August 25, 2017

Digital Marketing 2017: The Story So Far

As the Bank Holiday approaches, we thought we’d take the opportunity to reflect on some of the fascinating insights shared by our expert speakers this year, that have provided our network with important insights to take back to the office and transform their businesses. With summer drawing to a close and Q3 well underway, what are the key learnings shaping the digital sectors, and what do they mean for you and your team? We’ve pulled together a juicy selection to help you benchmark your 2017 progress.

Email

Email marketing continues to dominate the digital marketing strategy, delivering high CTR, engagement and reach. But there’s a risk that this success has seen a small degree of complacency take place. Ben Tomlinson, Product Marketing and Partnerships Manager at Communicator, reminds us that we shouldn’t let email marketing become a laggard. By continuing to experiment with personalisation, dynamic content and location, email marketers can ensure that they rise above the content fatigue taking over the consumer’s inbox.

It’s also a time for nefarious email tactics to be put to bed. Kath Pay, CEO and Founder at Holistic Email Marketing, warns that so-called dark patterns are fast becoming recognised and called out for their shady misdirection. Hidden costs, misdirecting links and hard-to-find unsubscribe buttons might keep your customers on your lists in the short term, but do you really want to try and engage users who don’t want a relationship with you? Being transparent, upfront and honest in your communication will keep your customers looped in, happier, and feeling like they have more of an affinity with your brand.

Paid Search & SEO

One area of digital marketing that has seen a particularly high level of change in recent years is search. With knowledge boxes, voice search and of course, a seemingly ever-increasing number of paid ads per page, search marketers need to stay on their toes to keep on that all-important first page. Rumyana Miteva, Head of Search at Secret Escapes, shared with us the recent developments in Dynamic search ads, and why marketers should be investing their resources in this area to really make the most of the upcoming search developments. With the capabilities of understanding human language, metrics that help to show the success of particular content, and no more laborious calculating of keywords, DSAs could be the solution to bring your brand ahead of the curve in the SERP league table.

A lack of efficiency in search is another area that can give marketers headaches. Fortunately, Russ Powell, Head of Marketing at Red Hot Penny, shared his case for metric-led PPC, which enables marketers to generate the maximum number of leads at the agreed performance level, without wastage or going over budget. By balancing efficiency and aggression, marketers can ensure that their search strategy hits the mark every time, no matter the size of their budget.

B2B

In a sector that can be perceived as less agile, B2B marketing is packed full of potential to innovate its way into a new age. New martech developments, a customer-centric view and great, user-centred communication will make sure that B2B business delight their customers by addressing their needs seamlessly, tackling the competition of agile start-ups head on and levelling the playing field. Billy Hamilton-Stent, Client Strategy Director at Octopus Group, reminds us that in the era of the “breathless business”, efficiency must be at the core of every B2B business’ strategy in order to manage the vibrant and hectic digital sphere, and by focussing on the human elements of the brand/consumer relationship, marketers can continue to offer that unique level of service that leads to success.

Digital Transformation

Digital transformation is not a destination, but a journey. So says Tess Mattison, Director of European Marketing at Choice Hotels, speaking at our Summer Digital Marketing Conference. Digital transformation is a topic that inspires different reactions from different brands, as they all attempt to make their stand in this turbulent digital space. It is tempting, when silos exist and deadlines loom, to introduce a digital layer to the top of their business strategy, rather than building with digital as an integral part of every process. This is particularly true in the travel sector, as legacy systems and new, agile ways of thinking come head to head. But by aligning people, process and product, marketers can truly make the most of these new and exciting opportunities, and “be digital, rather than simply do digital.”

Remember that you can watch all of the presentations from previous events here.

Still To Come In 2017:

Have we whet your appetite for more digital insight and inspiration? Check out our upcoming events below, we can’t wait to see you there!

Customer Experience Seminar – 21 September

Discover a wealth of customer experience insight; from the secrets of UX, to turning reams of disparate data into actionable insight, using customer feedback as a driver of change, and capitalising on the latest technology.

Content Marketing Seminar – 26 September

It’s been hammered into marketers that ‘content is king’. It’s important for SEO. It builds relationships with consumers. It can help gain sales and leads. But how should brands and companies ‘do’ content? How do you make sure it’s infamously ‘sticky’? And how do you establish its hard value to your business?

Figaro Digital Marketing Summit – 19 October

A full-day of presentations, 1-2-1 meetings tailored to your business needs, roundtables based on your choice, and plenty of quality networking opportunities. Altogether, making your time out of the office efficient, relevant, and valuable. Join 200 delegates and a team of expert speakers as they examine current and future trends across the digital marketing industry.

Email Marketing & CRM Seminar – 31 October

Want to learn the latest, most-effective email marketing techniques for your next campaign? You could spend hours trawling evergreen guides, blog posts and even checking out news stories. But for the most time-effective method, sit back and relax while watching our expert speakers tackle everything from design to strategy, automation and personalisation; helping you think outside the box, achieve cut-through and drive significant ROI.

Paid Search & SEO Seminar – 2 November

Efficiency: it’s something all marketers strive towards. But what happens when your meticulously crafted content and paid ads is simply not getting the cut-through it deserves? In an echo chamber of offers, incentives, and demands on the consumer’s attention, how can you get eyes on your product, and not be drowned out by the noise of your competitors?

Financial Services Spotlight: Digital Marketing Roundtable – 8 November

With online banking and mobile apps dominating the way consumers now manage their money, the financial services industry faces challenges and opportunities. This seminar will focus on everything from content to conversion. Join our team of industry experts to ensure you’re offering the best possible customer experience across channels and devices.

Digital Marketing Conference – 6 December

Join an audience of 350 senior marketers and up to 35 speakers from the brands, agencies and technology providers who are shaping the UK’s digital landscape for a full day of insight, opportunities, and networking.  At this cross-industry event, we will cover the full spectrum of digital marketing; exploring the evolving relationship between brands and consumers, as well as key steps brands can take to build a more robust and long-term relationship with their customers.

B2B Spotlight: Digital Marketing Roundtable – 12 December

The Figaro Digital B2B Marketing Roundtable event is a morning session dedicated to the issues facing businesses of all sizes as they seek more effective integration of digital channels into their communication strategies. We’ll be joined by a line-up of expert speakers who’ll explain how digital marketing can help B2B organisations meet their own needs and those of their clients. Under discussion will be the roles of analytics, search, social media, content, web design and more.