As technology is rapidly changing so too should your marketing strategy. Let’s face it, we all rely on technology and if you are not keeping up with the latest trends and updating your business, you could get left behind.
Marketing statistics from 2014 saw a huge increase in social media advertising and the launch of bigger and better smartphones also saw a turn in mobile advertising.
In fact, for the last few years, mobile advertising is growing at a rapid rate, and if you are yet to take a piece of this marketing pie then you may be missing out.
Based on the trends from last year and predictions from expert marketers, here are the 5 top marketing trends that you need to be using:
1.) Mobile Advertising
Ok, mobile advertising is nothing new, but getting savvy about how and when to advertise on mobile devices is paramount. Today, more and more consumers are using their mobile to scan websites and make purchases. Google’s algorithm is also now going to be favouring mobile friendly websites, which means that if you have not configured your site for the digital age, you will get left behind.
Make your mobile site touch-screen friendly and keep your CTA’s simple, clear and easy to navigate through. If you are running an advertising campaign, tailor your ads for mobile devices and consider advertising on apps.
Alternatively, if it is suitable for your company, why not launch your own app? More and more consumers rely on their smartphones and tablets for information. If you can be right there on their smartphone home screen you are more likely to have a customer for life.
2.) Aim Higher With Content Distribution
It is no longer good enough to just share your content on Facebook, partly because their algorithm is tricky and also because people’s feeds are clogged with competing content. It is time to expand your horizons and stretch your content further afield onto sites such as LinkedIn, StumbleUpon and Tumblr.
In fact, analysts have predicted that LinkedIn has become a top new favourite content sharing platform as it is more versatile than Facebook and appeals to a very specific demographic. One report found that 94% of B2B marketers used LinkedIn as they found it to be one of the most effective content platforms available.
The report also found that Flickr, StumbleUpon, FourSquare, Tumblr, Vine and SnapChat were also effective content sharing platforms.
3.) Nurture your Audience
It is a common misconception when it comes to internet marketing that more is better. Since the history of the internet, businesses have been working out ways to drive huge volumes of traffic to their site in the hopes of generating a sale. While this is all well and good, there is just far too much competing content on the internet these days to make this a viable strategy. Instead of focusing on huge traffic volume, businesses instead should be nurturing the audience they have and trying to increase their conversion rate.
One way to nurture your audience is by giving them a personalised experience. This includes everything from writing their name on their emails to responding to their comments and questions.
One study found that when marketers used a more personable approach with their emails, they improved click through rates by 14 percent and conversion rates up to 10 percent.
Also, keep this in mind when offering ads and pop-ups on your site. According to one report, 74% of consumers feel frustrated when a site offers an ad or service that is irrelevant to the content. On the flip side, another study found that sites that offer a personalised experience see increased conversions by up to 19%.
4.) Social Media Integration
We talked about sharing content on different social platforms, but integrating social media into your website is another ball game altogether. Adding social sharing options to websites, blogs, ads and emails can not only increase conversions but can also help hook your audience into becoming life long customers.
One research report found that by adding social sharing buttons to email messages there was a 150% increased click through rate. This is in line with similar studies that have found social shares help to increase engagement and help build followers.
Cross promotion across multiple social media platforms is also beneficial and it is worth keeping up to date with the latest trends.
5.) Smartwatches
This is going to be one of the biggest challenges for marketers in the coming years. Wearable devices are a rapidly growing industry and companies who are focusing their sites here are definitely going to have a leg up on the competition. One report found that 68% of businesses in the US were keeping up to date on smartwatch technology in order to better understand how to use it to market to customers. Statistics have also shown that consumers are 45% more likely to own a wearable by 2016.
This is definitely an area to keep watching and researching so you can decide how you are going to integrate this technology into your marketing strategy.
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