With just a short time left in the year, it’s time to set your sights on marketing planning for 2018 (if you haven’t already started) and decide where you’re going to focus your efforts for the year. Content marketing is stronger than ever and continues to grow as one of the leading strategies marketers invest in. Combine that with the list below and you’re on your way to a successful year of marketing in 2018.
Here’s my list of marketing trends to follow in 2018:
Less Is more
Instead of a need to churn our as much content as your team’s hands can type, those at the forefront of the trend will shift their focus to the quality of content they’re creating and its ability to be dispersed over multiple channels to further drive consumer engagement. In order to let your content reach the peak of perfection, the editing process will be key to molding your content to best fit the medium it is intended for. While sharing one piece of content over several channels will save some time in the brainstorming process, much of that time will be allotted to editing your existing pieces to fit new landscapes.
Content that Travels off the Screen
Consumers have even more ways to access the content you create today. When they’re not using computers, mobile phones and smart watches in a traditional sense, devices like Amazon’s Alexa, Google Home or even Siri give consumers access to search the web and find your brand without visually seeing the content. Ensuring your content is ready to be delivered through these devices is becoming more and more important to those looking to get ahead.
Transparency from the Top Down
It’s no secret that employees want to work for companies that are transparent. This doesn’t just mean talking about how transparent they are, but they put actions behind their words and team members know it. Consumers are no different – they want to purchase from companies that are transparent in how they conduct their business, where they source their products from and how they treat their employees. More and more consumers are putting their money behind companies that support the same causes they believe it and aren’t afraid to show it – make sure your company is one of them.
24/7 Availability
Long gone are the days of customer service teams sitting behind a bank of telephones. Today, consumers are looking to get their issues resolved and their voices heard through a variety of mediums. Your customer service team needs to include experts at resolving problem over online chat, email and most importantly, social media. Incorporating customer service into your social media strategy allows other consumers to see how you resolve issues and interact with your customers. If they see this experience as positive, it’ll be a win-win for your company and your formerly disgruntled customer.
Audience Knowledge
Marketing is not a one size fits all field. There’s no formula or shortcut to creating a successful marketing plan. But one key part of the equation is your audience. Understanding your audience and what they expect and want from you as a brand will largely determine your marketing strategy. Gathering this information can be challenging, but doing so will ensure that your messaging is on par with your audience.
