Technological development has paved the way for improvements in a lot of business areas. But few of them have been influenced more by this digital revolution than how products and services are marketed.
Currently, firms do not have to spend enormous amounts of money on TV commercials, billboard ads, and print media. Instead, they can use digital marketing strategies that are both affordable and effective.
With that in mind, let us explore four current trends taking the marketing world by storm.
Customized Solutions and Personalization
If your company is in the sports industry and you are selling sporting equipment, one of the best things you can do to stand out from the competition is selling customized products based on client needs.
For example, let us imagine one of your main clients is a high-school basketball team. Instead of providing them with regular balls and traditional uniforms, you could include team logos, slogans, and the head of the school mascot in personalized engravings. To do this, all you would need is to contact a laser-marking machine distributor and choose the device most suitable for your needs.
The same is true for digital marketing. Customers don’t want businesses to market to them using traditional, generic ads aimed at the masses. What they want is something personal to them, something they can relate to.
Social Media and Participation
Perhaps the biggest benefit of social media at a corporate level is that it has allowed companies to engage in a participatory approach concerning the marketing of their products and services. What this means is that the marketing process has transformed from a one-way proposition into a collaborative method.
Today, enterprises big and small use platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to promote their products and get immediate feedback from customers. As a result, there is a much higher level of participation coming from all sides.
For instance, if an electronics company like Apple or Sony is thinking about launching a new device, it could post a digital prototype on one of its social media accounts. Prospective clients would then give their input on design, convenience, and features, which would allow the business to make necessary changes before launch.
Virtual and Augmented Reality
When you move into a new house, few things are more exciting than choosing the best possible furniture for it. Whether you decide on a mahogany table or one made of oak, these choices are often based on individual tastes and personality. After all, you are creating a home, something that is invariably unique to you and your family.
Oftentimes though, the problem is trying out things to see how they look before buying them. One way to do it would be to take pictures or a video of your living room and forwarding them to your favorite furniture store. Another would be to hire an interior designer’s services to visit your premises and help you decide.
But what if you could see exactly what an item of furniture looks like in your living room? What if you could change sizes, colors, and features in real-time? What if you could see how the entire area looks, with paintings, chairs, sofas, and everything else?
Enter virtual and augmented reality, the technological solution for customers to be involved in every step of the decision-making process and businesses to promote their products in an easy, adaptable way.
The Era of Influencers
Athletes have always been the best spokespeople for retail brands in America. From Michael Jordan in the nineties to Steph Curry and Lebron James today, few other people have such an extensive reach that transcends gender, social status, and even race. If you were to start a business ten years ago, your best bet would be to hire a high-profile basketball or football player to endorse it.
A quarter into the 21st century, things have changed. Athletes and movie stars are no longer the apex predators as it relates to advertising power. Rather, they have been replaced by regular men and women promoting all kinds of things, from bags and clothes to makeup, running shoes, consumer electronics, and everything in between.
Even if you do not excel at any sport, cannot sing, or have the acting chops of Robert DeNiro or Meryl Streep, as long as you have a strong presence online, companies will come knocking at your door. And it doesn’t matter how old you are or where you live. If people can see you on YouTube, Snapchat, or Twitch, your opinion is more highly valued than most experts and politicians.
Four trends in digital marketing are customized solutions and personalization, participation through social media, VR and AR, and influencers. They continue to define how enterprises in all industries promote to their prospective clients worldwide.
