In a world where we are increasingly connected, and other's opinions or reviews are more accessible than ever, marketing must evolve to keep up.  Consumers want, and expect, 'on-demand' marketing -customized marketing that caters to what they need, when they want it, and is extremely responsive.  59% of consumers who have experienced personalization believe it has a noticeable influence on their spending. That percentage cannot be ignored -and with all the data available from connected devices and social media -there is no reason it should be.

Social media interactions are a part of many customers' routine. For marketing, these interactions provide valuable insights and data. Companies like Julep Beauty leverage social media to interact with their customers, discover what they want, and quickly create, test, and sell new products. When negative reviews or comments come up, they promptly address the issue. This allows customers to feel like their voices are being heard and helps position the brand as a company that cares and is responsive to its customers.

Search is also quickly becoming a key part of any successful web marketing engagement.  This requires thinking through customer-search needs, anticipating questions and expectations.  It is about optimizing search capabilities so that they can find what they need quickly. Optimization can be through simplifying the webpage, adding social share buttons, making personalized offers, or even shipping the product before it is bought.  To consistently deliver high quality experiences to customers, the whole company must get behind this.  This includes marketing but also sales, product development, customer service, etc. and together, they have to quickly address any issues that arise. In a world where information is so accessible, positive reviews are more important than ever.

As we continue to connect to the Internet of Everything, more data is available. With this data, we can better target customers' needs, personalize their experience, and create even more effective marketing tactics.