Data Never Sleeps 4.0 Infographic- Marketing Musts for Digital

As we have since the infographic first became an annual feature, we take a look at DOMO’s Data Never Sleeps 4.0 Infographic and what it means for marketing right now.

Marketing Trends and the DOMO Data Never Sleeps 4.0 Infographic

We love DOMO’s Data Never Sleeps 4.0 infographic. Beginning with the first and continuing now to the 4^th iteration, we have shared the infographic and offered up insights for today’s consumer and B2B marketers. Here are eight takeaways for retail and B2B marketing professionals from DOMO’s Data Never Sleeps 4.0 Infographic for 2016.

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Data Never Sleeps and Innovation Never Stops…

The success enjoyed by apps, platforms and other tech that becomes “the next big thing” inevitably spawns the next “the next big thing.” Innovation is a must for apps (like Snapchat, the social network known for updates that instantly disappear, who just added a “Memories” option that allows users to save these updates forever). The real trick for every marketer is building a site, app or communication that will stay hot with users who are constantly presented with new apps that want to divert their attention and time.

… But Not All Change is Good

However, we’ve all seen instances in recent years where innovators rolled out “next big thing” apps, products (can you say Amazon Fire phone?) and upgrades that didn’t make the cut with buyers. In the rush to market and hyper-secrecy that is today’s tech industry, brands would do well to remember the value of focus groups and other feedback tools that can help them avoid flops that leave them floundering; either trying to generate market interest where there is none, firing whole teams of developers and tarnishing their reputations.

Horizons Are Getting Bigger…

There are a dizzying number of sites, platforms, ad programs and apps for marketing in 2016. Removing distractions and focusing on those that actually produce a return on investment has never been more important for brand marketers. Time being the most important and most limited resource, take care that you invest it where it matters most.

… But the World is Getting Smaller

Right-click and let Google translate the content on a web page – any web page – for you into your native language and you’ll soon understand why the world is getting smaller. With language no longer a barrier to effective networking and communication for anyone online, geographical boundaries will continue to blur.

There’s Room for Everyone…

Despite updates that read “RIP LinkedIn” and the decline of Facebook use with younger users, don’t look for these platforms to go away. After all, the 1.59 billion people who use Facebook every month can’t all be wrong.

Facebook’s younger users will get older. Many will marry and have families. When they do, posting on Facebook to stay connected with grandma and all the aunts and uncles and cousins and former classmates, etc., might well become more attractive to younger internet users who aren’t all that excited about the platform right now.

There’s room for everyone, and there are seasons in professional or personal life that might make one social network more relevant than another at that time. But you know the thing about seasons – they always change.

…But there’s Less Room for Everyone

With “old” social media like Facebook and LinkedIn refusing to go away just to make room for new social networks there’s increased competition for user interest. That truth is going to get even more truer as younger and less populous generations age, older and more populous generations begin to fade from the world and new social media tools come into the market place. Marketers must make sure their new app or online community network is hyper-relevant; otherwise it will just be taking up space.

Small Business is Alive and Well…

Globally, small business is alive and well. Accounting for half of job creation worldwide, “Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) represent the vast majority of the business population in low-income countries (excluding micro firms and the self-employed),” according to worldbank.org. And in the U.S., small businesses came into 2016 with “stronger sales growth, improved profitability and positive hiring trends.” (Forbes.com)

… And Living on Big Ecommerce Sites Like Amazon, Zulily, Etsy Et. Al.

Consider this July 13, 2016 Amazon Prime Day 2 story CNBC headline, “Small business sold 24k hammocks on Prime Day, Amazon’s biggest sales day ever.” Small business owners used to struggle to build their own Ecommerce infrastructure, largely due to budgetary constraints. Today, small business owners can harness the power of the biggest Ecommerce platforms and sell their products worldwide just as quickly as they can register with third party Ecommerce giants like Amazon, Zulily, Etsy, Ebay and others.