As we roll into a new year, there’s no shortage of articles about trends to watch — whether those trends are related to consumer products, the economy, the weather, or business topics. And depending on the source, those trends can vary wildly, especially when it comes to marketing trends.
Here’s what we see for small businesses and small nonprofits in the year ahead.
Heavier focus on email
An email in your prospective customer’s inbox (when they’ve given permission for you to email them, of course) can be powerful, yet many small businesses haven’t really used email marketing consistently. With growing frustration around changing social media algorithms and outages and lack of reach, more small businesses are turning to email as a marketing channel. They’re not abandoning social media by any means, but they are seeing the value of email.
Efficiency in all things
Small businesses and small nonprofits are continually looking for ways to work smarter not harder and to do more with fewer resources. This applies to marketing too, so systems and processes to streamline marketing efforts will take center stage.
Relationship marketing
This one isn’t new, but more small businesses are starting to focus on how marketing (and customer service) can build a relationship with the audience. In other words, it’s time to bump up your engagement with your audience. Show more of the human side of your brand, and really connect with your audience online and in person!
Data, data, data
Access to data (or lack thereof) and data security continue to be a big trend for small businesses. With new privacy laws passing in various states and tech providers like Apple and Google continuing to adjust their privacy options for users, businesses are having to adjust to new ways of analyzing their marketing efforts. At the same, protecting customer data remains a key issue for small businesses as well.
Interactive content
Whether you’re on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or all of them – take advantage of the opportunities each social platform offers to immerse your audience in your business. This could include short questionnaires, fun polls and quizzes, or more video content. More engagement from your audience means more opportunity to convert them to customers.
What trends do you think will be most relevant to your business this year?
If you’re thinking about marketing trends and how your business needs to adapt, let’s chat. StoryPath Communications can help you develop a strategic communications plan to ensure consistent marketing efforts over time.