The world never stays the same and the same goes for marketing. Every month brings new opportunities to improve your branding and marketing of products. In this article, we have a run-down of the top eight ways that marketing is changing for the better.
1. Social Media Stories
Social media stories are a quick and easy way to experiment with social media. Snapchat is the main purveyor of the idea, but you can also do stories on Instagram and Facebook (though tend to gain fewer viewers on Facebook).
2. All of the channels
Businesses in 2019 need to have multiple channels; you cannot rely on one but cover all avenues. The big trend for 2019, however, is coordinating these channels to make sure that your message is consistent while adapting the format for the channel in question.
This approach is known as ‘omnichannel’ marketing and acknowledges that customers engage with companies in various ways but want consistency above all from a company. Many employees may coordinate multiple channels, but they all need to talk to each other about strategy.
3. Using Social Media Stories
You can upload images and videos, which usually last on stories for 24 hours. Once you have achieved a certain number of followers, you can put links in your stories, making your products or website easy to access. If you want to preserve them for posterity, then you can save them to your ‘highlights’ reel on Instagram. However, stories can be especially useful for their limited time if you want to use them for limited time offers.
4. Influencers
The term ‘influencer’ is everywhere nowadays, used for people with a strong social media following. As part of their work on social media, they often do paid endorsements for a variety of businesses. This approach is especially useful in a world where viewers can skip adverts on YouTube and other platforms. Whereas you are more likely to watch or read an endorsement by your favourite influencer, whom you trust.
However, it is essential to remember that very often so-called ‘influencers’ dislike the term. It is worth doing some research into the individuals that you want to endorse your project and have a look at their brand and whether it fits with your company, rather than taking a shot in the dark.
If your business operates in the United Kingdom, then you must bear in mind the new, stricter regulations that came into force recently: https://www.asa.org.uk/news/new-guidance-launched-for-social-influencers.html
This is not a problem in other countries, but your adverts will be taken down, and you can be fined if you breach the ASA’s regulations in the UK.
5. Crackdown on Fake Followers
Following on from paid endorsements with influencers, it is important to note that social media platforms have been getting more vigilant about fake followers- another change for the better! Law enforcement is even getting involved as it is seen as fraud!
Buying fake followers on social media sites makes a person look more popular than they are. This is why it is necessary if you want to employ an influencer to make sure that the number of likes and comments on their photos/stories correlates with the number of followers they have. Do not just rely on them supposedly having tons of followers.
6. Ultra-Personalised, Automated Email Marketing
Emails can seem like an old-fashioned way of marketing, but they are an incredibly valuable part of a marketing strategy when used appropriately. The key is personalisation and not just a person’s name and basic information.
Tailor the emails you send according to actions that have been or could be taken by your company’s customer. An increasingly common tactic is to send a reminder email to customers who have left items in their online shopping basket but have not yet checked out. This keeps the items, and the company, at the forefront of the customer’s mind. MailChimp offers a lot of behavioral triggers on their platform if you want to take a look: https://mailchimp.com/help/all-the-automation-triggers/
7. Seamless Marketing Strategy
Companies tend to have a marketing plan as well as a social media plan, content marketing plans and several other documents where their intentions and strategy are made clear.
Having different documents is increasingly cumbersome as things become more and more interconnected. In 2019, it makes much more sense to combine these separate plans into one master document. This also enables different departments or employees to see more clearly the benefit of the work others are doing as well as making them work better together. The same method should also be applied to analytics to make sure you have a cohesive picture of your company’s marketing performance.
8. Improve Criteria for Lead Qualification
Your company only has a certain amount of time to work with, so it is crucial to be efficient and work smart. What kind of customer means more to you: higher paying but one-off or lower-paying but ongoing? Create a system that allows your company to flag and prioritise those opportunities to improve the way you manage your time and energy.
9. Content Marketing
Content marketing is another less traditional advertising strategy that is increasing its appeal in 2019. Producing helpful well-written content is an excellent way to get your company’s name out there as a reputable source of information; winning the trust of prospective customers without being pushy.
