Anything and everything is subject to change at the start of a new year. Among these changes, consumer trends are at the top of the list and there is no surprise here. The world is changing as we speak and the people are adapting and evolving to the changes. Most changes we see today from the last decade are definitely the innovations in technology, medicine, life styles, fashion, infrastructure and even entertainment.
With all these changes, there is a question every business needs to ask: “What is going to happen to marketing next year?”. 2018 is almost over and marketers are already planning ahead and following the trends for 2019. They understand that they need to scale and differentiate their business from others as well as maintain trust and reputation by planning ahead. One thing they do know is the importance of convenience and how businesses that require little or no effort from customers have succeeded better than those who with ineffective communication and marketing channels.
The following are some trends you need to look out for in 2019. Following even one might boost your business beyond your imagination.
Here are some midyear thoughts about what you need to keep an eye out for in 2019:
1. Content over Ads
It is no surprise that no one cares about traditional ads anymore. In fact, studies show that Ads are almost at the bottom of the lists of the top most-trusted sources of advertising. Moreover, more than 32 percent of all web surfers use ad blockers and this number will only increase by the end of the year. It’s not that Ads were not valuable to the consumers but the rise of scams, hacks, frauds and spam content over the year lead to their downfall. Today, content marketing is at the top in the form of product reviews via videos, blogs and press releases which allow prospects to experience different products and services in a way Ads never can. Furthermore, referral programs and search engine optimization are among the rising trends as majority of sales are now online.
2. Creativity over following the crowd
The world has moved on from more of the same businesses. It was fun with Coke and Pepsi but today the world demands and appreciates creativity as much as the product itself. The user experience begins as early as someone hears, watches or reads about your product rather than hands on. So marketers need to devise ways to promote their products accordingly. So, with that said, businesses need to stop following what others are doing just because its working for them and focus on their own unique selling propositions. This way competition is more authentic and your business stands out. Guerilla marketing is one strategy which can do wonders for your company as consumers today look for something new and enjoy being wowed by creative campaigns. This could be something as simple yet elegant like the print ad campaigns of Mercedes which focus on comfort and luxury. Their most recent ad was simply a slice of Cucumber with their logo imprinted in place of the seeds and with a tagline which read, “Spa Class”. This was absolutely brilliant as it precisely pointed out why you should buy a Mercedes and how comfortable the drive when relating it to being at a Spa.
3. Conversational Marketing
Conversational marketing is simply having a conversation with prospects using multiple channels of communication to promote different products and services. This strategy is unique when compared to traditional channels as it utilizes targeted calling, mass texting, websites, social media and even live video chats with marketers for consumers to ask all the relevant questions regarding your business. This paves a direct path for customers to walk in to your outlet to buy your products and it is proving to be a gem of a strategy. It not only promotes your business but can also be used to engage with customers for notifications, future promotions and even feedback generation.
4. Man still owns machine
We are on the verge of experiencing some great technological innovations in the coming years and Artificial Intelligence is what everyone is talking about. When it comes to marketing, some things are better the traditional way. For example, nobody wants to talk to a robot. Yahoo and MSN tried it but it never really worked out. Siri, Google Assistant and Alexa are great as long as Human input is still mandatory. So, where technology is great and all, the idea should be to reduce human limitations but not remove human input completely.
2019 will definitely have a lot to look forward to especially for businesses who want to do everything they can in order to do better than last year and the years before that. It could be more of the same but there will be businesses out there thinking beyond. 2018 brought to us “Human Uber” and if this idea can be marketed successfully, then there are still many wonders marketers are left to explore.
With all these changes, there is a question every business needs to ask: “What is going to happen to marketing next year?”. 2018 is almost over and marketers are already planning ahead and following the trends for 2019. They understand that they need to scale and differentiate their business from others as well as maintain trust and reputation by planning ahead. One thing they do know is the importance of convenience and how businesses that require little or no effort from customers have succeeded better than those who with ineffective communication and marketing channels.
The following are some trends you need to look out for in 2019. Following even one might boost your business beyond your imagination.
Here are some midyear thoughts about what you need to keep an eye out for in 2019:
1. Content over Ads
It is no surprise that no one cares about traditional ads anymore. In fact, studies show that Ads are almost at the bottom of the lists of the top most-trusted sources of advertising. Moreover, more than 32 percent of all web surfers use ad blockers and this number will only increase by the end of the year. It’s not that Ads were not valuable to the consumers but the rise of scams, hacks, frauds and spam content over the year lead to their downfall. Today, content marketing is at the top in the form of product reviews via videos, blogs and press releases which allow prospects to experience different products and services in a way Ads never can. Furthermore, referral programs and search engine optimization are among the rising trends as majority of sales are now online.
2. Creativity over following the crowd
The world has moved on from more of the same businesses. It was fun with Coke and Pepsi but today the world demands and appreciates creativity as much as the product itself. The user experience begins as early as someone hears, watches or reads about your product rather than hands on. So marketers need to devise ways to promote their products accordingly. So, with that said, businesses need to stop following what others are doing just because its working for them and focus on their own unique selling propositions. This way competition is more authentic and your business stands out. Guerilla marketing is one strategy which can do wonders for your company as consumers today look for something new and enjoy being wowed by creative campaigns. This could be something as simple yet elegant like the print ad campaigns of Mercedes which focus on comfort and luxury. Their most recent ad was simply a slice of Cucumber with their logo imprinted in place of the seeds and with a tagline which read, “Spa Class”. This was absolutely brilliant as it precisely pointed out why you should buy a Mercedes and how comfortable the drive when relating it to being at a Spa.
3. Conversational Marketing
Conversational marketing is simply having a conversation with prospects using multiple channels of communication to promote different products and services. This strategy is unique when compared to traditional channels as it utilizes targeted calling, mass texting, websites, social media and even live video chats with marketers for consumers to ask all the relevant questions regarding your business. This paves a direct path for customers to walk in to your outlet to buy your products and it is proving to be a gem of a strategy. It not only promotes your business but can also be used to engage with customers for notifications, future promotions and even feedback generation.
4. Man still owns machine
We are on the verge of experiencing some great technological innovations in the coming years and Artificial Intelligence is what everyone is talking about. When it comes to marketing, some things are better the traditional way. For example, nobody wants to talk to a robot. Yahoo and MSN tried it but it never really worked out. Siri, Google Assistant and Alexa are great as long as Human input is still mandatory. So, where technology is great and all, the idea should be to reduce human limitations but not remove human input completely.
2019 will definitely have a lot to look forward to especially for businesses who want to do everything they can in order to do better than last year and the years before that. It could be more of the same but there will be businesses out there thinking beyond. 2018 brought to us “Human Uber” and if this idea can be marketed successfully, then there are still many wonders marketers are left to explore.