CEO at No Joke Marketing, demand generation agency focused on ROI and results. Dad, former CMO of Guerrilla Marketing, bestselling author.
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The digital world is constantly changing. In fact, some say that you need to change your marketing strategy every six months or else you’re done for. However, certain trends have emerged over the years that are still applicable today and will likely continue into tomorrow.
Far too often, business owners, entrepreneurs and marketers want that next best thing. They get bored quickly and want that next adrenaline high. The fact of the matter is that the three trends they need to master have been staring at them for years. With each trend, I will provide you an additional outlet to check out to ensure you stay ahead of the curve. My suggestion is that you do not execute the emerging trend until you are fully capitalizing on the suggested tried-and-true method of digital marketing.
1. Social Media Marketing
Social media marketing is one of the best ways to get your business known. This strategy involves using social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to create a buzz about products or services for businesses. In terms of social media, Facebook is still the king. It has over 1 billion daily active users, making it a great tool for businesses. Not only should you have an active personal page, but a business page and also a group or two that allow you to nurture an audience in a closed-door setting. Consider Facebook Groups, for instance. Groups allow innumerable active members to join various communities based on interest. Groups are casual and informative, and they’re a great place to showcase and grow your brand.
Emerging trend: One of the latest trends I’ve been seeing is the increasing popularity of Clubhouse, which is an audio-chat social networking app that provides a platform for people to discuss business and finance topics in an interesting way that grabs their attention. I recommend checking out Dennis Yu on Clubhouse. He has built a following of over 10,000 fans in just a short timespan.
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2. Video Marketing
It is important to create videos for marketing your products and services because it enables you to connect with your audience in a personal way. Also, people and businesses alike are more likely to purchase from someone they know, and video can help people feel like they know you. According to Hubspot, 90% of customers say video helped influence their buying decision.
Make sure you are using videos across your website, your social media accounts and platforms, and your advertisements. Use video everywhere. With everything going on in the world, raw video has become commonplace. The days of needing a fancy video company or studio are long over. Grab an iPhone and a microphone (like the Rode Wireless Go), and start recording.
One of the fastest ways to generate ideas for videos is to simply look at what questions your customers are asking and shoot a video on each. For example, if you were a child care center owner, your customers (parents) might ask questions like:
• What is the tuition?
• Why is your center better than the other down the street?
• How many kids are in the classroom?
• What are your Covid-19 protocols?
• How safe is your facility?
Video provides an opportunity for you to answer the burning questions your audience is dying to ask.
Emerging trend: TikTok. Yes, this could go under social media as well, but Tiktok is a video platform. Tiktok is very different from other video platforms because it focuses on the creator. In fact, most of the videos are only a few seconds long. A great example of a company using TikTok for branding is Nike. It’s using its account as a way to advertise products and post inspirational quotes from famous athletes.
3. Influencer Marketing
Influencer marketing is a great way to market your business because it’s effective and cost-efficient. It creates a tight-knit community between you, your customers and influencers. If you are a local business, while the pool of influencers is likely smaller (unless you’re in a city like Los Angeles where everyone appears to be an influencer), the amount of money you need to invest goes down as well.
Let me give you an example. Let’s say that a candy store is about to launch its new peanut butter and jelly flavor, so it wants to try to spread the word as much as possible. The store can contact local influencers in its area and offer them free candy in exchange for a mention of this new product on social media. This way, when people see these influencers sharing pictures of themselves with the delicious snack, other people will be more likely to buy it too.
Imagine if you did that five times over every month. This type of marketing will likely give you a much better return than investing thousands of dollars in radio advertising or TV but typically doesn’t cost as much as traditional methods.
Emerging trend: Influencers are no longer just a one-hit-wonder. Once you’ve developed a working relationship with influencers, they could be an integral part of your company’s success in the future. One way to do this is by giving influencers a stake in your company for continued promotion and engagement. By widening our partnerships with influencers, we can improve everyone’s pocketbook while maintaining their quality of work. A rising tide raises all boats.
There you have it: Social media, video marketing and influencer marketing are three digital marketing trends that can take your business to new heights. These three should be at the core of your strategy as a big brand or small local business. It doesn’t matter whether you have lots of money for advertising or not because these three approaches can help make your company grow with little investment. Think of guerrilla marketing: Use your time, energy and imagination instead of solely money to produce better marketing results.
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Author: Michael Tasner, Forbes Councils Member
