New marketing theories will dominate the scene during this new decade. The old standard of content marketing will continue to rule though. That’s because most of the new trends will continue to rely on content. So the trick would be to continue to build a solid base with consistent quality content, with an aim to be successful.
So….what specific trends are we looking ahead for while technology advances rapidly? There is a strong desire to make marketing more human again. We agree it’s time to add the luster back into customer service. Data-driven technology will certainly play a big role, but companies are leaning towards the human aspect and “people” not technology is the new focus.
The year of the customer
Seeing this huge shift, 2020 will be the year of the customer. The top priority is speeding towards building first-class customer experiences. Marketing becomes a cinch if you build a new positive business culture that ensures the customer will keep coming back for more of a good thing. Online content has given consumers more power in their quest to learn more about products.
They are doing the legwork to discover what they need fixed and who can fix it.
But traditional aspects considered as marketing’s domain are still working their magic. Last year’s list of “Must Haves” still dominate the landscape. That would include up-to-date technology, an easy mobile experience, defined brand image, and brilliant design all add up to providing optimum customer experience. So we now can move forward and keep our customers while attracting new ones.
The first task at hand is to make sure your employees understand who their best customer is. They can support the initiative to provide an efficient and friendly service and a supporting attitude. They are the public face of your brand so concentrating on interactions between your employees and your customers should play a key role in developing your marketing strategy.
Be sure that they want your business to succeed as much as you do. Build a solid foundation to ensure every employee understands and is aligned with your brand mission and values. It is important to establish a high level of employee engagement when you are dedicated to providing top-notch customer experiences. So try to hire those who align with your values
Visual is new Marketing
Businesses need to end the theory that “readable” content is more important than visuals and design. Lots of image-focused platforms have proven that people still prefer visual content to text. So do not neglect visual content. Especially since we are now gearing up to a new generation of consumers and millennials say they prefer visuals to any other new technology.
Data visualizations and infographics, images, and videos added to your text not only make it more interesting and attractive but can help your message to be more easily absorbed too.
Now Add Video
Live video is incredibly popular with consumers today and becoming the most popular way for consumers to learn about new products. Live video is even more engaging because the audience feels they’re a part of it. It is great for grabbing the attention of your social audience on either Facebook or Instagram. The consumer wants to feel like they are the first to discover or to uncover some exciting product news.
Strategic and Personal
Now change your fundamental business processes and procedures to align with the overall goals of your business. Transform your marketing plan; this is called a strategic marketing transformation. Companies have to re-think “beyond” and link everything back to the “why”. Getting really complex yet?
Undergoing a marketing transformation helps companies improve customer service and experience. That, in turn, helps to boost brand awareness and reputation. Hey, we are aiming to ultimately increase revenue and profits.
We can achieve benefits through a combination of data collection, modern technology, and customer relationships. So, if you are striving to improve your online presence define your goals and determine which marketing tactics you will put into place to reach your customers. Then devise a plan for how every part of the organization will be involved in these tactics. Essentially the customer experience can now be considered in every facet of business activity.
Is SEO still king?
One major shift in SEO in the last decade is the growth of mobile and voice search. Your own searching behavior has probably changed too due to Google adjustments that help us get information quicker and more efficiently.
Now you do not need to click into the website, Google has displayed whatever pertinent information required right on the search results page. Right now most people searching read the top information which is what most businesses aim for.
Consider Voice search
Voice search option is not slowing down and will continue to influence how brands create content and market themselves. This new search option will bring new challenges and opportunities. If your brand isn’t ready for smart speaker advertising, your content should be optimized for voice search.
Voice searchers use a search query differently. They are geared towards longer, more conversational questions. So your content will need to directly serve this. You will want to be able to answer any questions, think of the many possibilities!
What about robots?
There is a huge increase in businesses using Artificial Intelligence in technology and automation. This, in turn, assists in their marketing efforts. Artificial Intelligence is the technology behind voice searches, smart assistants and chatbots. If you haven’t noticed these additions are popping up on many websites recently and crafting a fantastic customer experience. So, though they do not replace real live people, they enhance the marketing website experience.
Predictive analytics is working to send important data to businesses who want to learn more about their audience. This provides a marketing edge that enables the personalization of customer experience and fine-tunes the marketing message.
Focus on Customer Retention
So rather than attracting new customers, look to focus on retaining your old ones because recurring customers are more valuable than new customers. It costs five times as much to attract a new customer as it does to keep a loyal one. That equates to an effort to keep your customers happy.
They also help to increase awareness of your brand as they’ll talk about your company and products with their friends and family. So, essentially they become positive influencers, free brand ambassadors. And, we cannot be long term successful without them!
*Image by Dale Forbes from Pixabay