Marketing is a necessity for any business, particularly in an era where competition runs rife and potential consumers are overrun with messaging across all platforms. Effective marketing enables you to stand out from the white noise and get your brand into the mind of consumers. This industry is constantly changing, which means you need to be changing alongside it. Get ahead of your competitors by utilising these four emerging social marketing trends.
Facebook Messenger As An Alternative To Email Marketing
According to some digital marketing specialists Facebook Messenger will soon be used as an alternative strategy to email marketing. Many professionals in Digital Marketing understand how difficult it can be to create a successful email marketing campaign, with open rates of EDMs remaining universally low. This trend towards Facebook Messenger as a key communication platform could drastically change customer relationships as mobile messages are proven to have a much higher open rate than email. Furthermore, Facebook Messenger offers a quicker response rate to customer enquiries, boosting your customer communication flow.
The Use Of Chatbots
Managing customer enquiries in a timely and relevant manner is increasingly difficult, particularly as an organisation continues to grow. Streamlining your communication channels and creating an automated response system allows you to reach customers at the right time, in the right place and with the right context. It is for this reason that Chatbots are increasingly relied upon for online communications with both current and potential customers.
On Facebook Messenger alone there are more than 100,000 chatbots currently being used to gather information. The most important thing to focus on when using a chatbot is that it comes across as relevant and human. If your chatbot can’t stimulate a real and helpful conversation with customers it will have an adverse effect and end up isolating them further from your business.
Becoming A Multimedia Company
The digital world is continually evolving and adapting to new trends, which means as a business, you need to be doing this too. It is no longer enough to have a good website. Your business needs to be present across a number of platforms. We all know that a strong social media presence is a necessity, however, this alone is not enough. Videos now attract the highest engagement from target audiences which means, not only do you need to have a great website and social media content, you should also consider posting vlogs and promotional videos. Podcasts are growing in preference as well, with many young consumers preferring podcasts to music and the radio when commuting to and from work. To make your business stand out in a sea of online communication, a versatile multi-media marketing strategy is a must.
Prioritising Online Reviews
Positive reviews are becoming increasingly important for your business. 50% of people under the age of 50 will check online reviews before making a purchase. It’s not all about the social proof either, Google considers reviews to be a good indicator of a business’s legitimacy and will take a rating into account when ranking your website in its search engine. Facebook’s new City Guide [link] feature uses reviews in their algorithms when deciding what local venues to promote to visiting tourists.
More Tips From Merge Digital
The world of marketing is an ever-changing landscape. Keeping on top of every trend and marketing avenue is almost impossible, However, remaining educated on the latest marketing trends and updates will help your business get one step ahead. If you want to learn more about the industry and how it can benefit you, head to our blogroll for the most relevant marketing tips and tricks your business needs. If you have any questions or are interested in help with your marketing campaign feel free to contact our team below.
