As part of unLOCKEd’s 10th Anniversary series, we wanted to discuss some notable marketing trends from our ten years of business! A lot has changed and evolved since 2014, and looking at these trends can help refocus current marketing strategies. So, let’s get into it!
1. Content Marketing
The first trend is content marketing. Content marketing has become increasingly popular over the last decade, focusing on creating valuable, relevant content to attract and engage audiences. Alongside companies’ traditional advertising, blogs (like this one), videos, infographics, and podcasts have become valuable tools!
2. Influencer Marketing
The next trend is influencer marketing. While we saw some of this when we started unLOCKEd, it has picked up exponentially. Collaborating with social media influencers has become a way for companies to reach target audiences. As this trend has gained speed, it has moved from simply asking influencers to promote a product to associating it with influencers’ lifestyles to appear more authentic and relatable, traits audiences increasingly value.
3. Social Media Advertising
This trend has become essential for the majority of B2C companies. Increased investment in paid social media ads on platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn, is many companies’ primary means of reaching audiences. As consumers spend more and more time looking down at their devices rather than at billboards or even their TVs, it is vital to a company’s success that they follow this move to maintain their audiences’ attention.
4. Video Marketing
Video marketing is another trend that has become increasingly prevalent throughout the last ten years. As technology advances, there are ever-increasing possibilities for digital marketing. Video marketing has become more attainable for even small businesses, and it is a great way to capture your audience’s attention. Video content is a key component of marketing strategies, including live streaming, stories, and short-form video content like TikTok and Instagram Reels.
5. Artificial Intelligence and Automation
This trend is another result of technological advances. AI-driven tools and automation have become popular for tasks such as chatbots, customer segmentation, predictive analytics, and personalized recommendations. These technologies can help save time and eliminate human error for both companies and customers. While that isn’t to say that these tools do not have certain downsides, they have certainly become quite popular!
6. Voice Search Optimization
As voice search has become increasingly popular and sophisticated, marketers have had to optimize their digital content to keep up. As early voice search technologies like Siri progressed to smart speakers like Amazon Alexa and Google Home, optimizing content for voice search has grown into a necessity to reach audiences.
7. Mobile-First Marketing
This trend is vital to any marketer’s success. As mobile usage surpassed desktop usage for internet browsing and e-commerce, prioritizing mobile-friendly content and experiences become a front-and-centre priority. From mobile-friendly websites to e-commerce apps, companies must ensure their content is easily accessible on mobile devices to stay in the game.
8. Social Commerce
This trend is a little more recent than some of the others we have discussed. With the increase in online shopping and social media influencers, shoppable content through directly integrating e-commerce features into social media platforms has allowed users to shop without even leaving the app. Not only can an influencer say, “Check out this cool product,” but now they can encourage their audience to buy the product on the spot!
9. User-Generated Content
This is a trend that has had both success and created publicity nightmares for companies. User-generated content is when brands encourage customers to create and share content related to the brand, leveraging authenticity and community engagement. However, leaving your marketing up to the public also releases your control of the content. A successful user-generated content campaign should be about the audience to increase participation and include a screening process to avoid unwanted messages associated with the brand.
10. Sustainability and Ethical Marketing
Our final trend is companies’ movement towards sustainability and ethical practices. Consumers have become interested in more than just a product’s convenience, but also the impact of creating it. Consumers’ growing demand has encouraged brands to adopt sustainable practices and promote ethical values in their marketing efforts.
These trends have really put into perspective how much marketing has changed in the last decade! At unLOCKEd, our marketing experts are up-to-date on current trends and advances in the field so that we can provide the best marketing assistance for your business!
Author: Sarah Murphy
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