing technology tools.
