Marketers seek to balance the âwow factorâ in todayâs digital world with the tried and true principles of effective customer engagement.
Digital marketing is changing at the speed of technology. Advancements such as generative AI, virtual and augmented reality, social commerce and others have brought about a revolution in how businesses interact with customers and how personalized and immersive marketing experiences can be. By understanding and maximizing these movements, brands can elevate customer engagement and increase conversions.
Noting there isnât a single solution that covers all scenarios, Newsweek focused on the following emerging digital trends that can help propel marketers ahead of the competition.
Virtual and Augmented Reality
Think of the typical car dealership glossy brochure. Now think of being able to virtually step inside your dream car model â from the comfort of your own home â and inspect its features and even do a simulated test drive. Which marketing experience will resonate more? The one with more vroom (and VR room!).
Marketers know the more captivating and immersive the experience the better, and virtual and augmented reality are revolutionizing the way to achieve that with customers. âAlthough it may seem distant for small businesses, global brands are already capitalizing on these opportunities,â writes CEO and branding expert Erica McMillan.
Generative AI
Marketers should already know about generative AIâs various timesaving capabilities, from automating daily tasks to generating ads or content. But McMillan, noting the âsignificant shifts in consumer behaviorâ in this area, raises the possible concern of the target audience using the same tools, like ChatGPT, thus pulling from the same Internet-scoured data.
âBusinesses and marketers must elevate their content strategies⊠[by] providing unique perspectives and expert insights that cannot be easily duplicated by generative AI tools,â she wrote. âThe focus should shift towards delivering value-added information that's derived from hands-on experience in the subject.â
Social Commerce
Integrating shopping with social interactions on social media platforms offers much greater connection than traditional online methods, including sales-only siloes elsewhere in the e-commerce realm. Brands can leverage captivating photos and engaging videos like always but with the personal, emotional and quite valuable stamp of approval from oneâs social media followers, i.e., friends. One marketing guru noted that 90% of folks trust peers on social networks while only 15 to 18% trust brands.
The interactive nature of social commerce is so important. By allowing customers to ask questions and otherwise engage with brands, a powerful connection is made where customers build confidence in purchase decisions while companies glean valuable insights to better understand the market.
âGoing for the home run, so to speak, with AI or virtual/augmented reality tools is important because as marketers we should strive for what we call âlimitless possibilitiesâ with the brand experience,â said Vince Vitti, infiniteeâs VP, Business Development. âBut given engagement realities like 72% of consumers having used a voice assistant, letâs also make sure our singles hitters â voice search, chatbots, live chat and messaging apps â are aligned and primed to keep people engaged and enjoying their customer journey with the brand.â