For the majority of businesses the end of the financial year is the perfect time to take a look at what worked and didn’t work in your marketing. In most cases this will also lead to testing some new tactics in the year ahead.

HERE'S 6 PRETTY VICIOUS MARKETING TRENDS TO TRY IN 2018

1. MOBILE MARKETING

Nowadays consumers spend at least 2-3 hours on their phones everyday which means if you haven't already you should put a #mobilestrategy in place to engage with your prospects and customers. As standard you should have a mobile website, and then depending on your business, mobile elements such as ability to send text messages to your customers or Live chat like we do below.

2. SOCIAL MEDIA STORIES

With their growing popularity, social media “stories” will be impossible to ignore in 2018. The “stories” format pioneered by Snapchat has now become a staple of the social media world. Instagram followed by created #instagramstories, and now YouTube has released a stories format of their own called “#YoutubeReels”. Each offers unique features and presentation, but they all follow the same concept. WhatsApp and Facebook have also joined in proving it’s time to think about stories as a key part of your #socialmarketingstrategy.

3. CHATBOTS

If you're not familiar with #chatbots, think of them as a tool that can respond to your customers' questions or comments in your absence. Chatbots are used for #engagement, customer service issues, general questions and even closing business. The great thing is if you set up the bot correctly, it's very tough for customers to tell if you're talking to an actual person or a bot.

Improved open rates have exceeded 80% or higher with an engaged audience. meaning, if you send 1,000 messages via a chatbot tool, chances are high that at least 800 people will see your message. These rates much higher than email open rates, making this a unique channel not to ignore.

4. REVIEWS, REVIEWS AND MORE REVIEWS

Organic search traffic (#SEO) is still one of the best sources of web traffic for many businesses. While there are a lot of elements involved in #searchranking, the number of reviews you have is a key factor. Google looks at your Google reviews, Facebook reviews, Yelp reviews and more. Not only are your reviews are essential for search engine rankings, they can also make or break a sale for you.

According to research, half of adults under the age of 50 regularly check online reviews before purchasing a new item. What will they find? Do a search yourself.

5. LIVE VIDEO

As with stories expect to see more Facebook Live videos and a rise in web TV. Its clear consumers prefer video over text and it helps to tell more compelling stories, get your points across faster and can improve sales. Video on a landing page or sales page, for example, can help increase conversions by as much as 80%, according to research.

6. BRAND BUILDING

Telling your story versus telling people what to do is critical. Storytelling is one of the most powerful ways to promote and strengthen your brand. Good stories tap into your audience’s emotions because they genuinely connect to what your brand stands for or where it has come from. See our previous post on brand storytelling.

Stop focusing all of your attention on the call to action and make sure you're delivering value first, telling your story and portraying your business in the best possible light.

Building a brand might seem like a huge undertaking, especially when resources are limited. But as we’ve seen, there are plenty of economical ways to get started. Above, we've provided six trends. If you're having trouble getting started get in touch with one of our experts who can assist you with building your strategy for 2018/19 fiscal year. 

You can also sign up to our newsletter to get cost effective marketing tips and stay on top of industry trends affecting your brand.

Until next time...

#aprettyviciousmarketingblog