6 marketing trends for small businesses
Digital marketing is constantly evolving, and keeping up with the trends can be difficult for a small business owner juggling everything else they need to. But with the huge growth in digital platforms we’ve seen over the last decade or so, we thought it would be important to write about new marketing trends that you should incorporate into your strategy.
- Discuss what matters
Consumers are connecting more with brands that are ethical and responsible to the planet and to others. They’re acknowledging those who support transparency, sustainability, climate change and so on.
So how can your business be more ethically and socially responsible? For example, fashion brands are incorporating exclusivity with different sized models in their marketing campaigns. Makeup brands are promoting cruelty-free products. Think about the issues that are particularly important to your target audience.
- Content that takes minimal effort to consume
It’s important to ensure your marketing content is easy to consume. More people are listening to podcasts while travelling. We’re scrolling through the social media channels on our phones at a fast pace. Use media and snappy pieces of content to stand out in your target audience’s feeds.
- Video-based content and live streaming
These days, people are spending more time looking things up than attending live events, exhibitions or product launches. 80% of people recently surveyed said they prefer to engage with live videos instead of watching pre-recorded ones. Live videos allow customers to engage with you, ask questions about a product, and make purchases while watching.
In 2021, Instagram and Facebook saw a hike in users’ engagement with live videos. TikTok’s advances in live video features are also likely to become huge. Brands can even utilise other platforms such as Amazon Live to organise promotional events.
- Use keywords to drive traffic
While SEO isn’t new, its strategies are becoming even more ingrained with modern marketing. Make sure your webpage is relevant and targeted to the keywords you want to rank for. This will ensure you get visitors from Google.
And incorporate keywords into your marketing content too. Keywords help to boost the engagement and reach on social media posts, as well as entering them within videos, articles and pictures.
- Mobile optimisation is critical
It’s no surprise that consumers are spending more and more time on mobile devices. More than half of online website traffic comes from mobile devices (tablets included). Mobile-optimised digital experiences will be even more vital to consider as a business owner.
Mobile experiences aren’t just important on brand websites, but also in other key marketing strategies. 56% of marketers who work with email are focused on delivering mobile email experiences to subscribers.
If you’re creating video content for social media, ensure it’s being filmed in portrait rather than landscape. This means your video will take up more of the mobile user’s space on their feed when scrolling. Plus it will be optimised for Instagram Reels.