The world of marketing is constantly changing and an evolution towards digital media has led to several new challenges.  While many of the goals have remained the same, the means to reach your desired results have changed.  Customer centric business models have taken hold and marketers need to adapt their strategies to reach today’s prospects.  Here we’ve outlined some of the top challenges marketers face in 2017.

Driving Website Traffic

Since the advent of digital marketing driving website traffic has been one of the key aspects of a successful marketing campaign.  There are many ways to reach prospects these days with a new social media platform being introduced on what seems like a daily basis.  Driving traffic through traditional means such as email, direct mail and teleprospecting is still important and should be used in conjunction with a content marketing strategy.  With so many different options, a multi-channel marketing approach is needed to ensure you reach your target audience.

Lead Generation

It goes without saying that generating leads is the primary objective of most marketing campaigns.  Similar to driving more traffic to you website you will need to use a variety of tactics to convert your prospects into qualified leads.  Personalizing your campaigns to appeal to your target’s favorite methods of communication, content consumption preferences and pain points will improve the efficiency of your lead generation campaigns.  You will also need to create quality content that guides your visitors through the buying process. 

Content Diversity

Prospects absorb content in a variety of different ways and preferences vary greatly even within similar business verticals.  Additionally, utilizing a diverse set of media to create your content will keep your blog, social media pages and website from becoming stale.  Written blogs, video, webinars, infographics and interactive content are all necessary pieces to a complete content marketing strategy.  Re-purposing your content into different media can be a great time saver and allow you to reach those prospects that ignored your message in it's original format.

Technology

Like most lines of business, marketing has been affected greatly by technological advances.  There are a number of different automation programs, social media platforms and SEO tools that need to be learned to properly manage your strategy.  In many cases it is a good idea to outsource the management of these tools to ensure you are getting the most out of your marketing dollars.  Even if you decide to hire an agency, you will still want to be familiar with the technology they are using.

Budget

Marketing budgets are being largely consumed by digital initiatives.  Automation platforms, CRM’s and paid advertising are all essential pieces to a multi-channel marketing strategy but it is important to set aside finances for traditional marketing methods.  With large investment in digital campaigns, utilizing more traditional means such as email and direct mail will actually make your company stand out.  Deciding whether to internalize marketing efforts or outsource them will require research and detailed analyzing of your company’s resources and needs.

Content Distribution

Identifying where your target audience primarily absorbs their content is the first step in your distribution strategy.  Although the majority of your potential customers may prefer a certain channel it’s important to exploit all means of content distribution.  This includes social media discussion groups, industry media sites, email, direct mail and popular publications.  Although you want to develop a highly refined buyer persona, you will want to utilize a multitude of tactics to draw them towards your company.

Collaboration

Technology has made it easier than ever to connect with people and, as a result, cultivating a diverse network has taken on a new significance.  Collaborating with companies for joint marketing campaigns and outsourcing specific tasks can increase the quality and exposure of your marketing materials.  Being honest with those you connect with and reciprocating any help or insights they give you is essential in maintaining healthy relationships.  Often times, professionals outside of your target market and competition can pay the biggest dividends as brand evangelists and content distributors.

Founded in 1990, Winn Technology Group is a leading provider of global, multi-channel marketing solutions for the technology industry.   For both direct and channel sales, Winn supports demand creation, account-based marketing, channel management, digital marketing, social media, teleprospecting, lead nurturing, event marketing, database services, and inbound response management.