Each new calendar year brings challenges for digital marketing experts as trends come and go. Tactics that worked one year can fall out of favor in the next, and with 2017 drawing to a close it’s worth taking the time to look back. There were many marketing trends that evolved in 2017, from the growing impact of wearable devices to the emergence of chatbots. Some of these trends were successful, while others were a failure. Many of the top digital trends can, if implemented correctly, benefit your Pay Per Call campaigns. Here’s a breakdown of the top four digital marketing trends from 2017.
Focus of Mobile Content
First and foremost, 2017 marked the continued decline of desktop in favor of mobile devices. Some 48% of searches are now done on mobile devices, and Google even announced that web content is now going to be indexed by desktop usage and mobile usage of said content. In fact, Google even labeled their announcement as “Mobile-first Indexing,” which tells you which one it prefers.
Publishers are continuing to tailor content and experiences to mobile users. This has a direct impact on client Pay Per Call for a variety of reasons. More searches now start on mobile devices. Users consume content on their mobile devices, and when they act it’s also typically done on mobile devices. Pay Per Call is ideally suited to capitalize in 2017, and beyond, on this behavior. Ads can be targeted to mobile audiences based upon basic demographics, but also through proximity beacons. Actionable content can be delivered to mobile devices, with click-to-call integrated to make reaching out easier than ever before.
Read More: Mobile Marketing Drives Pay Per Call
Growing Personalization
Consumers are increasingly focused on how brands can tailor a product or service to their unique, individual needs. They’re less concerned with flair, and more focused on how a product or service directly benefits them. Clients have the chance to engage with consumers in one-on-one marketing situations, tailoring Pay Per Call campaigns online to the specific needs of consumers.
For example, plumbing businesses can tailor content based upon 24/7 emergency availability. Most consumers seeking out a plumber don’t have time for lead forms or back-and-forth email exchanges. Promoted content in this instance should focus on immediacy. Ads should include highly visible phone numbers and language that points focuses on the 24/7 emergency service offered.
Content Marketing
Content marketing is regularly a top trend, and for good reason. Consumers want content that is relevant to their needs, valuable in the moment, and consistent across platforms. Since most customer inquiries start on a search engine, content curated for search engines should promote a product or service while also directing the target audience toward a business site or specific page. From there, content should be customized to drive a profitable customer action as a result of their interaction with the brand.
Content should always be crafted to catch the eye, promote the relevance of a product/service (benefit to consumer), and then generate an action. Pay Per Call is a vital link in this chain, offering consumers a specific action by providing a phone number to call with purchasing questions or appointment scheduling.
Read More: Understanding The Power of Content Marketing
SEO, or Organic Search Results
The obituary of SEO has been written time and again. Forbes pointed to it as far back as 2012. However, as Smart Insights shows, SEO remains a relevant digital marketing trend in 2017. SEO is now often referred to interchangeably as organic search results. Publishers help clients such as small, local businesses and multi-site enterprises with tailored content/language that lands them higher on Google, Bing, and other search engines. If search engines can’t find your business, customers can’t either.
SEO remains important to any business because it boosts organic appearances in search results. Pay Per Call campaigns with content optimized for SEO experience greater visibility in search results naturally. This in turn leads to more phone calls, generating greater revenue.
There are a variety of emerging trends in digital marketing. When you look back on this list though, you’ll notice that the top four trends weren’t just popular in 2017. They’ve proven to be stable marketing techniques for several years, and will remain relevant in 2018 and beyond. Integrating these techniques into Pay Per Call campaigns further boosts their impact on client marketing performance, providing added benefits for the business.
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