TRENDS
As of January 2015, 80%
of Internet users own a
smartphone. An estimated 2
billion consumers worldwide are
expected to own a smartphone
by 2016. Additionally, devices
like smart TVs and smartwatches
saw a spike in popularity, and
we’ll continue to see their
adoption rise in the new year.
What does this mean for
marketers? Mobile devices—
especially smartphones,
tablets and smartwatches—
should be a big part of your
focus. This is crucial if you’re
targeting millennials, of which
87% admitted to never being
without their smartphone. More
importantly, 14% wouldn’t do
business with a company that
doesn’t have a mobile site or
app.
Data-Driven Decisions
By now much of the guesswork
is disappearing from social
media. You know who the key
players are in the industry. If
you’re a highly visual brand,
then Instagram and Pinterest
are already on your radar. You’re
familiar with character limits and
image specs.
The basics are taken care of, and
now you’re ready to refine your
strategy so you can really hone
in on quality connections. That’s
where social media analytics
come in.
Data is already a big part of
how you measure social media
success, but it’ll play an even
bigger role in your 2016 strategy.
Marketers have never had this
much access to information
about consumer preferences
before. This data can help you
personalize your message and
focus on building stronger loyalty
and long-term engagement—
rather than short-term
acquisitions and individual sales.
The mass-target approach is on
its way out, and personalized,
data-driven marketing plans
are in. Sprout’s robust suite
of social media analytics and
reporting tools will help you dig
deeper into your strategy and
get the most out of your efforts.
Gain valuable insights around
platform-specific strategies,
what’s trending or your team’s
performance as a whole. Then
you can use that information
to craft unique, personalized
experiences for your customers.
But let’s be clear about
something. Making data-driven
decisions doesn’t mean you
should let things like follower
counts and the number of Likes
your posts receive drive all of
your business decisions. More
importantly, numbers shouldn’t
replace creativity. Relationship
building is fluid and unique to
the individual, whereas number
crunching is purely analytical.
You need to create a balanc