Modernising Your Marketing

As you’ve probably discovered already, nothing in business ever sits still. This is especially true when it comes to established marketing conventions. With the world of digital marketing constantly racing ahead, you need to make sure that your marketing efforts are staying in-step with modern standards. If you’re worried that your marketing has become a little outdated or out of touch, here are some ideas to modernise it.

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Ephemeral Content

Ephemeral content has become something of a staple of marketing in 2017. If you weren’t already aware, ephemeral content is basically any post that has a limited lifespan, and will disappear after a predetermined period of time. This kind of content was once unique to Snapchat, but Instagram have also introduced their own ephemeral content feature that more and more brands are taking advantage of. Content that disappears after a short window of time may sound like a fairly unattractive prospect, but if your target audience is using certain channels, you should be playing ball. Instagram and Snapchat stories are designed for content that feels spontaneous and in-the-moment. When you’re trying to reach out to the consumers who use Instagram and Snapchat, chiefly millennials on the younger end of the spectrum, the worst thing you can do is post content that comes off as overly formal, stiff and forced.

Snapchat Ads

Snapchat introduced a couple of major advertising updates in late 2016, and if you don’t have much of an impressive click-through rate for your current advertising, they’re certainly worth checking out. Just bear in mind that Snapchat isn’t for every brand. As far as social platforms go, Snapchat is as closely tied to millennials as e-cigs and fidget spinners, and is most conducive to content that’s at least a little carefree and playful. However, if your business fits the bill, Snapchat could be your new best friend. One of these major innovations is the ability for brands to create their own geofilters, and decide where and when to enable them. Snapchat have also launched a system of conventional ads (which they call “stories”) that appear between its users’ stories. These are full-screen and will play automatically if the user in question has their sound turned on. You can then send certain users to longer, more in-depth videos, articles, and other kinds of content.

Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing is no longer an innovative option for your business anymore; it’s a given. With this niche growing all the time, if you haven’t been touching influencer marketing so far, it’s only a matter of time before you’re swallowed up by the competition. The modern explosion in influencer marketing is all rooted in good-old word-of-mouth marketing. Having your brand recommended through the opinion of someone your target market knows and trusts is one of the most powerful ways to drive interest and conversions. Obviously, the large majority of your target market isn’t going to know people who could be called “influencers” personally. However, these people are trusted trendsetters and thought leaders, and as long as they have enough people looking up to them, influencer marketing will be a smart investment.