As we enter a new year, it’s time to look to the future. Many of you may be working on New Year’s resolutions or personal goals, but it’s also a great time to look at your marketing strategy. What worked for your company 10 years ago may not work in 2019. I’m not saying you need to abandon ship or change what worked in 2018, but it’s important to at least take a look at the newest trends in marketing.
A long time ago, marketers attempted to use large blanket campaigns in hopes of getting as many leads as possible. Most bloggers kept topics broad, trying to attract anyone and everyone. The idea of the time was that if you attracted enough leads, some of them were bound to lead to a sale. Over the years, this method has evolved and is starting to be replaced.
As a marketer, I am constantly researching innovative ways to attract new business and to retain current clients. Marketing has changed immensely in the past 10 years. Ten years ago, people went to one, maybe two websites before making a purchase decision. Now, not only are multiple websites under a microscope prior to purchase, but so are social media accounts, online reviews, and the company’s overall brand and reputation.
Today it’s practically impossible to imagine a world without hundreds of apps to choose from. Just as the world and technology evolve, so does the world of marketing. Year after year, businesses must learn to adapt, applying marketing research to change and grow. What was trending last year may not work anymore, so check out the top 5 marketing trends for 2019.
1. Personalization
If you want to stand out in 2019, personalizing your marketing is key. That means more personalized content, emails and more. In fact, “96% of marketers agree that personalization advances customer relationships.” Personalized marketing is a strategy that you can integrate into email, social media, blogs, etc. to get better results. Personalization can effectively target specific audiences, help you create more unique content, build deeper relationships with customers, and give a face to your business. To start, try putting yourself in your customers shoes to view things from their perspective.
2. Account-Based Marketing
Along with personalization, account-based marketing focuses on being highly targeted and running campaigns tailored to previously identified target companies. Instead of ending with a target company that’s a good fit for you to sell to, you start with target companies. This allows you to proactively identify the biggest opportunities at the beginning and go after them.
Account-based marketing also allows for a better customer experience (CX). Instead of blasting key leads with content that doesn’t apply to them, ABM lets you design specific campaigns directly for them.
3. Interactive & Vertical Video
It shouldn’t be a shock that video marketing is on this list—it has been trending upward for years! From YouTube to Facebook Live, video marketing has been growing more and more every year, and some people are even running video blogs. In 2019, the new video craze is interactive videos. Interactive videos allow the users to view the entire area by clicking a button on the video. You may have noticed this feature with Facebook’s new 360-degree or 3-D views. 98% of people in the United States believe that 360-degree videos are more exciting than traditional videos. if that isn’t enough, here are some numbers to show the importance of adding video to your marketing strategy this year:
- 76% of businesses say it helped them increase sales.
- 79% of people say a brand’s video has convinced them to buy a piece of software or an app.
- 87% of businesses now use video as a marketing tool.
- 68% of people say they’d most prefer to learn about a new product or service by watching a short video.
For more video statistics, check out Wyzowl’s 2019 Video Marketing Statistics Report.
Alongside interactive video, vertical video is also on the rise. Most people are viewing video on their mobile device, but they do not like always turning their device to the side. Therefore, Instagram launched IGTV in June, which allows for longer content and the ability to watch videos in vertical mode.
4. Influencer Marketing
Influencer marketing allows you to leverage an individual with a following to increase your company’s customer base. Influencers work hard to create a following and connection with the public. By getting an influencer to mention you or your company, you can gain organic followers or better messaging positioning.
According to Forbes, influencer marketing and content marketing are in the middle of a massive transformation. Mike Schmidt, Co-Founder of Dovetale, has said that most of the marketing teams he meets with are talking about influencer-generated content. Companies previously used celebrities as influencers, but now they are partnering with “real” people, known as “micro-influencers,” because more people are likely to trust non-famous people that they can relate to rather than celebrities. The more micro-influencers who mention your brand, the more likely your organic growth will increase due to the algorithms used in social media.
If you want to read more about influencer marketing check out this blog.
5. Big Data
Data-driven creativity will be the strategic differentiator in customer experience. Data is important in a good customer experience (CX) but “great CX takes a mix of creativity and intelligence” according to Stacy Martinet, VP of Marketing Strategy and Communications at Adobe. In fact, McKinsey & Company claims, “companies that harness creativity and data in tandem have growth rates twice as high as companies that don’t.” Nearly half of the world is on social media, and 88 percent of U.S. adults ages 18-29 have at least one social media profile. This creates real-time data that can be monitored to form the foundation of a marketing strategy. The term “big data” doesn’t just refer to data itself, but the process of analyzing the data in order to make important decisions. In 2019, use big data for a deeper insight. This can help you to take effective action and drive growth.
Is 2019 the year you finally get your marketing consistent and strategized? Are you ready to take it to the next level? Do you need help to make your marketing personalized, unique, and different from your competitors? Jennasis & Associates has the experience and the tools to help you in every aspect of your marketing strategy. Call us; we would love to chat with you! You can also email us or visit our website to learn more about us. We’re excited to help you to grow!
