Planning a top marketing strategy for a small business in 2018 should start as soon as possible. In fact, most companies start planning the strategy for the following year around Q2. If you want to have a better chance of achieving growth, check out the following marketing trends that are going to be really big for the next year.
Micro-Moment Mastering
Smart marketing specialists will focus a lot on mobile gadgets because they are a huge influence in customer engagement and interaction. However, micro-moments are not that well-known. We are talking about moments that make people want to reach for the mobile phone. A micro-moment is important as an evaluative touchpoint where a customer basically expects the brand to cater for needs with really good information, no matter location and time. In 2018 you need to be able to anticipate micro-moments and address needs by offering the information that will help the customer.
Increased Focus On Visualization
Video is increasing in popularity in all aspects of marketing because people are always on the move and such content offers information much faster than text or images. Using visualization is more important than ever as it effectively tempts an audience to take an action like sharing, liking and even buying. Brands are even now successfully using video features offered by social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat.
In 2018 this will be even more important and useful as a marketing option. Remember that the temptation for the consumer to do something is higher with videos due to all the on-screen visual elements.
Increased Use Of Native Ads
Random ads appearing on websites will not be preferred in the following year as the effectiveness of native ads is being shown to keep bringing in better results. A native ad will seamlessly blend with the content so customers do not feel pressured in any way. The main idea is to put good information right in front of a viewer that needs it. When this is done, conversions are really good and the marketing world finally understands how important this is.
Customer-Centric And Personalized Content
2017 saw a clear focus being put on content marketing since meeting the needs of the customer is a top priority for all parties involved. In 2018 many marketing specialists are going to move away from the static traditional content and will move towards something that is dynamically-rich. Dynamic websites and marketing automation will bring in top content so the customer will be faced with a truly unique experience that matches preferences and needs. As an example, the content that you offer for a first-time visitor is different than what you want to give to the repeat visitor.
Influencer Marketing
Influencer marketing was huge in 2017 and this is going to evolve towards a more personal level during the following year. The idea is to basically get customers to love brands so that word-of-mouth results are going to be better while brand awareness is spread. The problem is transforming customers into influencers. This is not as easy as many think but it is possible and a priority for smart marketers. Achieving the goal is possible through many ways and the basis of all is to offer solutions that do manage to solve customer problems. For that, much research will be needed though.