The hottest marketing trend on the strategy block is content marketing. The allure of storytelling in marketing (through text, videos, photos and graphics) hits all the sweet spots: emotions, education and empowerment.

According to Marketing Land, storytelling is engaging, relatable and often draws on empathy. When an audience member identifies with a character, their mindset may change — which can help inspire action, whether it's filling out a form, sharing content, commenting on a post or clicking the "Buy" button.

It's a new year. Fresh starts typically replace old habits during this season, but that might leave your partnerships (and income) uncertain. As your clients evaluate their expenditures from the previous year and dig into 2018 budgets, rise above their bottom line projections and make a personal impact. Focus on client retention.

It's common knowledge that acquiring a new client costs more than nurturing an established one. Marketing Land explained that this concept of "retention marketing" should be part of your B2B strategy, with an emphasis placed on customer experience. Retaining your current clients gives you more opportunities to up-sell, or cross-sell, as you develop new products and services. Plus, pricing isn't as much of a concern because existing customers already appreciate the value you provide.

So, how can you be sure that your clients stick with you in 2018? The answer is simple: Focus on their needs — not yours.

Everyone from late-night television hosts to your aging relatives thinks they have the millennial generation figured out — and that's the problem. These generational stereotypes may be good for a laugh, but they do a disservice to brands seeking to reach customers in this age bracket.

The huge population of millennial parents is a good indication of this problem. According to research from Barkley, 40 percent of millennials are already parents. In many cases, this group of millennials has little in common with the stereotypes associated with young customers. So how can brands market to millennial parents in a way that resonates with them?

If the term "psychographics" brings to mind images of lava lamps and tie-dye shirts, think again.

Psychographic marketing isn't a throwback to 1970s business promotion techniques, but rather a marketing approach that focuses on human attitudes and interests. Here's some insight into psychographics, and tips for putting them to work for you.

What are Psychographics?

When marketers dig into the psychographics of their target customers, they're learning about behaviors, values, interests, opinions, attitudes and activities. This approach often augments traditional demographics-based audience personas.

The growing number of online purchases has officially eclipsed in-store transactions, according to data from comScore. But while the number of face-to-face experiences is declining, brands are arguably more connected to their customer bases than ever before.

Thanks to social media, online chat tools and other tech-enabled solutions, customers can quickly and easily raise questions, address concerns and provide feedback. However, there's one especially personal method that stands above all others: video responses.

Video may seem time-consuming and challenging, especially for smaller businesses with fewer resources. But thanks to the proliferation of cutting-edge gadgets and ever-present smartphones, sending personalized videos to your customers now takes mere minutes. Here's why video responses are so powerful, and how you can use them to boost customer satisfaction.

Before breaking out party hats and kazoos to usher in the new year, your marketing strategy deserves a final evaluation. After all, how can you draft your 2018 marketing plan without knowing what worked (and what didn't) in 2017?

This process, often referred to as a "post-mortem review," is an in-depth evaluation at the completion of a project. The University of California noted that the reflection allows everyone on the team to provide feedback in a structured way.

It might be hard to believe, but the holiday shopping season is upon us. You may be eager to implement your holiday strategy after months of careful planning, but it's important not to overlook one key component: marketing to Hispanic consumers.

ThinkNow Research noted that the Hispanic market has been very receptive to advertising in recent years, and one-third of Hispanic shoppers will spend more this holiday season than they did last year. Here are three steps you can take to make the most of this marketing opportunity.

With the holiday season just around the corner, retailers across America are preparing for annual shopping events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Though less publicized, preparations in the dining industry can be just as intense. QSR Magazine reported that more than 33 million Americans eat at a restaurant on Thanksgiving or Black Friday, and 1 in 10 people dine out on Christmas Eve.

Now is a great time for restaurants to prepare for the rush of holiday dining in the coming months. With a plan to maximize the value of this busier season, you can turn one-time diners into repeat customers. Here are a few holiday dining incentives to drive more people to your eatery.

For the past few years, the marketing world has largely prioritized millennials, a group dubbed by Digiday as "the most studied generation in history." But there's another group that may prove even more important to reach: Generation Z.

According to The New York Times, this generation includes people born between 1996 and 2010. Though most Gen Zers are still relatively young, The Huffington Post reported that by 2020, this group will account for 40 percent of all customers.

So, how will marketers reach this generation? Here are six strategies you can use to connect with the customers of the future.

Expectations have never been higher. Thanks to innovative technology and increased competition, people understand that a better customer experience is available to them — and they're willing to look for the brands that can offer it.

The onus is on businesses to improve their approach to customers. Personalization and customization shape the customer experience, and marketing is now required to engage with individuals at an unprecedented level. If you haven't already embraced a customer-centric marketing strategy, you could be risking your company's future by resisting the transition.