Have you seen the fidget spinners? Sometimes today’s hottest trends soon fade off into memory, but other times they have staying power. Many people predicted social media was going to be a fad, but it has transformed our culture.
With the pace of change that’s happening in digital marketing, you don’t have to jump on every new trend. However, you should be aware of what’s happening and incorporate new trends in your own strategy where it makes sense. Trying new approaches and testing to see what works for you is an integral part of marketing today. In this recording of a webinar we did for SCORE Montgomery County , you’ll learn about current trends in 2017 digital marketing and how you can use these to grow your business.
Here’s a summary of the main points covered in the video:
Mobile
Mobile doesn’t really belong in a “trends” story, as it is one of those phenomena that has already radically changed our world. I mention it however, because this is a case where consumers are out in front of businesses in terms of adoption. Our customers have changed the way they want to do business, but many businesses still haven’t adapted how they serve their customers in a mobile world.
Did you know?
- Web browsing, searches, emails, and social media: each of these now has more use on mobile devices than on desktop devices in the US.
- Over 5.6 hours a day are spent online and 3 of those are spent on mobile devices.
- Advertising spending on the internet will soon exceed television and mobile ad spending exceeds desktop spending.
- 1 in 5 minutes of mobile time is spent on Facebook.
What can you do?
If you aren’t looking at how your customers and prospects find you and interact with you on mobile, stop right now and pull up your website or one of your email communications on your phone. Do you like the results?
- A mobile responsive website, where your website adjusts to different screen sizes, is key not only to customer experience, but also to getting found in Google!
- Emails need to be quick, focused, and easy to read without pinching and zooming.
- Test your social media posts on mobile devices as well as desktop for formatting.
Live Video
Video is starting to dominate online use and dramatically increases user engagement. The newest trend is sharing live video using platforms like Facebook Live, Periscope, Snapchat and YouTube Live.
Did you know?
- By the end of 2017, 70% of all internet traffic will be video traffic.
- 80% of people can recall a video they’ve seen in the last 30 days, 46% of people took some action.
- Users comment on live video 10X as much as regular video.
- Using [Video] in the subject line increases email opens by 19%
- Live streaming platforms like Facebook Live, Periscope, and YouTube Live allow you to broadcast from your phone or desktop, share on social media, are interactive (people can comment as you’re sharing video), and can be saved to repost later.
What can you do?
Start to get comfortable with video now!
- Try some of these topics for video: broadcast live from an event, explain a product or service to educate customers, show a product demo, make a special announcement, show how things work behind the scenes, hold a customer Q & A or meet the team.
- Tell people ahead of time when you will broadcast live, so they can plan it in their schedules. Use a great description.
- During your broadcast ask for followers/subscribers.
- Respond to viewer’s comments using their name.
- If you aren’t comfortable going live, start with a few short videos that you post at a later time.
Voice Search
“Ok, Google!” With improvements in voice recognition technology we’re seeing a boom in the voice search industry. Personal Assistant Devices are more popular now and the prevalence doesn’t show any signs of slowing. With new personal assistant devices and improved technologies, we’ll see more voice searches being made.
Did you know?
- The Personal Assistant Device market is estimated to be over $2 billion and has seen high growth area in a short time.
- For normal searches, 20% of Google searches are now done by voice.
What can you do?
Pretend you are a customer or prospect for your organization. What questions might you have? How would you ask them?
- Voice search is not keywords—it’s conversational.
- Review your analytics for natural language queries.
- Make sure your content answers searchers’ questions-say some questions out loud.
- Add Schema.org and structured data markup to your website.
Social Customer Service
Is your company active on social media? Are you using it to respond to customer inquiries and questions? Social media is becoming a preferred avenue of customer service for many consumers, but most businesses are not responding.
Did you know?
- 67% of consumers have used a company’s social media networks for customer support.
- Customers spend 20-40% more on companies that provide support through social media.
What can you do?
Make sure you respond to your customers and prospects on their terms. Phone, email, text or social media – have a plan in place.
- Number one thing customers want is a fast response!
- Put a process in place for social media support and train your staff.
- Monitor your mentions.
- Promote your social media channels.
Social Media – Pay to Play
Free social media exposure is getting harder. Social media is now considered to be primarily an advertising platform for businesses.
Did you know?
- On Facebook for example, on average only about 2-6% of your posts are seen by your fans organically (without boosting).
- Advertising on social media can be a good value, however. It allows you to target very specific demographics and monitor the effectiveness of your campaigns.
- It does require a good call to action, however.
- Facebook, Google, Pinterest, LinkedIN, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and Snapchat all offer advertising options.
What can you do?
- Have a coordinated strategy with the website you own and control at the center. Use the social channels and email to promote your content and message.
- Use advertising to grow your own list so you can contact customers and prospects on your terms.
- For your campaigns, pick your message, your audience, and a clear call to action.
Personalized Content
No one likes to feel they are being sold, but customers and prospects do appreciate useful and valuable information when they are ready for it. Personalizing the experience for your customers and prospects will make your marketing more effective and drive better results.
Did you know?
- 40% of consumers buy more from retailers who personalize the shopping experience.
- 56% of consumers are more likely to shop with a good personalized experience.
- 76% of consumers will share personal information with a brand if they believe it will improve their experience.
What can you do?
Think about how you can group your audience based on their characteristics, buying habits, and purchase stage. People in the research phase of a purchase want different information and messages than existing customers looking for support. You can segment your audience based on geography, demographics (dog owners vs. cat owners for a vet, for example), or purchase history (repeat, occasional, or VIP customers, for example).
- Know what your customer wants and make recommendations based on their likes.
- Divide email lists into groups based on information like interests and demographic.
- Use marketing automation like email autoresponders to make sure all customers in a certain segment are getting the information and offers they need, while you save time.
Wrap Up
You don’t have to jump on every trend, but it is worth exploring where you can create opportunities to better grow and manage your organization. Start small, but start somewhere and see what works for you!
