The marketing environment is constantly changing and evolving. Is your business keeping up with the pace? We’ve compiled a list of the five biggest trends in marketing for this year. Jump on board with these changes before you get left behind.
- Customer Experience is King
The customer always comes first, right? Well that’s true now more than ever. Companies are realizing that their biggest marketing assets are their customers. The best marketing is word-of-mouth, so providing the best experience for your customers is crucial. It’s essential to match your marketing initiatives to meet your customers’ needs and wants. Customer engagement is no longer on a private telephone call, it’s on social media for everyone to see. So your customer service is front and center as a marketing strategy.
2. Brand Ambassadors
This is closely related to the idea of customer service as a marketing initiative. Your most loyal customers are your greatest marketers. Treat them well and reward them for spreading the word about your brand. Many of the top brands are using highly influential bloggers, celebrities and other social media stars to rep their products and services. People are much more likely to believe the opinion of another person than advertisements directly from a brand.
3. Video
This is the year of the video! You’ve probably been using more and more video without even realizing it. YouTube, Snapchat, Periscope, Instagram, Vine . . . we’re inundated with more video than ever before. Use it to your advantage and get your brand on these platforms. Though video marketing has been building for a while, streaming is really just starting to take off. Use apps like Periscope to send live broadcasts to your customers.
4. Organic Storytelling
Customers don’t want in-your-face advertisements telling them what to do. Today’s consumers are more educated than ever before–they are researching products and services, talking to friends online, listening to bloggers–before they make buying decisions. Provide your potential customers with something of value that they will want to consume and share. Whether it’s a viral video they will share with all their friends or a free guide to download on your website, make their interaction worthwhile for them.
5. Mobile
If you haven’t gone mobile yet, you’ve already been left in the dust. 2016 is the year that mobile ad viewing officially overtakes desktop. So that means your online marketing efforts need to fit their mobile devices. Ensure that your website is mobile-friendly and that ad campaigns are optimized for mobile. Don’t forget to consider an app for your business as well.
Ready to rock your 2016 marketing plan with these new trends? Contact Communitech today!
What trends do you have to add to our list?