All stories about marketing begin by recalling its main objective – to meet consumers’ needs and desires, and make them loyal. Easier said than done. When it comes to realization, it’s not that simple. Marketing is a dynamic and sensitive field and demands continuous attention in following and implementing the latest trends. To save you from spending hours of exploring what is new in this sphere, we did your homework. So let’s begin.
Tell me a story
You can already guess what it is about, right? 2017 is the year of the great return of the storytelling.Aggressive marketing and “we are the biggest”, “we are the best”, “we are the most innovative” approach isn’t in for quite some time and does not attract attention of a demanding consumer. People are less likely to believe in mere brand promises. Yet, if you engage them in an interesting story, as did Budweiser, consumers are unlikely to remain indifferent.
Be careful, though. Storytelling should not begin and end with a case studyof your company. It is way beyond that, and Millennials are more into a new dimension of storytelling. Outspoken Media agency made a great overview of tools which can help you in conveying your story, but let’s see how you should tell it to the generation Y.
You’re live in 3, 2, 1…
As we all heard it many times before, in the digital world, video has priority over other types of content. If a picture is worth a 1000 words, a video is worth 24000 powerful words in a second!
True. But not any video, just live video. The reason is simple – the content which is not mounted seems more honest, people believe it more, and is, therefore, more attractive. Perfection is outfashioned and no one will wait for it. Not even the first presidential debate in the United States, which was broadcasted live via YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.
Acting “here and now” is an imperative of today, but what if we tell you that your story may have far more reaching influence?
Influencers in focus
Promotion tools have never been so numerous and diverse. Their number is growing each day, but the most trusted in 2017 is one and only – a word of mouth.
There is no doubt that people trust their family and friends the most, but today’s appreciation goes also to opinion and recommendations of:
- Fashion bloggers
- Travel bloggers
- Lifestyle bloggers
- Fitness bloggers
- Beauty bloggers
- Popular foodies
- Celebrities
- Favourite Instagrammers
Yes, we are talking about influencers. This term is nowadays often used to describe anyone who has more than a few thousand followers on Instagram or Twitter, but to be a true influencer, you need much, much more. To avoid getting into this trap and to find your place under online sky, you have to dug deep and search for right people who are trusted, listen what they have to say and observe actions of people who follow them. This requires a lot of time and efforts, but it’s crucial if you want to do the right thing.
When you find a right person, you need to make sure he or she understands the goal you want to reach. And then it’s up to them to pack and tell your story through a live video on social networks. This trend is taking more and more space on the internet, because new generations believe stories told by real people which they can identify with.
As we said, pictures are worth much more than words. :) Thus, it’s enough to take a look at Instagram profile of any influencer. Take, for example Ella Dvornik:
The immediacy in communication, followed by unpredictable and unexpected are the aces of today’s influencers. People who have something to say and show in the online world, those who let you sneak peak into their life can be the secret of your success in the months to come.
To summarize…
In 2017 everything is going to be about live video on social networks shared by a person who is trusted. These persons will talk about interesting stories and connect brands with consumers and will have far more better outreach than those sticked to the “we are better than the competition” approach.
Video content is dominant for one more reason. Although today, most people use mobile devices to catch up with news, they do so through other media, as well. And they often do it simultaneously. For this reason video is again prevailing tool, as it easily draws and holds the attention of a digital consumer.
January is behind us, so if you haven’t already included these trends in your annual marketing plan, it’s not too late to do it now. Stay viral. :)
