6 Marketing Trends Your Startup Needs to Prepare For

In an ever evolving world, it is important to keep your business ahead of the curve. Stay on top of the competition by checking out these new marketing trends.

Great marketing is especially important for startups and smaller businesses looking to make an impression in an already overcrowded market. Marketing is vital to conducting customer outreach, shaping brand identity, and driving overall business success.

Are you looking to win over customers, and set yourself apart from competitors? The key to success is staying up-to-date on the latest and greatest marketing trends.

Read on to learn 6 marketing trends your startup needs to know.

Trend 1: Video

Video is the new frontier when it comes to marketing. From Instagram stories to Facebook Live, video is a great way to engage with customers who have shorter attention spans.

55% of people watch online videos every day. So, you’re missing out if you don’t jump in on video marketing trends.

Here are a few video marketing trends to try out:

User-Generated Content

Let customers market your brand for you by encouraging them to share videos of them using your product.

Offer them free product or prizes to share your content or their opinions with friends.

Customer stories show an honest side of your brand. They also make people unfamiliar with your brand more likely to engage with it.

Concept Videos

Videos are a great way to explain a concept or service to customers.

They’re helpful, easy to understand, and great for people who don’t have a lot of time to learn about your product.

Live Streaming

Connect with your customers or fans in real time with live streaming videos. They’re cost-effective, interactive, and fun way to immediately engage with fans.

Trend 2: Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing is one of the newest marketing trends. What better way to sell a product than having a celebrity or expert promote your product? 92% of customers trust recommendations from individuals more than brands. So, influencer marketing is a great, relatively affordable way to gain trust and generate excitement.

Here are a few influencer marketing campaigns any startup can try:

Product placements

Have celebrities or topic experts try out your products and review them. Or, have them subtly promote your product on Instagram or Snapchat.

Contests and giveaways

Offer customers a chance to meet their fave celebrities with sweepstakes and other campaigns. Or, give away free samples of your top-selling products.

Social media campaigns

Have an influencer be the face of your social media campaign, or engage with customers on social channels

Trend 3: Mobile First Marketing Trends

Thanks to the increase in smartphones, people use their mobile devices to search the web more than their desktop devices. Because of this, it’s incredibly important that your mobile site is up to date.

Google reports that 9 out of 10 people leave a mobile site if they can’t find what they’re looking for. So, it’s important to make your site mobile-friendly.

Here are a few mobile-first marketing trend tips:

1. Use Fewer Words & More Pictures

Not only do people prefer imagery over text, but pages with minimal text and sparse designs load faster. Use larger font sizes and clean images.

2. Optimize Your Site for Google

Take advantage of keywords, and include search phrases on your pages.

If you’re unfamiliar with Google and SEO optimization, check out this handy introduction.

3. Know the Mobile User

Mobile users are different than desktop users, and they should be treated differently. Since they’re usually on-the-go, take advantage of geo-location services and other tools to connect with them in a more effective way.

Tip: Don’t waste time trying to win people over to your app if you have one. App downloads are low. Instead, focus on mobile web and messaging.

4. Trend 4: Instant Messaging

Instant messaging allows companies to send specific, targeted messages to customers. They add a human touch to the conversation. Plus, you can take advantage of the kind of communication patterns people love using like Snapchat and WhatsApp.

Even more important?

Instant messages have a higher open rate and reach more people than standard social media channels.

5. Personalization

Personalization is one of the marketing trends startups should implement. You should tailor your product offering to customers. Make sure the marketing materials you send to them are timely and relevant.

Here are a few reasons why you should be doing personalized marketing:

1. It Keeps Content New & Exciting

Personalized marketing is dynamic. This means you can regularly send customers new offerings based on their browsing history and interest.

2. It Increases Conversions

Customers who receive personalized content, like emails, are more likely to open them. Then, they’ll engage with whatever service or product you’re offering.

3. It’s Welcoming

What better way to win over new customers than with a marketing welcome program that speaks directly to them? By showing people you have something they want, you’re more likely to convince them to embrace your brand.

6. Social Media & Augmented Reality

Social media is still one of the most important trends out there. It’s a great way to spread your brand message, engage with customers, and expand your reach.

Here’s a quick list of social media trends to try out:

• Live Streaming Video
• Virtual Reality & Augmented Reality
• Paid, Personalized Content
• Native Advertising

In general, aim to make your marketing more interactive.

Customers don’t want you to just sell something to them, they want you to engage. By using things like polls, quizzes, and brand integration, you can make customers excited to connect with you.

Wrapping Things Up

Given their limited financial resources, startups often think they don’t have the money to implement marketing strategies. To be successful, startups have to be creative. They also have to take advantage of every marketing trend they possibly can.

Not only are many of these trends cost-effective. They’re also vital for boosting a business and reaching target audiences.

If you’re a startup struggling for success, connect with an expert who can help you bolster your business.

Are you a startup that’s tried out some of these marketing trends? Have they helped or hurt your marketing efforts? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!