Some key techniques have been identified by which brands can generate conversation about itself on social media and thus drive digital marketing. Latest trends need to be identified and leveraged accordingly. An example of this could be the tremendous popularity of Pokémon Go which has led to brands such as Zizzi and Pizza Express to attach their names next to the brand on Twitter. Pokémon Go has also been by creating contests based around the game, at the end of which users win Poke coins. Further demonstration of the power of the game can be gauged through e-Bay’s innovation of displaying Pokémon characters on their e-commerce platform. This is driving creativity on various social media channels.

Source: https://yourstory.com/2016/08/brands-leverage-latest-trends-drive-social-media-conversation/

With the growth of Artificial Intelligence (AI) being used as a tracking device, it is important to streamline chatbots accordingly. Chatbots are supposed to derive meaningful business intelligence out of conversations that people have on social or digital media. However, this becomes challenging due to the fact that a lot of conversations taking place in the informal media use short forms or slangs which all cannot understand. Even if keywords are to be used, AI cannot track such a word that has been rephrased uniquely by particular users until that becomes a trend. Thus detailed analysis of usage patterns needs to be conducted. Sometimes human interference can help out. Narrowing down on a range of possibilities for such words not understandable or borrowed from a different language is another decisive way that needs to be explored.

Source: http://customerthink.com/putting-the-cart-in-front-of-the-horse-chatbots-in-support/

An innovative method that can be applied to improve sales is called digital exhaust. This is the kind of data generated from routine tasks of sales personnel with their customers. Three tools have emerged which can leverage digital exhaust to provide the best of sales solutions. The first of these is called Volo-Metrix which usesbusiness analytics to study organization calendar and email metadata to provide information on how employees spent time at the work place. It integrates data based modern practices with traditional ones such as sales force surveys or interviews. Then there is Citrix’s Go-To-Meeting which does similar analysis but uses voice recognition technology as main aid. It also matches the voice with text messages to study against mismatch between the spoken commitments and those made on paper. Lattice Engines engages in predictive analytics. It scans job posting trends, credit ratings, social media traffic and compliance activities to decide on which kind of firms are doing best business. 

Source: https://hbr.org/2016/07/using-digital-exhaust-to-improve-sales

Contrary to popular perception, a new business idea is less about any new breakthrough technology, but rather it involves using existing technologies solve current problems. An example of this is the fact that when Whatsapp was scouring investors for its first round of funding, it was no high level technology that was done, but simply focus on the product. The business innovation that the Whatsapp developers did was with a lot of focus as they were clear as to what they wanted. They knew that it wasn’t inventors who innovate but those who can scale up for the masses to use. The initial thought process went into sourcing users rather than money or advertisements as they knew that their business model relied on volume and monetization would occur once people got hooked to the product. Thus instead of giving primacy to experiments inside the lab, innovation must rely on experiences provided to customers.

Source: https://hbr.org/2016/07/whatsapp-grew-to-one-billion-users-by-focusing-on-product-not-technology

The successes of Pokémon Go and Amazon Dash clearly point towards the importance of touch points and the need to leverage them for marketing. Their success has also relied on the use of Augmented Reality (AR) which has implanted virtual characters to their actual physical locations, leading to record levels of user engagement. At present touch points can also be categorized in 4 Ps. First of all there is Purpose which defines the reasons to get involved with the touch points. Lego, Tinder and Snapchat are examples of firms which know the purpose for their engagement at critical touch points. Prompts involve the nudge which users receive to swipe, press or click at touch points for some positive result as leveraged by both AR tools as well as Jimmy Choo. Probes are an ideal instrument for digital marketing as they provide detailed information and insights on the product or service. Finally there are Perspectives which provide some tags to associate a product with something else along the buyer journey. These may be visual or simply informational. Chatbots may someday provide the holistic solution across these four Ps.

Source: https://hbr.org/2016/07/pokmon-go-amazon-dash-and-the-future-of-user-interaction

Social media has entered a critical phase where its centrality to digital marketing has been further enhanced. Some interesting trends have emerged that are dominating this market presently. First of all more content is no longer the mantra, instead it is quality content. Until recently, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn were highly dominant within this market, but that trend is altering with the emergence of Snapchat and Instagram serving niches. Live streaming using video content is getting bigger than ever. Buy buttons are getting more popular thus instigating people to complete the purchase process on social media itself. Existing applications are diversifying to service certain business requirements. An example of this would be Facebook’s Messenger service restricted to businesses. Instead of the mass content, the move towards customized material is gaining credence. Apps are getting broader with greater functionality. An example of this could be Facebook’s personal digital assistant.

Source:http://www.forbes.com/sites/jaysondemers/2016/08/01/the-top-7-social-media-marketing-trends-dominating-2016/#63b0b3985da7

Certain digital marketing trends are dominating the landscape in 2016. First of all wearable technologies such as Fit-Bits and smart watches are increasing in popularity. Such instruments are getting leveraged by marketers to conduct effective mobile marketing. Google in one such player that has jumped in with a concerted app based marketing strategy. The days of mass advertising are getting left behind due to the surge of personalization in marketing content based on individual buyer personas. Marketing is not seen as a onetime investment but where multiple channels contribute to the resonance factor. Thus multiple touch points across the buyer journey are being tracked by marketers. This is also allowing greater integration with the help of sophisticated technologies. For example, previously disparate strategies such as SEO and content marketing are being integrated to give best solutions to clients. Advertising options have improved tremendously. Advertisers now gleam valuablebusiness intelligence using analytics before targeting using personalized content. With Google and other such giants integrating the online space, disparate shopping items are earning more purchase points. Each purchase is leading to other useful purchases or discounts.

Source:http://www.forbes.com/sites/jaysondemers/2016/08/04/the-top-7-online-marketing-trends-dominating-2016/#3f8f3f95582