Big data is probably the single most important marketing tool ever. This year we are going to see an absolute explosion of online marketing initiatives built around only the most targeted audiences. And unlike the old days when only big business was able to use big data, now even small businesses can use third-parties to market through analytics. Here are a couple of ways we’ll see differences in marketing this year with a little help from big data:
How Big Data Is Changing Marketing
Retargeting Ads
A few years ago we all started to notice that the ads on our screen began to be eerily similar to things we have looked at online. And, of course, this was no creepy coincidence. When we search, click, or purchase particular things online a cookie gets dropped. 2014 was a crazy year for retargeting ads. It seemed like the internet became haunted with the ghosts of things I had online-shopped for. Spooky. In 2015, we’re gonna see a dramatic change in the sophistication of ads. Businesses are going to be able to place ads for products you viewed—even when you haven’t even clicked it. Double spooky.
Personalized Emails to Customers
Online retailers are now able to send out emails that are tailored specifically to the tastes of their shoppers. Traditionally, when we frequented a particular store we become familiar with the employees and they help offer suggestions to us based on what they’ve seen us buy over the course of months or years. To recreate that, businesses are now creating completely personalized emails alerting their consumers when things similar to the interests of their shoppers are available. No emails are really quite the same, either. You also will notice that some shops can email their loyal customers with offers exclusive to them. It makes shoppers feel more valued and cared for on a deeper level.
Mimicking Consumer-Personalities
Instead of just making wild guesses about what kinds of people buy products, big data is allowing companies to build a persona that shines through their blogs, social media, and types of advertising. Better understanding the type of people we want to market toward is super helpful in creating successful campaigns. First, they will research what keywords their website users use most and what other websites they visit. Based on the popular searches, businesses are going to be able to sell to them by incorporating things and behavior they seem to be interested in.
“Offline” Big Data is Now A Thing
With technology the way it is in this day and age, big data is no longer merely confined to our patterns online. Businesses can now collect information on us and our buying-patterns IRL (in real life.) Certain cameras with heat sensitivity have the capability to show color maps to indicate which parts of the store bring in the most traffic or what items people are flocking toward. Plus, it’s no secret that our credit cards are tracking the items that we purchase. Additionally, applications are popping up every day like scanners that are used to ring your own items up instead of waiting in line. Clearly, that invention was the brain-child of brilliant internet marketers.
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