Marketing Trends
No doubt there’s a lot of stimuli vying for your customer’s attention. You’re smart and you want your marketing dollars to be effective. That starts with knowing what today’s consumer, your client, is wowed by. What makes them stop and listen to your message. We surveyed a number of trends…and here are the hot tickets.
Mobile Access
Recently we attended a wedding at a great venue in the wine country. It happened that there was no cell service. As a result of this, it felt almost strange to be in a large group where no one was staring at their phone. Sound familiar? It didn’t feel normal. Why? Because, as you already know, our world has gone mobile. It’s more than a trend, it’s reality. Our phones receive a lot of our attention and time.
Consumers are solidly mobile-centric. It is estimated that more internet searches are now done via the smart phone than the desktop computer. Your customers are basing decisions on how they will spend their money on how your business appears on their mobile device. Smart businesses will make sure their websites are not only attractive and informative, but that they are scalable.
Video is King
Video is rapidly gaining dominance in the digital, social media arena. Some would say it already is the most viewed online venue garnering the majority of your marketing dollars. “Wait,” you say, “but our marketing portfolio doesn’t include video!” Smart businesses will pursue and include video in their 2018 marketing budget. You can start small and build upon your successes. But start you must.
Here’s some interesting stats on video:
It is estimated that video will occupy 80{a74273ad0e75f200b46466b1415e6accc2aa46c9e4b9f352692bfad7dc0506c2} of web traffic by the end of 2018
64{a74273ad0e75f200b46466b1415e6accc2aa46c9e4b9f352692bfad7dc0506c2} of buyers are more likely to make a purchase after watching a video about a product or service
Add video and increase click through rates by 200–300{a74273ad0e75f200b46466b1415e6accc2aa46c9e4b9f352692bfad7dc0506c2}
According to Hub Spot, 80{a74273ad0e75f200b46466b1415e6accc2aa46c9e4b9f352692bfad7dc0506c2} of customers remember a video they viewed a month ago
The long and short of video is that to be memorable in your client’s mind, video plays a strong part.
Print is on the Rise
We heard it for a while. “Print is over,” books and magazines are going to go away. You heard it. Interestingly enough, with the great availability of digital information and online access growing, print is also having a resurgence. Print now stands out. Print is tangible and physical. It creates an enduring quality of stability and longterm intentions. So while today we have been sharing stats that support digital involvement in your marketing programs, we would be remiss, and honestly so would you, if you ignored your print materials.
Think brochures, catalogs, packaging, trade show booths, etc.
Customer Retention is Huge
Appreciate your valuable customers!
Customer loyalty and business relationships are very valuable. In today’s marketplace it’s hard to complete with the giants like Amazon. But take heart, there’s good news. Do an honest inventory of the things your business offers that Amazon does not.
The value of being able to phone, email, or even text a business and connect to someone you know is far reaching.
Purchasing something that you can look at and assess is golden.
Knowing that you stand behind your product and will make any mistakes right quickly, the first time—now that’s good.
Consider 2018 the year that you solidly appreciate your valuable customers. Be more available, offers perks and loyalty incentives, visit their business and buy lunch! As the world becomes less personal it makes sense that businesses who take time to know their clients are going to be way ahead of those who don’t.
Be real, dude…
We consumers are getting pretty savvy. We know when pictures have been photoshopped, facts twisted, people mislead. Say what your business is about and do what you say you do. Make sense? Just like fake news, there’s a new term, “fake authenticity,“ AKA pretending to be something you’re not. If you advocate healthy eating, do it. If you champion buying local, buy your food locally. You get the idea. We love the fact that our clients at Sportsman Cove Lodge in Alaska are fishermen and outdoorsmen.
At SDA Creative, we are a local, small business working on the beach in Capo Beach, CA. All of our designers are truly trained and talented, seasoned professionals. We don’t farm out our work to someone far away so we can save money. Come on into our office and you’ll meet our designers in front of their computers creating custom, professional materials. We’re a small business—we get the demands of running yours.
With 2018 stretched out before us, SDA Creative, Inc. will be celebrating 23 years in business! We’ve rolled through a few business and marketing trends ourselves. Like you, we understand the importance of staying on top of marketing styles and trends and juggling a lot of balls in the air. Let’s partner up in 2018 so you and your business stay on top of the ever-changing promotion and marketing business as influences such as digital and social platforms move in and make their mark. Be ready to jump in to 2018 with SDA Creative at your side.