5 Marketing Trends Brands
Need to Prepare for in 2018
Whether you’re a CEO, a marketing leader, or content creator, below are five marketing trends to keep on your radar as you prepare for 2018.
01
Create Sharable Experiences.
Due in large part to technology, today’s consumer has come to expect a wonderful experience with every purchase — not just a product. That experience can be anything from a Live Facebook video where interactions happen in real time to an exciting, one-of-a-kind personal encounter with something adventurous, unique or unexpected that is tied to the brand.
02
Engage your Customers In Conversation.
Remember the days when consumers received branding and marketing messages, then made their purchasing decisions without ever interacting with brands? Those days are gone. I think it has a lot to do with people engaging less and less with each other in-person; they’re now looking for human-like interactions everywhere, including the communications that lead to the spending of their money. This means that you’ve got to create more engaging and helpful FAQs, customer-facing videos and make all viral conversations engaging and exciting. Don’t just sell; serve first. Don’t just speak; listen, too. Don’t just publish messages; receive them, as well.
03
Stay “Top of Mind” with your Brand.
It should come as no surprise that in 2018, content is still king. Producing helpful content has been an upward trend for the past 3-5 years and it hasn’t slowed down. People appreciate great content that gives them a reason to buy a product, trust a service provider or believe in something that can change their lives for the better. Your brand and usefulness of your content must be “top of mind” in order for others in your space to regularly go to your website or social media page for information, resources, and opportunities. This means writing content based on high-level keyword research that allows you to be found easily through social media, blogs, websites, etc., which effectively turns your brand (and your content) into a valuable resource.
“A customer expects consistency. They expect interaction across any channel on which they interact with an organization to be the same, and for that organization to really demonstrate that they know the customer. This includes every touchpoint, whether it’s sales, service, or marketing. Customers just don’t care. The always-connected customer wants that consistent experience.”
04
Is your brand purpose-driven?
The people of your target audience don’t simply want to find the best product or service for their needs. They want to know why you’re offering that product, what cause(s) you’re supporting and how the funds they spend with you will be spent or invested. This trend is born of a genuine concern for the state of the world, as well as a need for new criteria in the decision-making process.
05
Keep Your Content Short & Sweet for Fast Micro-Searches.
Consumers are no longer ‘scheduling’ long internet search sessions at home, on their laptops and desktops. Instead, they’re using internet search on-demand and on-the-go with their mobile devices. They want questions answered quickly and succinctly. For the most part, they’re not looking for in-depth solutions; however, they do wish to feel instantaneous reactions at the hands of the brands that can potentially serve their needs. Then, they can take the time to learn more later, if they wish. In order to compete, your brand should be catering to this search trend by delivering content that delivers rapid answers with high relevancy and a spirit of service.
