To survive in the startup world today, it’s essential to know how the marketing landscape is changing and what the best new companies are going to be doing in 2017 to market to customers. Through using video, you can send more information in a shorter space of time. Ask your customers. Startups need to begin thinking about how they’re going to build for the future. A certain level of personalization will enhance customer loyalty and make it more likely that they’ll make a purchase. They believe that sending out a general question to their audience is enough. The problem is there’s little that indicates people are going to go on to buy something. Studies have shown that people tend to respond to questions they see online when they believe they’re directed at them. Unless you’re a big brand, you’re never going to be able to post any old question, get lots of engagement, and make sales. The whole point is to make customers remember your brand.
Startups often find the most difficult part of building a scalable business is being able to get the right marketing plan in place to acquire early adopters at scale. Being able to gain traction with customers is what makes or breaks the majority of startups.
To survive in the startup world today, it’s essential to know how the marketing landscape is changing and what the best new companies are going to be doing in 2017 to market to customers.
Here are the five main marketing trends that I believe startups should be on the lookout for in 2017.
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Video Marketing
The rise of mobile use is what has spurred the growing use of video. This is far from a new trend, but it’s a trend that’s going to continue into 2017. More and more companies are realizing the benefits of using video to communicate their brand messages, including a 300% click-through rate when used in email.
Through using video, you can send more information in a shorter space of time. You can also communicate with customers who browse on the go. Video has the capacity to expand your total reach and send a more comprehensive message than a standard blog post ever could.
Experience-Based Marketing
It’s well-known that millennials make up the biggest section of the workforce. This was a recent change that has hit the country, but it illustrates the need for change. Millennials would much rather spend money on experiences, as opposed to spending simply because they encounter a good deal.
This is why millennials would rather take that around the world trip instead of saving for retirement. Regardless of your philosophy on how millennials behave, it’s a wakeup call to startups. Think about your customer experience and how to improve it because this is what will determine whether customers choose you.
So what’s the best way to improve your customer experience?
Ask your customers. It’s the simplest way to find out the truth about something, yet so many startups don’t take the time to do this. You’re missing out on vital information by not doing it.
Thinking Long-Term
Marketing used to be about a series of successful short-term campaigns that eventually lead to long-term success. The concept of short-termism is becoming a thing of the past. Startups need to begin thinking about how they’re going to build for the future.
One of the reasons for this is the need for companies to invest in building trust with consumers. As LA digital marketing agency, CCG, says in a recent digital marketing report, “Brands that invest in trust are brands that think about long-term success rather than immediate return.”
Invest in trust and that’s the key to building for your long-term success.
Personalization
You’ll notice that the big brands are investing in personalization more and more. This can be seen with Google and Amazon as the searches you made previously will influence your results in future searches. You should look to apply similar principles to the experience your brand offers.
It’s a massive part of improving the customer experience. A certain level of personalization will enhance customer loyalty and make it more likely that they’ll make a purchase.
Social Media Marketing Is Now About Engagement Not Content Blasts
You’ve heard it all before that social media marketing should be about engaging with consumers and not selling to them. The problem is few people really understand what this means. They believe that sending out a general question to their audience is enough. That’s engagement on the most basic level. The problem is there’s little that indicates people are going to go on to buy something.
Social media marketing remains at the forefront of marketing in 2017 for startups, but they need to think about laser-targeted engagement. What they post should be targeted not just at their audience, but at segments of their audience.
Studies have shown that people tend to respond to questions they see online when they believe they’re directed at them. Unless you’re a big brand, you’re never going to be able to post any old question, get lots of engagement, and make sales.
So how do you make sure that your engagement campaign makes a sale?
Directly, you don’t. The whole point is to make customers remember your brand. The goal is to ensure that they buy into what you’re doing. You need to think long-term.
Conclusion – Think Beyond 2017
These five trends won’t just benefit your brand through 2017. They will benefit your brand beyond that. Smart startups won’t be thinking about the next six months, they’ll be thinking about the next couple of years. Adopt that mindset and you will reap great returns in 2017 and beyond.
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