• Tuesday, April 23, 2024
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BusinessDay

Exploring new trends shaping marketing

IMC stakeholders converge on Lagos for ‘The Industry Summit4.0’

We are living in a brand landscape where anything from services to objects or interactions can be commodified and sold and brands must find new ways to express their identity and what they believe in, developing an ever-going conversation with their audiences. Marketing moves fast and understanding future marketing trends and how to implement them into your strategies is crucial in keeping your brand at the forefront of people’s minds. Some of the new marketing trends that are shaping the future of branding include;

1. Artificial Intelligence in Marketing

Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming a prominent future marketing trend and it’s very popular in different parts of marketing. Not only is it useful in data analysis to spot trends and make predictions, but now it’s being used in more creatively focused ways like copywriting and graphic design.

A good number of businesses agree that AI is top priority for their business and the market for AI products was over $136 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach nearly $300 billion by 2026. In other words: it’s growing fast, and businesses are taking note.

It’s worth pointing out that a lot of this technology is very young, and it is making large improvements seemingly every month. 2023 might be the best time to have your teams become accustomed to AI tools and using them in their daily work.

2. User Generated Content and Other Short Form Videos

There’s no more genuine piece of marketing than one done by your own satisfied customers. User-generated content (UGC) is created when customers, employees, brand loyalists, or even your own employees post about your company in a positive light. Whether it’s pictures showcasing your latest product, sharing a joyful experience with your team, or other types of content, it’s essentially free advertising of the most authentic variety (unless you paid someone to do it, of course).

Why is user-generated content so important moving forward? Because of its authenticity, UGC stands out more than standard ads or influencer promotions, especially because people are consistently bombarded with these types of ads. Because of this, people now have incredible sensors for the fakeness that plagues paid promotions.

3. Using Technology to Continue to Align Marketing and Sales

Aligning sales and marketing seems like a constant goal for business leaders, but that’s for good reason. Aligning these two is important. They exist in a symbiotic relationship where one feeds the other and vice versa and, if they’re not working together effectively, both sides become less effective. Organizations with aligned sales and marketing teams typically see an increased chance that they will exceed their revenue goals.

Read also: How to align your brand with Gen Z’s digital world

4. Influencer Marketing and New Uses of Social Media

One future marketing trend to watch for in social media is the continued rise of influencer marketing. As shopping goes more and more social, influencers become more and more valuable. Influencers not only bring a highly dedicated fanbase, but they also allow businesses to easily find niche audiences and advertise to them in slightly more genuine ways than just planting ads on their feed.

Influencers are entertainers at heart and getting your product into their hands is a good way to show it off without coming across as just another ad.

5. An Experiential Marketing Comeback

The pandemic shut down any chances for brands to interact with customers live and in person in 2020, right as experiential marketing began climbing into relevance and brands began planning unique and viral experiences around their products.

Now, this trend appears to be coming back around. As people are more and more likely to return to these types of events and pop-ups, brands are bringing them back.

6. Personalization and Conversational Marketing

80% of consumers are more likely to make a purchase from your business if offered a more personalized experience. The data clearly shows that people want and react better to personalized marketing which is why it’s crucial for businesses to do more personalized campaigns.

Whether it’s adding names to emails, sending curated content, or identifying specific pain points in their industry, showing that you’ve done your research and that you’re willing to go the extra mile to connect with them will put your brand firmly at the top of their mind when purchasing decisions are being made.

7. Interactive Content

Marketers agree that interactive content has major positive effects on marketing materials. Higher audience engagement rates, increased lead generation, more brand loyalty, and a better learning experience are just some of the benefits of bringing interactivity to your content strategies.

Creative types of content like the ones below will help your brand stand out and provide a memorable moment for those who come to your content. Types of interactive marketing content include trivia, interactive infographics, polls, videos and games

Last line

Future marketing trends are constantly changing and staying up to date on what’s coming is the best way to keep your strategies sharp and effective.