Who knows how much longer this pandemic is going to last, even when things settle down, the impact it has made on the world won’t go away. The tactics we all have been using won’t be forgotten, we have grown accustomed to them. Ecommerce, social media and video conferencing have become the norm and let’s be honest, it will continue to thrive even when the pandemic goes away. There are so many businesses and brands out there, so you have to make a name for yourself and stand out or you could get lost in the crowd. Our agency has some predictions of what marketing trends will be key in either the next few months or the next year.
Live streams and an increase in influencer marketing.
A safe and effective way that many brands have been getting their products and services used by consumers is by live streams and influencers. At the beginning of the pandemic and even now during lockdown, consumers aren’t necessarily able to go to businesses in person, so they need to get information from businesses in a different way. According to Facebook News, live viewings spiked by 50% during lockdown, while viewing on instagram surged 70% and Tiktok shot right up as well! When influencers or brand ambassadors produce live stream hauls, reviews, how-to’s or share their overall experience working with a brand, it generates trust within the surrounding community.
More purposeful meaning behind brands.
Consumers don’t want to interact with brands that come across as insincere, they want to invest in something that they truly believe in. So when your brand has a well-rounded message and vision, consumers will recognize and appreciate that. As a business, you need to discover what your purpose is right off the bat and who you are built to serve. Microswift’s branding service can help you with that! Branding specialists can build a distinctive and iconic brand from scratch to finish while really focusing in on every detail of the business. The branding service offers research and strategy, creative designs and helps to produce marketing collateral.
User generated content.
People crave human interaction. We want to see people be honest and genuine with their experiences, their passions, their likes and dislikes. It’s in our nature for us to want to be reassured before doing something because no one really wants to make the wrong decision. When a business includes customer testimonials, photos, videos or interviews, it can really help them form a trustworthy bond with new and old customers.
Using UGC shows that your business is legit, and mainly that you value your customer’s suggestions and experiences with your brand. UGC is relatable to people, personable, builds relationships, and overall can help businesses develop more content!
Business sustainability.
This is a trend that has been developing for years and years.
With the constant worry of global warming and health concerns looming over our heads, many businesses have taken approaches to becoming more sustainable in order to help the planet. After all, this is our home so we should take care of it! This trend will continue to be taken seriously; plenty of businesses have shifted to more eco-friendly materials, packaging, or systems of production. Some examples of businesses are Fuergy, Beyond Meat, Patagonia and Pela, just to name a few! This goes back to having a purposeful message behind your brand. Consumers seek out brands that are knowledgeable about what’s going on in the world, both news-wise and environmental-wise.
Easy to consume content.
Now, this is already a huge part of marketing right now but it will continue to be used for years to come. If you want to give information to the public but not completely overwhelm them, use easy to consume content. Some examples of this type of content include videos, photo galleries, newsletters and podcasts. Here at Microswift, we take a couple of different avenues through our social media pages, portfolio, blog, works page, newsletters and podcast. Not only do we inform the public of who we are and what we offer, but we also stand out from other agencies and show our own skills and talents. With this type of content, we are able to connect more intimately with the surrounding community.
Working with people who know and have extensive experience in the digital marketing era will be a bonus for your businesses marketing goals.
