Staying on top of trends doesn’t have to bust your budget. The key is to follow all trends but only choose the best trends to add to your marketing strategy. Let’s dive into the specifics…
Hubspot describes marketing trends specifically and articulately:
Changes in the marketing world happen because consumers change the way they shop, research, and spend their time and money … and changes in consumer behavior and priorities directly influence how they respond to marketing and advertising efforts.
Staying up-to-date on (and ahead of) trends helps your company save precious time and money and ensures you’re marketing to the right people who are in your target audience … and ready to buy.
So, sticking to your “reliable” marketing strategy might be cheaper in the short-term, but listening and responding to marketing trends will actually save you money and keep your business relevant in the long-run.
As a marketing or business professional, it’s important to stay up-to-date on industry trends and social trends. Focusing on trends relevant to your niche and customers come first, but other trends, such as technology and marketing, are vital to your marketing strategy and success.
Why?
Joining short-lived social trends as well as long-term marketing, technology, and industry trends can help more prospects find you, which will increase brand awareness and eventually convert more prospects into customers. They can help your prospects identify with your brand before they even learn about your company. They can also help you reach your prospects and customers in new ways.
Here are some places you can find a variety of trends:
- Industry journals, magazines, emails, and websites
- Podcasts
- Social media
- Coworkers
- Competitors
- Networking events
- Conferences
- Google Alerts and Google Trends notifications
- Customers
By keeping your finger on the pulse of all the trends that pop up, you can choose which ones are relevant for your brand. So, before you jump onto the next trend, you need to ask these questions:
- How has this trend benefited other businesses? Other businesses in my industry? My competitors?
- Does this trend relate to my products, services, or business mission?
- Does this trend just affect my industry or the entire world? How big is this trend?
- Does following this trend benefit my customers? If so, how?
- Does this trend resonate with my customers already?
- As I watch this trend develop, is there a pattern of user behavior that relates to other timely trends?
- Does following this trend fit into my budget?
- If the trend is negative, can I combat it with an informational or goodwill campaign to boost my company’s image?
Like we said in our last email, at SharedTEAMS, we focus on proven results, not unproven ideas. That’s why we don’t just follow trends – we evaluate their effectiveness and their potential benefits for our members before jumping in. Without a solid benefit for our members, the trend does not have staying power.
As Constant Contact says, “The key is to not get distracted by the latest shiny objects but to hone in on trends that present the highest chance for a return on your time and financial investment.”
Actionable insight: By monitoring trends, you can know your potential opportunities. By keeping your focus on your customers’ needs and the potential for using trends as a vehicle to serve your customers, rather than focusing on the trends themselves, you are more likely to stay on top of trends and stay in your budget. This is because choosing to jump on a trend bandwagon will likely fit within your marketing goals and flexible strategy.
As Forbes contributor Nikki Carlson says, “Brands need to learn how to distinguish when a passing fad won’t work as a PR strategy. Instead, it’s time to learn how you can pick out timely, effective trends that compel people to engage with your brand for the long haul.”
What trends have served you in the past? Let us know on Twitter @sharedteams.