Both technology and data play big parts when it comes to marketing these days, as companies can utilize these to get the most out of their business operations. eMarketer recently broke down just how important they are through a pair of reports.
First up, the reports discussed big data, with information coming from Forbes Insights that breaks down just what companies are doing with it. The report showed that 21% of those polled indicated that big data was the most important factor to them when it came to gaining an advantage, while 38% of companies polled said it was definitely in the top five.
As you can see from the chart, both costs and revenues play a part when it comes to the effect of big data, although most companies indicate that the effect isn’t too big, going somewhere between one and three percent. Only one in four noted changes that went above three percent.
As far as what types of data are embraced the most by companies, location based data leads the charge with 56 percent, while text (emails, fax and PDF) and social media follow closely behind with over 40 percent each. The full chart is below.
Out of what kind of data is most beneficial, VentureBeat noted that email address and name information for personalization purposes are the most vital, while Jivox added that, in a study taken back in July, ad agency executives were more likely to utilize demographic and location data to create specifically targeted ads. Yes, Lifecycle also added that first names and phone numbers played a part as well.
“Big data empowers marketers with a better understanding of target audiences from current customers to expanding into new markets,” said Ayzenberg’s Charles Vasquez, speaking with (a)list. “It moves beyond traditional demographics such as age, geography, income and into more precise characteristics such as behavior, consumer choices and preferences. The opportunity is a much more personalized communication delivered at the right time, to the right audience and in the right way.”
“For game marketers big data can be key for both product launches and deploying an effective always-on strategy. Big data can be used to target the right audience, shape your message and improve your offerings along the way. For service-based games this constant and direct interaction with core audiences is invaluable. All the while it helps to build a profile of new markets to tap into new markets,” he added.
That’s just one side of the picture, as technology also plays a huge part when it comes to finding effectiveness with companies. This report from eMarketer, based on numbers provided by a September 2015 study conducted by Spear Marketing Group, suggests that, while content marketing is still considered the most important marketing technology for the next couple of years, some will face a decline. This includes SEO, which is set to drop around nearly 30% over the same time period, and CRM, taking an even more drastic drop by almost 40%. The full chart is below.
As far as technologies that will grow over the next few years, predictive analytics are likely to see the biggest jump, doubling to almost 37%. Big data and analytics, lead lifecycle and attribution reporting, programmatic advertising and personalization are close behind when it comes to B2B marketing.
Emerging technology is definitely playing a part in this department, and there are a number that are expected to deliver ROI over the next couple of years. The chart below shows that marketing automation is number one with 58%, followed by content marketing (51%) and SEO (36%).
However, not every technology is benefitting on this chart, as CRM has somewhat low ROI expectations at 23 percent, indicating that it could easily be lapped over that time period.
More information on this report can be found here.
