Each year brings new challenges to companies wishing to improve their branding while expanding their marketing reach. Branding trends in 2017 you should keep an eye out for once again involve social platforms, but have begun to pivot to influence marketing.
Because of the changes in algorithms by the social platforms that seek to keep viewers from clicking on links that transfer them to other platforms or sites, culling up an effective and sizeable audience without paying for the advertising is becoming increasingly difficult. That doesn’t mean that some of the techniques employed in the past won’t work. It does mean that marketing may have to use both techniques if it wishes to maximise its marketing result via the social platforms.
Branding Trends in 2017
Video is Still King
Still king, videos continue to dominate as the single most effective tool. Whatever the human dynamic is that makes this tool so effective will likely never change. When the consumer can just sit back while a video serves to both inform and entertain continues to prove an unassailable marketing technique. Employed with other techniques that get the consumer to click “BUY”, this tool is likely to remain on the throne for decades to come.
The Algorithm is the Challenge
That does not obviate the growing problem presented by the annual changes in algorithms by social platforms, paid to keep out unsolicited marketers. The impact of the changing algorithm has limited the effectiveness of forming an organic, grassroots campaign up and keeping it thriving.
Influence Marketing Looks Like the Answer
An additional cost may prove unavoidable to sustain a company’s brand. Influence Marketing is such a technique that adds cost, but promises the best results. It attempts to influence a small group of key consumers in a segment who then essentially (and indirectly) market the goods and services. Using a key individual in whom the market segment recognizes, associates with, trust, believes in, likes etc. to sponsor its goods and services. This frames the kernel of the concept. The next iteration involves key members of that segment to respond favorably, beginning a marketing ground swell that spills over to the public, creating an organic campaign indirectly.
Some Platforms Seem More Compatible to the Influence Marketing
Instagram seems the most amenable and adaptable platform for this newer marketing strategy. The company’s brand must fit into this dynamic. With the emphasis again using a visual vehicle to sell to the consumer (video), the brand has to present an entertaining approach to sell while informing and persuading the viewer to click “BUY”. Getting there requires another strategy. Understanding the market segment requires a unique angle, while developing relationships with the right “influencers”, who possess stellar engagement rates, provides the answer. This is pre-planning at its best and if the marketer wishes to get the biggest bang for the buck from a long-term investment, fitting the brand to influence marketing may prove the most effective in this coming year.
The Old Dog’s Tricks Still Have Limited Effectiveness
As alluded to earlier, the old techniques are not necessarily dead – the old dog’s tricks still work. When the technique engages the consumer then it has a favorable impact. It is just that some marketing techniques are more engaging. New apps and even new social platforms continue to appeal to consumers and companies need to identify them and move quickly to jump ahead of the competition. In the quickly evolving world of the internet, there is much ado about getting there first.
Keeping Abreast of Technology
Using technology that is more sophisticated continues to move to the front of promoting and maintaining a company’s brand. Intelligent apps are spreading like wildfire. Though not used so much as a direct marketing tool, these types of apps help select which tools are the most effective — as of today — an again employ the techniques of ease and engagement. Artificial intelligence, text-to-speech, and speech-to-text involving mobile devices and the social sites and web links consumers encounter match their expectations and growing reliance on technology.
It is clear that a company’s brand has a lot to do with its ability to manage effectively its public face on the internet through the many social platforms and apps. Engaging consumers while making it easy to access and understand their products and services remains the singular constant in an ever-changing marketing environment.
Contact us, Red Lounge Agency, to learn more about the upcoming changes to brand trends and how to meet the challenge successfully.
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