Momentum is energy. Where your energy is focused is, generally, where you and your company will end up. During these trying times, momentum can be broken up by any number of things. It is critical to the future of your business that you regain any lost momentum and sustain it toward success. Seeing where current marketing efforts are, and comparing them to where you are right now’ can make a huge difference in that momentum pendulum swing. Some recently released research by Envato, shows where current small business marketing momentum is and where you must likely move to. The following is taken directly from that published research:
- As the name suggests, user-generated content (UGC) is any content — videos, images, reviews — created by customers or users, rather than by the brands themselves. As one of the most authentic forms of digital word-of-mouth marketing, UGC is a great way for brands to make themselves more accessible and relatable to their audience. Since the rise of influencer marketing back in 2016, UGC has become the cornerstone of many brands’ marketing strategies, with 86% of companies and many big-name brands now repurposing the content of their followers and advocates. UGC is proven to far outperform brand-created content, so enlisting customers to not only generate your content, but also market it for you, is undeniably a fantastic marketing strategy. While User Generated Content is by no means a new trend, due to lockdown and social distancing restrictions this year, there’s been a big increase in UGC as more brands adapt to the digital landscape and look to their customers to create the content they want to see.
- On the flip side to DIY user generated content, high-quality branded content has also been on the rise, and is predicted to soar in 2021. Spanning the realms of video marketing, AI and interactive content, the purpose of high-quality content isn’t just to sell a product or market your brand – it’s about creating a unique and unforgettable experience for your customers. And in this day and age, with both the quality and quantity of marketing content increasing exponentially, it’s so important to rise above the crowd.
- It’s no secret that social media is now the biggest and most beneficial platform for online marketing. And, with the introduction of Facebook Shops, Instagram shops, and Pinterest Shopping Ads and Catalogs, social commerce is set to become one of the biggest marketing and eCommerce trends of the coming year! With 55% of online shoppers now making purchases through social media channels such as Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest, and 71% of consumers turning to social media for shopping inspiration, it’s now more important than ever to make your brand, products and services shoppable on social media – especially as more businesses transition to digital to adjust to the COVID-19 crisis.
- Described as ‘the advertising equivalent of comfort food’, nostalgia marketing has really taken off over the last year. In this fast-paced, technology-driven world, looking back on the past can be a welcome comfort for many. In fact, nostalgia is so powerful that it’s actually proven to make us more willing to spend money on consumer goods and services – making it a perfect marketing strategy. Instead of anticipating the next great thing, nostalgia marketing urges us to focus on things we already know, and use the familiarity of the old to sell the innovation of the new. One of the reasons why nostalgia works so well for marketing, is because of its strong effect on our mental wellbeing. Studies have found that nostalgia gives our lives a feeling of meaning and continuity, leading to a stronger sense of interconnectedness and purpose. Nostalgia also helps bring relief from the feelings of anxiety and instability that the future brings, allowing individuals to recontextualize themselves in today’s world, garner a sense of purpose and approach the future with a hopeful outlook.
- Over the past year, live video has quickly become one of the most popular types of content online. Not only are Instagram Live and Facebook Live thriving – with one in five Facebook videos being live streams and one million Instagram users watching live video every day – but other platforms such as Twitter, YouTube, and most recently even LinkedIn, have all jumped on the live video trend too. In 2019 alone, internet users watched 1.1 billion hours of live video. And while this figure was sure to have grown on its own, the global crisis has only added fuel to the fire, with live video now becoming a necessity for many industries. For many people and industries, live video has been the saviour of 2020 due to the convenience, relatability, and accessibility it provides, and we’re sure that this trend will only continue into 2021.
-Written by Kevin Sawyer
SearchPro Systems
2024