1) Influencers Drive Revenue:
It’s 2017. That being said, it’s no secret that in today’s world your brand should be on social media. We have a saying at Magnum Integrated Marketing, “If you’re not building your brand online, you’re not building your brand.” While that holds true and always will, it’s important to take the initiative and go beyond this.
What sets brands apart nowadays are the voices of WHO is using your product or service. Having a social media influencer stand by your brand speaks volumes to potential customers. Consumers are more likely to trust and invest in a product that is used by someone they look up to.
Influencers can significantly impact your brand’s reputation in a positive way and ultimately increase your company’s revenue. Having an influencer advocate for your brand can truly be a game-changer and affect your company in the best way possible.
2) Marketing That’s Disruptive Has Negative Affects
At the end of the day, we’re all people… and most people don’t typically like to be “sold” on ideas or products. Consumers, to an extent, prefer to realize on their own that they need a product; and this requires marketers to think strategically.
Of course it’s important to market and advertise your product to create brand awareness and drive revenue. However, it’s also important to advertise in a way that does not seem pushy and disruptive to consumers. Social media makes it easy in today’s world to come off as aggressive with advertising, which can lead to a decline in both followers and sales.
Think about it, when you’re scrolling through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc., doesn’t it get a somewhat bothersome to have an advertisement pop up on your feed every minute? Especially when it’s the same company?
The moral of this tip is that everything is great in moderation. Market your product, but don’t overdo it with social media advertisements and consistently disrupt consumers. Sometimes less is more when it comes to the quantity of social media advertisements.
3) Being Mobile Optimized is Crucial
Would you believe it if we told you that it’s 2017, and some brands still have websites that are not mobile optimized? Well, it’s true; and if your brand is guilty of this, it’s time to get with the program.
Research shows that 95% of consumers use a cellphone or tablet when they interact with a brand for the first time. That being said, making a great first impression on mobile users is key. It’s not likely that you will make a lasting impression if your website is difficult to navigate on a mobile device.
So, if you haven’t already, we highly suggest to make room in your yearly budget and invest in creating a mobile optimized website. Failing to do so keeps your brand from reaching its full potential and fails to bring in the most revenue possible.
4) Customer Service Expectations Continue To Rise
With the progression of technology, comes a higher demand for responsive customer service – this demand will continue to increase as the years go on.
A study shows that 78% of people who complain to a brand via Twitter expect to hear a response within the hour. While this demand can seem stressful, a friendly reply to an unhappy customer can go a long way. 71% of customers who have experienced good customer service on social media are likely to recommend the company to others.
Technology may make it simpler for customers to complain, but it also gives companies an easier way to resolve issues and communicate with unhappy customers. Throughout the year, it’s important that companies remember to pay close attention to their customers and social media accounts. After all, customer satisfaction is the foundation of a successful brand.
5) Livestreaming in 2017
A somewhat new trend is the livestream feature on social networks. It began a couple years ago with the application “Periscope” and has now taken over other social networks such as Facebook.
Livestreaming allows your followers to see what you’re doing in that exact moment, and interact through comments and “reactions”. If brands figure out a way to use this feature to their advantage, it seems that this could be a very unique and beneficial marketing tactic.
The digital age has truly opened many doors for marketers. Those who keep up with the trends and use them to grab the attention of consumers are the ones who see positive results.