• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, January 2, 2015

According to the marketing trends survey, by Campaigner, detailing key industry insights and identifying specific areas of focus for 2015, marketers across the board are confident in their strategies with no plans of adaptation to meet the growing technology demands, but investing in email marketing and social media.

EJ McGowan, general manager, Campaigner, says “… the modern day marketer has a lot to consider when developing 2015 strategies… they should regularly monitor consumer reactions to new innovations, and… moving into 2015… email will remain a significant investment… with added emphasis on the mobile commerce movement…”

While technology advancements are increasing, marketers are showing no concerns, says the report. When asked if these would impact 2015 marketing strategies, only 10% of respondents believed new innovations would have a definite impact, 36% said they expect no effect, while 39% are unsure and still researching the effects of the new technologies. Even with momentous developments like Apple Pay 87% of respondents believe the m-commerce channel will have little impact on their New Year strategies.

Despite the entrance of new marketing channels and technology innovations, the survey found that email remains to be the best digital channel for marketing ROI in 2014. Over 62% of respondents rank email marketing as one of the top ROI generators, followed by

• Social media (26%)
• SEO (25%)
• Offline direct marketing (20%)

To achieve the greatest bang for their buck, respondents plan to leverage the leading ROI producers with 76% planning to invest in email marketing and 33% in social media for 2015. A majority (41%) claim that click-through rates are the most important metric in defining email marketing success, while 38% rely on email opens

53% of respondents report that higher click-through rates and email interaction are the number one email marketing priorities for 2015. Others prioritize a more holistic marketing plan (20%), integrating email with mobile and social components

Drawing from the data, Campaigner proposes a list of Marketing Resolutions that to follow in order to have campaigns thrive and produce an enviable ROI.

• Give Social Media a Fair Shot: Take advantage of social media and really quantify by using click-through tracking, email collection and click-through sales among other metrics
• Monitor Technology Advances: Be more concerned and ready to accommodate tech innovations as they develop, and monitor how they alter consumer interaction with their brands
• Prepare for the Wave of Mobile Commerce: 2015 could be the year mobile takes center stage. Marketers see a large number of mobile opens resulting in desktop purchases. As the one-click approach becomes the norm on mobile devices expect a wave of m-commerce as mobile emails and websites continue to become more responsive
• Start 2015 With a New Email Marketing Plan, Based on Data: Use segmentation and A/B testing to try something different and learn from the data to see what will provide the best results to bolster campaigns. This will give a leg up, considering that only 14% of respondents are prioritizing improved data collection and management for 2015
• Take Advantage of Google Inbox: Google Inbox presents a huge opportunity. Partitioned email will be a benefit, as knowing when to send emails can guarantee a spot at the top of the inbox. With more opportunities for valuable interactions, targeted emails will prioritize above competitors in the long run. Tap into transactional emails, which notoriously show the largest rate of interaction with users.

With 2015 here, marketers should be ready to adapt to new technologies and keep attuned to industry changes to guarantee the success of marketing campaigns for this upcoming year, concludes the report.

For additional information, please visit Campaigner here.