What I’ve Been Reading: Hashtags, 2015 Marketing trends, Putting Customer Experience First

We’re mid-way into the first month of 2015. Much of the reading I’ve been doing this week looks at the role and evolution of big data. I’m excited to see how far we can push the possibilities of big data in 2015, and am confident that the marketing industry will continue to take the lead in many of those innovations.

As we gear up for the new year, I wanted to size up a few news trends I found interesting in the media:

The 13 hashtags that changed the world in 2014

This slideshow takes a look at the most influential and memorable hashtags of 2014. While many of these pointed to politically charged debates or world events, it got me thinking about the prevalence of hashtags in general. As we continue to be inundated with information, the hashtags helps to simplify and sort. Whether used for awareness of important humanitarian causes, or as a marketing tool, hashtags have secured their seat at the table as an influential tool to expand the reach of any message.

6 Ways Big Data Will Shape Online Marketing In 2015

This article looks at some of the ways big data will affect us in 2015. For marketing in particular this piece dives into a handful of predictions including: retargeting, custom dimensions, marketing personas, customized paid campaigns, the merging of online and offline, and experience personalization. I’m personally looking forward to seeing the marketing personas take shape this year to add a layer of sophistication to broad marketing campaigns we haven’t mastered yet. Individualized insights made possible by data-driven marketing will carry the day in 2015.

4 Steps to Ensuring Customer Experience Comes First

Customer experience is at the top of all of our lists, but I thought this article did a nice job of providing a concise, high-level list of considerations to remind us, as marketers, how to keep customer experience a top priority. All four recommendations are important, but I found the “trustworthy” conversation to be monumental. We should all be reminding ourselves, and each other, of the effect that mistrust can have on an organization. Any marketing activities we pursue should demonstrate our commitment to company mission and values. Every individual relationship is priceless, and data-driven marketing helps us safeguard them that way.

What I’ve Been Reading: Hashtags, 2015 Marketing trends, Putting Customer Experience First