The last 12 months haven’t been anything like we all thought they would be, and marketers have been feeling the pressure. As an entirely unprecedented pandemic took hold of the world, daily life was suddenly altered and consumer habits forced to change.
As such, it was the businesses that were better able to adapt that have fared the best. And, sadly, many that couldn’t keep up with the newly volatile landscape were forced to close their doors.
Going forwards, things do seem a little brighter. Companies of all types have learned from this period of uncertainty, and, as such, three-quarters of businesses have said they will be more efficient and resilient moving forwards.
The best way to do that is to look to the trends that have seen businesses through the toughest times, and take them on board in order to keep growing.
Personalization
Consumers care more and more about how they relate to the brands they do business with. Part of a wider trend towards forging more authentic company/consumer relationships, 2020 has shown that people craving interaction will seek it in businesses.
Tech blogger, Antoine Bechara says, “marketers have been focused on curating more personalised online experiences for their customers.”
As a way of forging deeper connections that will keep shoppers engaged, personalized emails, product recommendations, and conversations on social media channels have become the norm.
Resultantly, the businesses that have implemented personalization and done it well have found that their customers are more loyal and their revenue is up, in spite of the wider circumstances.
Authority
It’s always been important for brands to position themselves as authorities in their field. Those that don’t risk losing their customers to brands that seem more credible.
But, now more than ever, people are craving certainty in their lives. They want companies that can provide that, while those that cannot guarantee certainty will struggle to stay afloat. Thankfully, it’s not that difficult to position your business as an authority. You just need to ensure you stay current, cutting edge, and prove to your customers that you really understand their needs.
Snippets
One of the best ways for businesses to establish their authority is by making use of Google’s snippet feature. This feature, which is really just a small information box at the top of a search engine results page, shows consumers that your brand more than any other has the answers they are looking for.
Get your content into the featured snippet box, and your brand image will immediately get a boost. Not to mention the fact that the site featured could get up to 30% more traffic than any of the other organic listings on the page.
Partnerships
For businesses looking to not only survive but grow during this turbulent period, partnerships offer an excellent way to do just that. By partnering with another brand or even a high-profile influencer, you can reach new, larger audiences.
It could be a promotional partnership or a collaborative one, in which you create a new product or offering that speaks to your shared audience. Either way, partnerships offer an excellent opportunity to expand your reach and try exciting new things. Plus, by aligning with another brand that shares your values, you can further establish trust with your audience.
Email marketing
An oldie but a goodie, email marketing has been one of the pre-eminent forms of marketing for years now. Offering businesses a cheap way to reach mass numbers, brands that are smart about their email marketing campaigns are better able to build relationships with their audiences, convert more leads, and grow their consumer base.
It’s also really easy to make email marketing a part of a wider personalization campaign. By splitting audiences into smaller, more niche interest groups, businesses can send out targeted newsletters and offerings that better appeal to their customers.
Video marketing
A list about the future of marketing just wouldn’t be complete without a nod to one of the fastest-growing marketing strategies: video marketing. With platforms like TikTok and YouTube taking over the internet, marketers are increasingly looking to capitalize on this immensely popular medium.
Using video messaging to better connect and hold the attention of their audiences, more and more brands are funneling additional resources into video marketing, and plan to continue doing so into the future.
Author bio
Luke Fitzpatrick has been published in a variety of publications such as Forbes, Tech In Asia and The Next Web. He is also a guest lecturer at the University of Sydney, lecturing in cross-cultural management and the pre-MBA program.