Just as you’re making your new year’s resolutions to hit the gym more for 2020, the marketing industry is seeing some changes as well. These changes are perfectly in line with how humans and technology are both changing. Staying relevant to social changes is extremely important to success in marketing, so think about what strategies below you can focus on.
Personalization
One way marketing has been evolving is catering more to the customers, mostly through forms of inbound marketing. Another way to make the customer feel more catered to is through personalization, which is the purpose behind your Amazon recommendations and unusually on-point Facebook ads. They’re based off your past browsing behavior to predict what you’ll want in the future. For example, if you’ve been browsing books on meditation and other spiritual topics, you might be seeing ads and suggestions for yoga mats.
On Google Ads, we have Affinity audience targeting. It’s a little less personalized, with sellers choosing to display their ads across large groups such as “auto enthusiasts”. In-market audiences are more specific, evaluating the user by their past conversions and ads clicked on. Machine learning algorithms use this data to find you the users most likely to purchase.
Artificial intelligence
Have you noticed more instant message boxes popping up on various websites as soon as the page loads? No, there’s no one sitting around waiting for people to message them, it’s bots. That’s powered by AI, artificial intelligence, hence the overly formal and robotic responses to your inquiries. Sometimes, a real human shows up when the requests get too complex. Whether you’re talking to a human or AI, these direct messages offer convenience through texting rather than emailing or calling.
Shoppable posts
Ever seen a photo with someone you wanted to buy, but were too lazy to search it up? Shoppable posts eliminate this work, letting you click on a link to buy the product right away. Eliminating the work (even if it only takes two minutes) make it more convenient for the viewers to convert to customers. Shoppable posts also inform the customer-to-be of the item’s prices.
Diversity/inclusivity and authenticity
This should go well beyond racial diversity. The days of aspirational marketing are slowly slipping away, with modern audiences preferring to see “realistic” humans in marketing materials rather than an idealized image. That’s one reason why Victoria’s Secret is theorized to be declining and Savage X Fenty is growing as its replacement: the former mainly features super-thin models while the latter showcases a wide range of body types.
Beauty brands will receive backlash if their foundation shade ranges are too white. Earlier this month, stationary bike company Peloton released an ad that was torn to shreds for undertones of a man controlling a (already thin) woman’s weight. Even without it, the company’s overly aspirational marketing has been mocked by several Twitter users for its overt attempts to position itself as high-class.
Microinfluencers
Need the help of an influencer or celebrity to spread word of how awesome you are? Pick someone who isn’t so famous. Studies show that our youngest counterparts, Gen Z, value relatable influencers over big-name celebrities, trusting them more. This effect is further exacerbated if the influencers don’t have too many followers (under 100k). Microinfluencers are at that level where they’ll give you plenty of exposure for a lower price but at a typically higher engagement rate. With more time to respond to their direct messages and comments, they’ll actually be able to answer all the questions coming their way. This leads to higher engagement rates.
Voice search
“Alexa, play Despacito”. Hundreds of years ago, voice search would have looked like magic. The highly developed innovation has increased our life convenience by an insane amount, including shopping. Voice search has advanced so much that it can recognize your purchases, allowing you to instantly order a replacement vacuum the moment you feel yours fizzling out. No opening your phone or laptop needed.
Augmented reality
Ever wondered how a product would look in your home or on you but didn’t feel like driving all the way to the shop? AR can give you a virtual try-on without getting out of your pajamas. That’s what brands like IKEA and Converse are doing. IKEA’s app allows you how to see how one of their pieces would look in your home while Converse lets you try shoes on virtually as you sit on your couch.
As the world advances, what we do often becomes more convenient and quicker as everything intertwines with technology. At Bon Digital, our team members are on top of how these changes affect marketing. That’s why we constantly update our knowledge to reflect moving trends to keep our services modern to kick off 2020. Schedule a consultation and let’s discuss how you can meet your New Year’s Resolutions!