2020, quite a year we’ve had! It has been a year of obstacles, changes, and uncertainty. 2021 has brought about a tremendous amount of changes in the marketing trends.
A huge chunk of marketing strategies has drifted from direct and physical marketing to online-based marketing. Even in online marketing, techniques and methods that were not frequently used earlier play an inextricable role. There’s a frequent change in the trend and practices, which makes it possible to reach, connect and maintain relations with customers in a way that has never been possible.
What will keep you one step ahead?
Marketing trends prevailing today will keep you a step ahead. Keeping up with the new trends and using them for the burgeoning of marketing accomplishments.
What makes knowing and using marketing trends necessary?
- It helps with knowing how the customer researches the product and services and uses it to favour a better marketing outcome.
- Plays a significant role in maintaining customer contact by forecasting their behaviour and analyzing their needs.
- Marketing trends allow you to know the customer behaviour going about in the targeted audience for optimal growth.
- Discontinuing the strategies which are no longer efficient and bringing in more sustainable ones for the present scenario.
- Finding ways to stay ahead of competitors and delivering an efficient service and product to the targeted audience.
- Even when a product reaches its maturity phase, keeping up with marketing trends and customer behaviour will lay the groundwork for a prolonged life cycle.
There is always an ongoing change in the world of marketing trends which keep changing frequently. So here are the top marketing trends which will aid you in your marketing strategies.
1. Inbound marketing
Due to the prevailing pandemic, there has been a significant spike in online events, which has paved the way for inbound marketing. As it becomes difficult to reach the targeted customers through outbound marketing. A survey by HubSpot revealed that acquiring leads through inbound strategies is 61% less expensive than outbound leads.
Inbound marketing can help you create a trusted brand name digitally and steer the customer towards your product. In addition, it enables you to tailor your marketing strategies. In order to engage the customer with your content.
2. Manoeuvre the customer to be our promoters
Maintaining good customer relations with the help of vital customer service and sales teams can lead to a ton of happy customers who are ready to back your product and even promote it in-person or online. A Salesforce survey reveals that after a positive customer service experience, 89% of consumers are more likely to make another purchase.
Getting in touch with customers through social platforms and keeping them up to date about the advancements and developments in your products encourages them to try it out and suggest it to the people in need.
3. Taking the lead using content marketing
Content marketing plays a vital role in drawing targeted audiences by channeling the curiosity of the customer. Using unique content ideas to create content such as blogs, ebooks, video content, you can provide immense value to the customer. As per Demand Metrics, Content marketing generates 3X leads compared to traditional marketing though it costs 62% less.
Customers tend to research first before engaging with the product, and 86% of customers engage with the product if they find a suitable option as per their demand while studying the same.
4. Vine the way to top
It is making and spreading video content to leave an image in the customer’s head. Video marketing has always been a tool but never was as potent as it has been for the past year due to the ongoing pandemic. According to wyzowl, 84% of video marketers accepted that videos are helping them to generate leads.
Even straightforward video content can create a massive ripple for exponential promotion. The video content should be carefully tailored so that it resonates with the targeted audience.
5. Using native advertising for more precise targeting
Native advertising is a way of advertising where websites are paid to feature the content. Native advertising is designed to blend in and introduce the product or the brand to a broader, more precisely targeted audience who wouldn’t have known about this otherwise.
6. Using ephemeral social media marketing for a better impact
Different types of content succeed over various platforms. For example, stories over Instagram and Facebook come under ephemeral media as they disappear after 24 hours. It is also widely known as temporary media.
People are drawn towards these as these are short on point and designed to be very attractive to the target audience. In addition, high-resolution UX and gif’s make it more exciting and easier to capture the audience’s attention.
7. Having a base of micro-influencers
Influencer marketing has evolved drastically over the past decade as micro-influencers found a way to capture a big audience through social media.
Nowadays, having a base of micro-influencers gives out a better output than having a single celebrity who is well known but doesn’t have a targeted audience. Moreover, content created by micro-influencers using your product can open up ways for you.
8. Search engine optimization for optimum reach
Search engine optimization includes using words/tags that are mostly related to the keywords that are searched.
According to the search engine, optimization makes it easier for a business to come into the view of a potential customer.
9. Having a mobile-friendly website
Most of the users of the internet access it through more portable devices like mobile phones. Therefore, having a mobile phone-friendly website that is interactive and tailored according to the phone aspect ratio goes a long way.
Customers are more likely to stay on the website while using a phone if the website is user-friendly.
10. Use of chatbots on a website
90% of customers expect a response from the support team within the first 5 minutes of contact, which is not possible. Therefore using a chatbot to do the heavy lifting has always been a better alternative.
Bots are designed to automate specific tasks like chatting. Therefore, they are easy to interact with and provide the customer with a quick and hassle-free experience.
Summing Up
These were the ten marketing trends which will allow you to have a tighter grip over the marketing game. Each move played in marketing plays a vital role in the outcome, so it is necessary to know about all the options before jumping head over heels.
Finding out what’s best for your business is only possible by trying it out practically. New trends emerge with advancements, and adapting to them is the trend we all shall follow to keep up with the fast-moving marketing industry.