We believe that content marketing will have more influence over consumers in their purchasing decisions as compared to recent years. And with it, social networks shall continue to be in the center, but previous social media marketing strategies would have to be changed as netizens become smarter with how they use their time online.

Today’s digital natives are now, more than ever, part of the Generation C – they are always connected, communicating, computerized, community-oriented and always clicking. Thus, it’s only expected that they will develop skills and intuition to filter what they see and engage with online, and they’ll choose to only pay attention to what matters to them.

As digital marketers, how do you make sure that your message doesn’t get sorted out from your audience’s eyes? We offer three content suggestions.

1. Always provide useful information in your advertising. Focus on your market’s problems and how your product can help solve them. Viral videos and shock campaigns will no longer be as effective in getting conversions.

2. Be engaged with your market’s passions and interests. Understand the lifestyle of your audience, and share how your product can rightly fit into how they live.

3. Strengthen your brand by being consistent with the principles that your business stands for. And thus, establishing a persona in your social channels will be more important than ever to effectively communicate these principles.

Given these, what tools and strategies can digital marketers use to stay on top of their game this year?

Big Data

Data-driven marketing will play a more important role this year. Focus group discussions and customer surveys will no longer be enough to know your audience. Brands would need to tap into big data to draw a more comprehensive profile of their target market.

Email Marketing

Social networks have become too random and too many that getting your message across to your audience through all the digital noise has become a real challenge. This year, we’ll see a resurgence of email marketing as a way for brands to personally connect with their market.

Lead Management

As you understand your target market better with big data, and get a direct access to their attention through email marketing, you’d need to learn how to nurture your leads better by providing more than just general content, but focused content that encourages repeat and long-term engagement.