Our take on the Top Marketing Trends for 2014 might just help you up your marketing game. There is always the chance – and it is pretty high with the way marketing methods pop up – that something else will work its way into this list during the New Year, but these are the things we believe will be trending. Why is “what’s trending” important for your company? Because “what’s trending” is where you will find the people – read “potential customers.”
Google+
Yes, it has been around for a while. Maybe you have a personal Google+ account, but have you started one for your company? (They should be separate to be sure to keep personal things from ending up on your company page.) 2014 might just be the year that Google+ inches closer to the #1 social platform, Facebook, and closes the gap by a lot (it is currently the #2 social media platform). This makes complete sense when you consider that Google has the most popular search engine with 2 million searches every 60 seconds! Its brand is already on everyone’s mind.
Videos
If your company can make, or have made, an occasional short video of your services or products, then you should do it. Why? Because so much of what people are doing on the internet comes in 60-second bursts with music for mood. If you put together the best photos or moving video, even a 6 second Vine video on Twitter, with great music to set the tone, it will not only get attention, it is bound to get shared. Then you’d have the quickest “word of mouth” advertising that exists.
Brand Utility
Have you heard about it yet? It has other names too: branded content, branded entertainment, advertainment. It sounds complicated, but it isn’t. Just imagine it this way: if you and your company have a missional drive, a charitable heart, an educational vision, or a cause you find important, then you are likely already on your way to a successful brand utility. You don’t always have to advertise a product; you can advertise heart. Show the world what you believe in. Social marketing is perfect for exposing brand utility. Give people useful information, share a recipe or home tip, show them how to contribute, or allow them to make the world a better place through your company. Eco-friendly “green” companies are doing this from the get-go, but your company doesn’t have to sell eco-friendly products to utilize brand utility. Every company can.
Email Social Sharing
If you don’t already send out e-newsletters (also known as e-blasts or email marketing), then you need to get in on that action. People are signing up for emails as much as ever. The difference you can make in yours is to include “social sharing” opportunities. Here is one of the best places to put your videos, images, useful information, and calls to action. This is where you make brand utility come to life. People are looking for a “share this” button. They want to share and share alike! Give them an opportunity to share your company and vision right inside your email newsletters. You will see your advertising exposure go up. And a great benefit is that for every organic share such as this, your budget doesn’t go up!
Keep these things in mind as you craft your marketing plan for 2014. Add in what you can, when you can, but make sure to prioritize what is best for your company. Strategy, LLC is here to help you with setup and implementation of a complete marketing plan within your budget. Contact us and let’s get started on your 2014 marketing plan!
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