With the emerging technological development market, there is a decreasing need for traditional advertising and an increasing need for algorithmic accuracy and interactivity. As such, upcoming marketing trends cannot be fully understood without considering the influence of consumer behavior. These are the two main directions in which marketing will continue to evolve and use to its advantage. Analyzing the need for interactivity shows that some tendencies will be of more use than others to achieve a loyal brand community. This will in turn support the brand’s marketing efforts.
Our Attachment to Our Phones
There is no denying that our phones rule everything, including the marketing world. The miniature computers in our pockets are how we keep in touch with our friends and family, read the news, surf socials, and kill time when we find ourselves bored. But, they have transcended the status of mere channel of communication and have become an intrinsic part of that communication. People now associate mobile devices with connection and sharing, which is why they’re slowly becoming more receptive to mobile marketing. Brands that have integrated the use of smartphone based campaigns in their marketing roll-outs appear more like a friend to the user/consumer and can reap the benefits of a seemingly personal relationship.
Ensure That Your Brand Lives Digitally
With the brands we work with at Glewee, it is quintessential to run ads on social because that is where the intended audience spends their waking moments. Finding a way to squeeze your brand into just two seconds of someone’s feed will remind people that your brand still exists, and they’ll be more likely to check out your page if they’re interested in what they see. Running these social based campaigns can be done in many forms such as sponsored posts on social feeds, Google Ads running on YouTube and search engines, and paid placement on popular blog / news article sites. Staying in the know means living in the now… which translates to your brand living digitally.
Big Data Analytics
The research process can be done much faster and more cheaply by employing the use of computer programs that can identify consumer trends more efficiently, leading to a better understanding of what people want. Research becomes progressively guided by scientific principles, and the human element lessens in importance, offering credible explanations for a certain behavior and tangible predictions, thereby improving risk management. Having more information about their audience will soon allow brands to achieve the ideal of end-to-end attribution, which will allow them to craft the perfect message to “hit” their target. If you are unfamiliar with how big of a role Big Data plays in our everyday lives on our phones, laptops, and server networks; I suggest watching The Social Dilemma documentary on Netflix.
Data Mining
Computer programs are involved not only in research but also in the evaluation process, which has the important purpose of helping companies understand if their marketing efforts have reached the desired results. But “vanity metrics,” which look at the number of shares, tweets, or likes, aren’t always the best ways to indicate the success of a social media campaign. That is why new, accurate tools should be employed to obtain more measurable results. By implementing various forms of data mining into your socials, on your website, and through email campaigns you will be able to learn more information about the user journey of your customers and identify what they like best and least about your company and its’ digital presence.
The Creation of Relevant Content
Since the future of marketing rests on interactivity, the two-way street of communication has to be reflected in the messages that a business conveys to its audience. Messages are no longer focused on the brand but on what the brand can do for its community, how it can support people’s dreams, and how it can solve their problems. That can only be done through relevant content, which should be written in a way that attracts consumers to the business by following inbound marketing principles. Consumers also want to see more pictures, gifs, and videos, which can successfully be employed through various channels like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter in order to increase conversion rates.
The Use of Influencers
Who are the kings and queens of the internet in today’s world? Who is creating products to sell to the masses while simultaneously promoting other products to their followers? Who is creating trends and setting social fads that are followed and replicated by millions of users online? You guessed it, the influencers. As an influencer grows their audience, they also grow the amount of free products that come their way. Some influencers are promoting so many products to their audience that their followers can’t identify which promotions are paid and which are organic. Being able to find influencers that match your brand and paying them to promote your product is a great way to grow brand awareness and drive impressions to your socials. If you are looking to find new influencers for new social campaigns, sign up for Glewee’s exclusive influencer platform here
Keeping Up with The Trends
With new platforms like TikTok and Triller hitting the marketplace and playing such an integral role in the data consumption of Gen Z users, it’s almost like low hanging fruit to capitalize on these. In order to keep up with the times you need to keep up with the trends. There has never been a time in the history of social media where trends are being created and consumed by the masses in such a short period of time. Each week there are new sounds, dances, expressions, and trends created on TikTok that are seen by over 100 million users. If your company is focusing on growing social, you must have someone on your team who is in touch with the trends, and can easily integrate these trends into small campaigns. If you really want to hit the viral jackpot, you should be brainstorming ways in which your company can pioneer a TikTok trend including your product or service.
User-Generated Content
With the increased use of ad blockers, it’s evident that people are willing to do whatever it takes to be protected from unsolicited advertising. That’s why marketing will change its appearance even more to look less intrusive, which can be achieved via the growing number of social networks and virtual communities. Marketing is gaining a new dimension that is social rather than promotional, evolving in this interactive direction. People who spend hours a day on social feeds can identify an organic post from a blatantly paid advertisement in the blink of an eye. People rarely even look to see if the post is sponsored, they are just wired to scroll right past it because they didn’t sign up to see it. Find a way to integrate the idea of user generated content into your campaigns and don’t invest all of your money into paid social feed ads.
Get People Talking
One of the largest growing vehicles of media over the past year is podcasting. People have turned to podcasts to brighten their day on car rides, while getting ready, and during exercise times to feel like they’re constantly a part of the conversation. With the growth of the podcast industry at an all time high, there is just about a great podcast for any field of interest. These podcast owners and contributors make all their money through verbal advertisements by talking about products, services, and companies. A great feature of podcasting is that it’s hard to see what is paid and what is organic influence in an audio space. By having influential podcasts talking about your company the audience will learn about your offerings. If they like what they hear, they’ll check out your website and socials and be more likely to share the information with their friends. Everyone loves to talk about what they learned on their favorite podcast, give them something new to talk about!
By following mathematical algorithms to increase interactivity, marketing will become more grounded in the realm of positive sciences. By basing its principles on facts, marketing will be able to construct pragmatic and abstract models for better predictions and more profitable results. As we continue to grow in this social sphere, we will see new tactics deployed to drive products and services to users online. I guarantee that right now, if you open up Instagram and scroll your finger down the feed three to four times you will be served a paid advertisement. It’s like we can’t escape them. But, knowing what to do with this information and the influx of products in our faces is key. And that’s what will drive sales moving forward.
