What We're Talking About. . . Your 2018 Marketing Plan

As we rapidly approach the hap-happiest season of alllll, we started wondering: what's next?

In 2017 there was a lot (and I mean a lot) of chatter about AI, chatbots, and messenger apps. We saw the demise of some channels (RIP SnapChat) while others continued their dominance (Facebook, of course). We also saw 4! Google algorithm updates including Fred, who laid the smackdown on websites that violate Google’s webmaster guidelines.

But 2017 is almost over and it's time to start planning for 2018. So if you're ready to get a sneak peak at what lies in the year ahead, here's what we're talking about...

Articles

Where's a Marketing Budget to Go? via Statista

“The top loser according to the survey will be traditional advertising, with 40 percent of marketing leaders wanting to invest less.”

As we all know, money makes the world (and a marketing campaign) go 'round. Therefore, it would only be logical to kick this off by taking a look at the interview results of 165 marketing leaders to get their insight about what will be most important to prioritize in 2018.

3 Inbound Marketing Trends to Master Before 2018 via Neil Patel

“When you guest post on industry expert sites, you bring relevant traffic back to your own website.”

Easy as 1, 2, 3! If you're looking to up your marketing success in 2018, Neil has some serious suggestions for you. Find out why he recommends guest blogging over regular blogging, long content and more in his guide of the most important inbound skills to master before 2018!

10 Marketing Trends to act on in 2018 via Smart Insights

“We see content marketing as the 'engagement' fuel that powers all digital communications”

If the last report with 165 respondents wasn't good enough for you, here's one with almost 900 respondents who were asked questions pertaining to the most impactful marketing practices in 2018. Here's your chance to see how marketers from all over the world are planning to switch things up next year!

5 Reasons Why Inbound Will Dominate Marketing in 2018 Via WebitMD

“If you own a Porsche dealership would you market your fleet to a Toyota driver who makes 50K a year and who looks at pictures of Porsche because he is a wishful dreamer? Of course not.”

As we know, inbound is the way of the present and the future, so it's no surprise that it is without a doubt here to stay in 2018. Now, there are countless reasons why this is the case, but I'll let you find them in the article instead of spoiling them here!

10 Social-Media Trends to Prepare for in 2018 via Entrepreneur

“Over 200 million people use Instagram Stories each month, which is over 50 million more than those who use Snapchat -- and Instagram Stories is just one year old!”

I know you didn't think you'd be able to get through this whole thing without us talking about social media, right?? There's really no way of avoiding it, the channel is becoming extremely valuable for marketers. So wha't the best way to get the most out of your social strategy? Check out these 10 upcoming trends to find out how you can adapt!

8 Reasons Podcast Ads Should Be In Your 2018 Marketing Plan via Greenlane

“The number of diehard fans, those who listen to podcasts on a weekly basis, has jumped up to 42 million people from an estimated 35 million in 2016.”

Have you ever noticed that ads in a podcast are ones that you actually listen to? Yeah, well so does everyone else (even the 'unreachables')! So why aren't they part of your marketing strategy?? With the base of loyal listeners growing, you won't want to miss this opportunity. Take a look at this outside the box approach to podcasts as a marketing tool.

10 B2B Marketing Experts Spill Their Guts on Adapting to Challenges in 2018 via Campaign Creators

Curious about how some of the top B2B marketers plan to adapt to the biggest challenges in their industry? We were too, so we asked them, along with their honest opinions about which 2017 trends are here to stay and which are on their way out. Hear from Ann Handley, Scott Brinker and more about chatbots, data-driven marketing, and standing out in a saturated market.

Infographic

8 Digital Marketing Trends Set to Expire by 2018 via HubSpot

“Buyers want quality content quickly that applies to their pain points”

As they say, all good things must come to an end. And in this case, when HubSpot says it's over, I'd probably believe them. Check out this super easy to digest infographic to get a quick taste of what simply won't cut it anymore, as well as HubSpot's recommendations for how we should update our not-so-current strategies.

This blog post is part of Your Definitive Guide to Lead Generation blog series.

For help planning your lead generation strategy in 2018 get our Introduction to Lead Generation [Guide] (and bonus campaign checklist).