Marketing Technology Trends

New marketing technology trends have radically transformed industries around the world. Marketers can use digital tools to improve and streamline almost every aspect of their jobs, from conducting consumer research to producing content. Unsurprisingly, marketing technology, or ‘MarTech,’ has become a big business. In 2021, global corporations spent almost $345 billion on these innovations.¹

Professionals can use the latest marketing technology trends to help them make better decisions and promote their brands. This article explores three recent MarTech trends and suggests ways in which marketers can implement these revolutionary digital tools.

As its name suggests, this type of artificial intelligence (AI) can simulate human conversation. Through natural language processing (NLP), computers are able to understand and process human language; they can analyze meanings within written and spoken language and generate appropriate, relevant responses.²

The recent launch of ChatGPT has generated excitement and concern about the potential uses of AI for marketing. Created by OpenAI, ChatGPT can generate advertising content such as articles, blog posts, and even jingles. This wildly popular AI chatbot attracted an estimated 100 million monthly users in January 2023, just two months after it went live.³

Marketing professionals can use AI to automate basic tasks and create more personalized advertising. AI marketing strategies include:

AI tools can effortlessly generate marketing content for any product or service. Marketers can tweak their requests until the AI produces writing with the desired content, style, and tone. Prominent corporations such as Buzzfeed use AI to generate content including articles and quizzes and drive traffic to their websites.⁴ AI-created content can save marketers time and help them unlock new ideas.

Many marketers use email campaigns to announce new products, advertise sales, and remind clients about their brands. However, people often overlook these emails or regard them as spam. According to the email marketing platform MailChimp, only 2.04% of recipients click links inside marketing and advertising emails.⁵ Marketers can improve those numbers and increase the effectiveness of their emails by using AI to personalize subject lines and send messages at optimal times.⁶

Many companies have added AI chatbots to their websites to communicate with customers. These programs can respond to complex questions and gather information about customers’ needs. Marketers can use chatbots to connect with clients faster and reduce the time spent answering repetitive inquiries about products and services.⁷

A 2023 report found that 61.4% of marketers already use AI technology.⁸ This percentage is likely to grow as marketers continue to develop new applications for this powerful tool.

Personalized marketing technology can help marketers make every customer feel recognized and valued. Many people are attracted to brands that offer customized experiences. One study found that 80% of respondents prefer to buy products from businesses that use personalized marketing.⁹ There are several ways in which marketers can use technology to scale up personalization. They include:

Businesses can use data to personalize their websites for each visitor. Tools such as W-Studio gather information about a user’s demographics, geo-location, and local weather. Based on this data, the landing page automatically changes to include relevant information for the individual visitor.¹⁰ For example, a customer from Ohio may see images of Lake Erie at the top of the landing page, while a visitor in New York could see iconic local buildings. Customers may feel more likely to make a purchase from a website that reflects their identities and needs.

A growing number of businesses use recommendation engines to provide tailored product highlights for every customer. For instance, a grocery store can use a recommendation system to suggest food and recipes based on a shopper’s previous purchases. Recommendation engines offer increasingly refined suggestions as they gather more information, allowing your most loyal customers to get ultra-personalized options.¹¹

These tools allow marketers to create personalized experiences for thousands or even millions of customers with the click of a button.

Sustainability is one of today’s hottest marketing technology trends. Growing concerns about climate change and other environmental issues have caused many people to prioritize green companies. Research shows that around 66% of consumers would pay more for sustainable products,¹² and 54% research a brand’s sustainability efforts.¹³ Sustainable, or green, MarTech can increase a company’s reputation and attract new customers.

Examples of eco-friendly marketing technology trends include:

Many companies have intentionally decreased their environmental impact by shifting to purely or mostly digital marketing strategies. Digital marketing creates less waste than traditional advertising methods like billboards and paper flyers. These methods also conserve energy because marketers don’t need to distribute physical materials.¹⁴ Popular digital marketing techniques include blogs that use search engine optimization, email campaigns, social media posts, and videos.

Marketers can use green technology while organizing in-person marketing events such as product launches. For example, professionals can incorporate environmentally conscious tools, including low-energy light bulbs and locally sourced foods. In addition, marketers reduce paper waste by using mobile applications instead of physical programs and menus.¹⁵ Eco-friendly events that take advantage of green technology allow marketers to promote their brands and care for the environment at the same time.

Innovations such as AI chatbots and product recommendation engines are reshaping the marketing industry. Marketers use this technology to develop new ways of building client relationships and boosting their brands’ visibility. Further, marketing technology automates tedious tasks like customizing emails so marketers can spend more time on what matters most: sharing their products with clients.

Learn to use technology to drive innovation in marketing. The courses in in Santa Clara University’s online Master of Science in Marketing program are taught by industry experts who use the latest MarTech tools. Give yourself a competitive advantage as you strengthen your career. Speak with one of our Admissions Advisors today.