Trends for marketing and advertising are constantly changing. A little less than ten years ago, advertising and marketing efforts were predominantly placed within traditional media outlets. These “traditional” outlets include: television, radio, print and billboards, to name a few. With the evolution of the internet and new technological devices taking over everybody’s daily life, marketers have needed to shift their focus from traditional media towards new media. Businesses need to remain well-informed and on the front foot when it comes to new, digital technology as the environment is rapidly changing. Businesses not only need to produce relevant, high quality content, but they also need to make sure it is distributed via the right channels to reach their desired audience. There are many trends currently making their debut in the world of marketing. We are going to look at a few of the key techniques, that we believe will continue to develop and be imperative in the marketing world within the next five years.
An Increase In the Use of Live Videos
Although the use of live videos has been a growing trend for a few years, it is predicted to ‘take-off’ in the next five years. Live videos can be posted on social media networks like Facebook and Instagram and they are posted quite frequently. People enjoy viewing live videos because the videos allow for interaction between the viewers and the person taping it. Live videos also are able to provide more detailed information than a simple text-written post. According to Cisco, “videos will constitute 82% of all online traffic by 2022.” These statistics exemplify the growth of live videos, and indicates businesses who use them will be at an advantage. These videos are beneficial if a brand wishes to launch a new product or “go live” during an event, to keep its target audience engaged.
Authentic and Relevant Content
Authenticity and relevance has been - and always will be - a trend in the world of marketing. In order for a business to succeed, the content being marketing must be authentic and relevant to the target audience. If the content is random and uninteresting, the product or service being marketed will succeed. A target audience is more likely to be intrigued by authentic material, but they also want the material to be relevant and relatable to themselves and the product or service. According to research done by the Content Marketing Institute, “90% of the most successful content marketers prioritize relevance over promotions while creating content.” Creating content that is both authentic and relevant will continue to peak the interest of consumers, while also creating trust between brand and consumer.
Creating User-Generated Content
Studies have shown that user-generated content is by far the most trusted type of marketing. This has been becoming more and more popular due to social media. The use of social media continues to grow, meaning user-generated content will be even more important in the next five years. User-generated content is reliable because it comes directly from customers who have previously used a product or service. Not only is user-generated content reliable, it is also extremely up-to-date and relevant. For example, many skin care brands will allow for people who use their product to create content promoting the brand as well. When in relation to skin care, some of the content consists of results of a skincare product. Seeing positive results and other consumers enjoying a product will make potential consumers more likely to invest in a product or service.
Personalized Content
Creating content that is personalized has always been popular when it comes to marketing. People feel special and even more satisfied if the content being marketed is personalized. Although people love it, and personalization is popular, the ability to personalize content requires a lot of effort. This can be challenging for marketers. Predictions have been made through research that in the next five years technological advancements will assist in the ability for marketers to personalize content making it simpler.
Chatbots
The use of chatbots is a new advancement in the world of marketing. These chatbots are able to assist customers with questions almost as well as an actual human. As the years go by, chatbots are continuing to get smarter and smarter. These are extremely helpful for brands because if it were not for the use of chatbots, they would have to hire an employee to constantly sit on the web and answer questions. These bots make customers feel as if they are getting individualized assistance and leaving them more satisfied. Chatbots also have the ability for a brand to give each bot a personality, so the consumer feels like they are talking to an actual human instead of a robot. Chatbots also have the ability to re-engage with existing customers, messaging them via Facebook Messenger with an offer. If the customer chooses to respond, the chatbot can be programmed with a communication sequence in order to continue the conversation and try to convert a sale. As more and more people rely on the internet for their interaction with brands, chatbots will become invaluable in the future, helping to engage with online audiences better.
Augmented and Virtual Reality Debate
Maybe not in the next five years -but possibly next seven to ten years- two newer marketing skills known as augmented and virtual reality will become popular. This type of marketing creates an interactive and realistic way of marketing a product or service. Virtual reality is when the viewer is completed invested in a video, making them feel as if it is “real-life”. While augmented reality is the interaction of computer generation animations over real world images. Eventually the use of augmented and virtual reality take-off, which will - once again -change the world of marketing.
It is valuable for marketing and advertising professionals to remain proactive. Educating businesses and researching about approaching trends will result in an overall competitive advantage. Innerspark Creative takes pride in being a full-service agency who remains up-to-date in all aspects of the marketing world.
