We are already in the middle of 2015… well almost and it can well be claimed that the fundamentals of marketing have not really changed much till now. However, the marketing landscape has been significantly altered by the fast advent of technology. Omni-channel retailing had emerged as the buzzword in the year 2014 where marketers looked at enriching shopping experience by bridging the gap between offline and online marketing channels. Smarter businesses will continue to look for avenues which will help them go ahead of trends and anticipate the next big thing that’s going to take over the commercial world. Unless, they do this, they will clearly be lagging behind their competitors. Here is a rundown on the top marketing trends for the days to come.
“Digital” will continue to rule- but with a tweak
2014 had clearly paved the way for social shopping and 2015 will witness continual growth of this trend. In the earlier years, marketers were busy introducing their brands in the social realm. However, today, they are completely looking forward to offering a seamless shopping experience to customers through the social channels. Facebook and Twitter already had already been experimenting with the “buy” buttons, while the Like2buy platform is heavily used on Instagram. Gone are the days, when customers had to learn about brands on the social media platforms and visit the e-commerce platforms separately to purchase the products. Today, the social media platforms have become “shoppable” themselves. As the trend assumes a more significant shape in the years to come, the digital marketers will give way to digital technologists – individuals with impeccable technological dexterity.
Online business listing is not going anywhere soon
The traditional method of increasing your search engine visibility will continue to be a part of your holistic marketing mix. Shoppers will continue to refer to websites like “Infoisinfo Australia” which offers listing opportunities to businesses. You might as well be mulling the exclusion of business listings from your marketing efforts. However, you can end up making a huge mistake there since a set of potential clients will always depend on local listings to fulfill their buying needs. This is not going to change even amidst claims of most of your customers finding you through apps and online reviews.
The Points for Purchases will lose its significance in the long run
In the recent years reward points for buying with a particular brand have clearly ceased to attract customers— simply because the ploy had been used by every second brand out there. Marketers are expected to shift their focus from giving out generic points to rewarding clients who have been actively engaging and interacting with them on social media platforms as well. The loyalty programs will see the inclusion of customized perks as well. Brands might even choose to reward customers engaging in healthy activities, which conform to the essence of the brand. In fact it might be said that the generic rewarding system might not phase out in its entirety. However, it will definitely be backed by a couple of novel elements.
Conclusion
Marketing will remain an ever-evolving phenomenon characterized more by slow but steady changes rather than by sudden overhauls.
