It’s a great time for a fresh start. Renew your dedication to keep moving forward by looking at trends in marketing that can benefit your business.
Digital remains part of the mix:
Forbes predicts digital offerings replacing live, in-person presentations will be permanent.
Though the multi-sensory joy and excitement of being at a live ticketed event cannot be exactly replicated, having a virtual link to access at showtime, or on your own time, can increase participation. It may prompt participants ambivalent about attending to register digitally and redirect what they would have spent on pre-event meal costs and safe ride-sharing services directly to your bottom-line instead. Expand your social media and online opportunities to engage your target audience.
Social will increase as a purchasing platform: More than just generating awareness, Facebook and other platforms can generate sales by directly appealing to consumers and promoting purchases within the platform.
Buyers want their favorite brands to offer curated experiences: By collecting data, companies know the buying history of consumers already. They can offer the personal touch of being a virtual concierge to suggest what a consumer might want to purchase or experience next, even before the consumer is aware it exists – similar to a sneak preview meets a personal shopper. Directly delivering buying options that fit the buyer’s profile can augment the buyer’s brand loyalty.
Events will retain virtual components due to safety and necessity: Live networking among stakeholders – whether in associations or corporate gatherings – can be a friendly reunion where as much business or more is done in hospitality suites as on the trade-show floor. Safety and travel considerations will continue, and virtual programming will remain a top focus. Companies have already realized live-event duration can be compressed. More participants can attend when costs and duration timelines are reduced, or participants may want to combine a pleasurable stay before or after business if the destination is a lure. Marketers will need to focus on providing dynamic programming to lure participants to leave the comfort of their computer screens behind. When possible, avoid pre-recorded events to capture the live feel of the presentation. It will seem more authentic if people are receiving the message in real time.
Social media precision: Though there is value in being everywhere that your customers are, focus on the social channels that make the most sense for your brand and followers.
Embracing new technology: Some tools, such as augmented reality and virtual reality, will continue being integrated into marketing plans.
Revisit your customers: Everybody learned a lot during the pandemic. Maybe it was that watching a presentation on demand rather than attending in person at a specific time is preferable. Or, discovering just how much you can order and have arrive at your doorstep when you’re operating remotely. See what your customers are thinking now. They may have abandoned some of their previous preferences. Find out what they need now and then do your best to deliver.
Continue email marketing: This is still a great way to stay in front of your customers, especially if you’re not sure when they will stand physically in front of you again. Adweek reported that Google’s Chrome browser will stop supporting third-party cookies by early 2022. Interacting with consumers who opt-in and prefer to receive email content from you remains a valuable option.
Video remains a powerful tool: When you can’t be sitting in the front row witnessing the excitement of a new product launch, emulate the feeling with video. And remember that consumers may expect a look and feel that further embraces the promise of delivering on initiatives of diversity and inclusion in marketing.
Let your customers see the authentic company: Peel back the curtain and let your customers get to know you, your employees, how you’re ingrained in the fabric of the community, etc.; consumers want to feel good about the entities with whom they choose to do business.
So, what’s next? Baker Creative, an award-winning brand strategy firm, can help you. We effectively map the customer journey with insights and creative assets to ensure you’re appealing in a targeted, understanding fashion to your customers the way they want to be reached. Why spin your wheels when you could be riding a bigger wave of return on investment? We will provide the tools to help you and your organization reach your customers and the level of success you seek.
