"A picture is worth a thousand words."
The use of video in marketing and sales is a trend we've been highlighting for the past three years, but it's only now that we've started to see the power and clear results video can have.
Video production doesn't have to be expensive or time-consuming. With smart solutions like animaker, Videobolt and Phyron, video production is becoming accessible to businesses of all sizes. Shorter time from idea to production also makes it easier to test different messages across channels and different parts of the buyer journey.
Presentation over video is more effective than any other form of outreach. According to Vidyard, a presentation via video is more effective than other communication channels and a subject line containing the word "video" is 8 times more likely to be opened.
Video tracking provides an insight into how much of the content a viewer watches and which parts they skip. This provides great opportunities for understanding the target audience and adapting further communication accordingly.
As our lives become increasingly digital and businesses rely more and more on digital tools and systems, huge amounts of information are created and stored. Information also plays an increasingly important role in how businesses are run and products and services are developed. The problem is that information is largely scattered throughout the organisation, in different systems and departments. To be able to use the information to make good decisions, create relevant communication and build digital relationships with your target groups, you need control over the data. With increasingly clear and strict legal and regulatory requirements, it is even more important to have control over your data and create data transparency and data relevance (i.e. that data is in the right place with the right rights at the right time).
This is where different types of data platforms become very interesting. What these tools or platforms have in common is that they try to help solve various data-related challenges.
A Best-in-Breed solution that allows the choice of different applications within the organization puts higher demands on internal technical expertise and investment on integrations as stand-alone applications act as data silos and make it impossible to offer a seamless customer experience.
"All-in-one" or "Best-in-Breed"? This has been a recurring question in 2021, but is it necessary to pit the two options against each other? By creating a digital architecture that creates flexibility and reduces dependency on individual solutions, both strategies can coexist and in total create a better solution than either one or the other alone could have achieved.
Here are two examples of platforms that can help you create a more integrated data flow and data transparency in your organization:
The integration platform is crucial to effectively integrate many different data sources and create control and security through the flow of information.
The more places customer data is stored in, the more difficult it becomes to ensure data quality, integrity and security. Here, the role of the CDP is to be the central location for all information relating to a customer or individual and from where rights to the various linked systems are controlled. This makes it easier to give each system in the chain the opportunity to do what they are good at and designed for. For example, for the CRM, it is to manage relationships with the various stakeholders the organization has, for the Marketing Automation system to manage communication in a personal and relevant way, the ERP system to manage economic and financial relationships such as orders, returns, logistics, etc. All parts are needed to effectively manage a "customer life cycle" from first touch to long-term customer relationship and even beyond.
According to a survey conducted in February 2021, almost half of respondents said they spent an average of five to six hours on their phone daily, including work-related smartphone use. The industry now expects to generate over $156 billion in revenue coming from mobile applications in 2022.
The need for adaptations in communication for mobile phones is nothing new. But it's safe to say that mobile device usage shows no signs of slowing down and that demand will continue to grow in 2022!
From checking the bus schedule to booking your vacation or checking the agenda for the day's events - all this is done today via a mobile device. The development of 5G technology will make it easier for marketers to use mobile data and deliver their messages online.
An application provides opportunities to build unique customer experiences customized for mobile. It allows for personalized settings, services and fast and customized communication. It gives users the possibility to choose which communication they want to receive through the app and to receive push notifications directly through the app. The rise of the smartphone has given birth to the modern consumer's 'I want it now' or 'I want to do' mentality when it comes to digital consumption. This puts a greater demand on value creation and relevant communication. It is more important than ever to understand the customer journey and choose the channel and message based on customer needs.