Image source: http://blog.lyfemarketing.com/facebook-marketing-company-use-retargeting-get-better-roi/

One of my more interesting takeaways from this digital marketing course was the impact of retargeting advertisements. In the past, retargeting was something that I was aware of, but not something that I consciously thought about. When I saw online advertisements on my Facebook, I didn’t think about how the ads were specifically targeted towards me.

Unsurprisingly, after our discussion of the use of retargeting and how it works on the back end in class, I begun to notice it a whole lot more. Whenever I browse for a product I’m interested in and/or add it into my shopping cart, the advertisement follows me everywhere–both on my phone and laptop. The ads are most prominent on Facebook and Instagram. I find it funny that even items that my friends link me will show up everywhere I go on the web. For example, one of my male friends asked for my opinion on a men’s Ted Baker briefcase. The next day, I immediately saw the ad pop up on my Facebook homepage.

The use of retargeting really reminds me of how little privacy we have when using the Internet. At the same time, however, I am amazed at the power of the web and many business’s ability to use it to their advantage in order to convert someone into a customer, to really give them that final push from consideration to purchase. I have to admit that several times I have ended up making an impulse purchase due to retargeting as well. It is most definitely an effective (albeit sometimes annoying) marketing tool, and it is something that both big and small businesses can look into.

An interesting advancement in digital marketing this year was the integration of chat-bots into businesses today. For example, you could message a clothing company on Facebook and be able to buy their clothing directly from that chat conversation.

The Facebook messenger platform for businesses, which was launched in April this year, allows businesses to create bots and interact with customers on a personal level. Facebook appears to be assimilating everything all into one spot – there is no longer a need to download separate apps to check weather updates, confirm hotel bookings, and purchase items from retailers. With the ever-rising prominence of social media and chat platforms in the past decade, these bots have many positive implications for businesses and customers alike.

If integrated properly, this would greatly improve the user experience as they can purchase items and acquire information through a convenient and familiar experience—online chatting. According to the article “The Anthropology & Future of Chat-Bots & Conversational-Commerce,” bots can reduce around 40% of a major brand’s customer support costs and increase revenue by around 30%. That is a big deal and is something that many companies will definitely use to their advantage. I am both excited and curious about how bots will continue to change the way businesses work and interact with their customers.

Sources:

https://uxmag.com/articles/the-anthropology-future-of-chat-bots-conversational-commerce