By | Stephanie Snyder
Marketing is an ever-changing field, with new strategies and technologies emerging frequently. In recent years, several innovative marketing techniques that didn’t exist just a decade ago have become popular. These include influencer marketing, user-generated content, chatbots, virtual reality, voice search optimization, and more. By leveraging these new tools and strategies, brands can remain innovative in reaching new customers.
Influencer Marketing
Influencer marketing is promoting a business or product via social media users who have a significant following. These individuals are also known as influencers. Influencers who have power over a certain target audience will partner with brands and produce genuine content that highlights the company and brings awareness to their followers. Fans are often responsive to the promoted messaging since they respect the influencer’s judgment and advice. According to recent influencer marketing case studies, over 70% of teens trust influencers more than traditional celebrities. Influencer marketing allows brands to tap into this trust and reach new audiences organically.
User-Generated Content
User-generated content is created and shared by the brand’s customers and fans. It could include social media posts, blog posts, photos, videos, podcasts, etc. By re-sharing this content, brands can leverage customer creativity, increase authenticity, and boost engagement and brand advocacy. User-generated content is a low-cost, high-impact way for brands to raise brand awareness and connect with audiences.
Chatbots and AI Assistants
Advancements in artificial intelligence have allowed the rise of chatbots and AI assistants in marketing. Chatbots respond instantly to customer questions and basic queries via live chat on the brand’s website or messaging apps. AI assistants utilize natural language processing to understand voice commands and personalize user content. Chatbots and AI help automate processes, scale customer support, and enhance personalization – allowing brands to improve the overall user experience.
Voice Search Optimization
Voice assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Home have mainstreamed voice-based queries. Brands must adapt their SEO and content strategies to optimize for voice search. That includes using natural language in content rather than keywords, creating content that answers common questions, and making website navigation as seamless as possible. By optimizing for voice search, brands ensure they continue to attract traffic from voice-based search queries and reach customers in this emerging market.
Social Media Stories
Ephemeral content platforms like Instagram Stories, Facebook Stories, and Snapchat Stories have introduced a new marketing channel for brands. Like social media posts, stories allow brands to share curated content with their audiences. However, stories are self-deleted after 24 hours. Brands utilize stories to give their followers a glimpse behind the scenes, share quick updates, promote time-sensitive offers, and keep people engaged with eye-catching photos and video clips. Since these videos and clips often disappear after 24 hours, it makes them far more attractive to catch up to!
Live Video Streaming
Live video streaming allows brands to broadcast video content in real-time to audiences via platforms like Facebook Live, YouTube Live, Periscope, and others. Brands use live streaming to engage their social media followers with Q&A sessions, product launches and demonstrations, talks, and more. Since it is happening now, it feels much more authentic to fans. Viewers feel they have backstage access and genuinely interact with the brand, fostering brand loyalty and trust.
Personalized Marketing Automation
Brands can deliver targeted, personalized customer communications using data and marketing automation tools. For example, automated email campaigns can trigger tailored content based on a customer’s actions or attributes. Marketing automation platforms allow brands to send messages at optimal times, include personalized product or content recommendations, and adapt communications based on a customer’s engagement. Personalization and automation optimize the buying experience and increase conversion and retention rates.
Micro-Influencer Marketing
Micro-influencers have a smaller following, typically from 10,000 to 100,000 followers. While less reach than mega-influencers, micro-influencers often have a highly engaged, niche following. Brands leverage micro-influencers to reach targeted audiences authentically. Due to their smaller size, micro-influencers charge lower rates, making this influencer type accessible to brands with smaller budgets.
Conclusion
Marketing is an area of continual innovation. Emerging strategies like influencer marketing, live streaming, user-generated content, and chatbots provide new ways for brands to reach and engage audiences. By staying current with trends, testing new marketing techniques, and refining strategies based on performance, brands can thrive in today’s fast-paced digital landscape. The brands pushing boundaries and leveraging new technologies will always lead the way.
