The world of marketing evolves very fast. It’s like one day you might be practicing one technique and the next thing you know it’s obsolete. Therefore, it is essential for marketers to keep up with the ever-changing rules in the world of marketing. With technologies like AI, chatbots and virtual reality dominating marketing these days, companies often find it hard to compete with others. And one cannot do without incorporating these technologies these days. I recently called my service provider to know what new Spectrum Internet Ultra were included in their promo. I was surprised as a chatbot guided me through all that was available.
So if you are a marketer or run a business, here are the top 5 rules that you would need to succeed in 2019.
Traditional Ads- Not the Way to Be
A Nielsen study in 2015 revealed that the top four most trusted sources by people to learn about a product or service include:
- Editorial sites
- Branded sites
- Reviews
- People you may know
Traditional ads did not even make it to the top 4. This pretty much explains how important they are now- not at all. In fact, 30% of all people on the Internet are expected to use ad blockers. Which means that 30% of your target audience won’t even receive or get to view the ad that you put so much effort into. This does not mean that marketers start abandoning ads. But they have to modify their techniques of reaching out. The ads should now be more relevant and add value to the audience. Only then will they be more interested in viewing it. This also means that you will have to adopt new channels of advertising. More money should now be directed towards content marketing and influencer marketing.
Creativity over Conformity
Creativity attracts almost everyone. However, some people confuse different or unique to modern. Well, clearly this is not how it works. Different and creative ideas grab the attention of people in no time. And you won’t have to put in extra effort to convince people to like your idea. For example, a company recently obtained the addresses of a lot of people and started sending a printed newsletter to them. This might sound crazy as this is the digital age. But the idea was a hit among st people. Why? Because it was unique. In an era where everyone is busy scrolling on the mobile screens, this company decides to give people a little taste of the past. Making it both creative and nostalgic.
Multi-Channel Approach
More diversified your marketing, the better. You get to decide the mix of the channels that you will use to promote your brand or company. You are also the authority to decide the number of channels that you will use to market yourself. However, keep in mind that one approach alone won’t work. Divide and conquer. You will have to adopt various channels like Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and others to let the people know that you exist.
Build the Brand First
To begin with, you should build your brand first. Many people might laugh at this statement because of how obvious it may sound. But the majority of the people end up ignoring this obvious part. They ignore building the brand largely. Some people argue that they have an established brand name. which does not ask of them to promote themselves any further. What they fail to understand is that people need to be reminded of your presence continuously. And for that, you need to make a continuous effort as well. Come up with different campaigns to keep your brand at the top of peoples’ minds. Because it is very likely that competitors will steal a prospect from you and create a better place in the peoples’ minds. Therefore, keep coming up with different marketing strategies.
Understand How Your Customers Communicate
In order for you to connect to your potential customer base, you need to connect to them. Because the customers expect of you to communicate with them. And that too in ways that they like. Therefore, it is essential for you to learn about your target audience and their communication preferences. For example, some people might prefer receiving emails from a company. While others may be comfortable with the comment box conversations. Preferences vary. And it is upon you to figure out what works best for your customers.
These rule will help you attract more people. Some traditional marketing ideas, however, still prevail. For example, brands competing on the basis of cost to attract people. I, myself, fall prey to this technique. I chose my Internet service provider based on this feature because Spectrum Waco cost was reasonable. Apart from that, it offered some of the best features.