A study carried out by NTT DATA and MIT Technology Review showed that Instagram is the preferred social network for companies, followed by Facebook and LinkedIn
Finding the consumer where he is has always been one of the great challenges for companies. In recent years, digital channels have consolidated themselves as a means for this interaction — and the pandemic has only accelerated the process. To evaluate and show how digital marketing is growing in organizations, NTT DATA and the MIT Technology Review in Spanish have just released the study DIGITAL MARKETING IN LATIN AMERICA: The customer experience as the center of business strategy.
The study showed that 70% of the companies interviewed increased investments in digital marketing in 2021 - and intend to increase in the coming years. Currently, digital marketing spend accounts for 60% of all marketing spend. Over the next five years, that share should increase to 85%, according to respondents.
The study also revealed that 40% of the surveyed companies have technological tools such as data visualization, analytics and SEO, in addition to having digital assets such as social networks, website or CRM. And 57% follow an annual planning of campaigns, from a more general alignment to a more personalized one along the customer's digital journey.
Currently, 90% of the companies interviewed have a digital marketing strategy. Three years ago, that number was at 40%. And 44% of them managed to reach the objectives (KPIs — Key Performance Indicator) in the areas involved in the business. In addition, 28% claim to have been able to align it with business objectives, optimizing and evaluating regularly.
“With the study, we discovered that data-driven marketing is important to know what customers are looking for”, says Ricardo Cury, head of Customer & Innovation and leader of Digital Marketing at NTT DATA Brasil. “For this, it is important to establish a strategy with a consumer-focused vision, reaching them with the right message, taking into account their emotional and functional needs.”
favorite social network
Instagram appeared as the preferred social network for 87% of companies. Then come Facebook (76%) and LinkedIn (53%) and YouTube (53%). TikTok was pointed out by 18%, but it is expected to appear as the third main social network in Latin America in 2022.
The most used tools
Among the most important tools for companies in the region are CRM (according to 82% of respondents), SEO (59%), campaign management tools (57%) and social listening tools (38%).
Specifically, with regard to SEO, 59% of Latin American companies use SEO tools in their digital marketing strategy. When asked about the relevance of SEO in their business, 61% of the companies stated that they are at an intermediate level and two others more advanced in their digital marketing strategies.
“Reaching the customer, so that he acquires the products or services, is a great challenge for marketing professionals. And if something has been learned in recent years, marked more than ever by the needs of companies and consumers, it is that it is mandatory to adapt, be flexible and use the appropriate and up-to-date tools”, says Ricardo Cury.
Cury also highlights the importance of the metaverse — and its virtual and augmented reality solutions — to generate a user experience that blends the real and virtual worlds. “It is expected that this world of virtual experiences will become a multiplicity of interfaces for the sale of goods and services”, says the leader of Digital Marketing at NTT DATA Brasil.
Leaders from 60 companies in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru responded to the study.
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