My mobile phone gives me a weekly update of how much screen time I have indulged in. I cringe when I see the notification, mostly because I know that I am online more than I should be. We all think of catching up with what’s new on the social scene via our various social media platforms and then, before you know it, you’ve spent hours scrolling through heaps of content. Perhaps you could have done without some of it, but a great deal of it is useful, sometimes inspirational and can even be life-changing.
We are a species that depends largely on visual pleasures as one of our most significant sensory stimulants. For us seeing really is believing, but more than that it is delighting. Digital and social media platforms have thus stepped up to this in providing us with engaging content that keeps us hooked and coming back for more. It’s smart, really.
The advent of digital marketing
Digital marketing has been around for a while now. It first raised its head in the 1990s, and is the use of technology such as the internet and social media (content that can be both online and offline, but in digital format) in marketing.
This first began with search engines, then e-flyers and websites and so on, and now has become one of the most important marketing strategies with the dawn of social media in its myriad forms. In marketing terminology, digital marketing would be referred to as Through-the-Line (TTL) marketing because it caters to large audiences but also targets specific people with focused content.
Where it’s going
We cannot deny that social selling has become all the rage now, with so many different tools being used to ensure top-of-the-mind positioning of brands among target audiences. Social media ‘influencing’ plays a huge part in this. However, the trends for this year show that the focus will now be on micro-influencers. Who are they? These are influencers with 100,000 followers or less who seem to demonstrate greater engagement with their audiences – sometimes double the engagement – than the influencers with larger followings. An added benefit is that they are less costly to hire.
Since we are primarily visual animals, we engage better with colourful, creative content that pleases the eye and simultaneously creates a need. So, whether it be influencers generating content, or marketers themselves posting content, videos and messages, these need to be eye-catching and interactive.
And of course, we do a lot of our online socializing, reading, purchasing, etc., via our mobile phones. This is probably the single-most powerful instrument we all hold in our hands today. Marketers need to ensure that their websites, e-adverts, and social media content is mobile-friendly so that customers can read and purchase on the go. Adding floating ‘Add-to-bag’ buttons, easier navigation methods and simple interfaces will do the trick. Making Direct Messaging easier by adding links on the main products page is also recommended as now, customers like to scroll through, find a product they like, and immediately message the supplier to have queries answered, doubts cleared and immediately place an order.
As mentioned earlier, because target audiences like millennials and Gen-Z do a lot of their viewing and reading on the go, marketers should also strive to keep their videos short and engaging. Remember, we are working with shorter attention spans and people move from one activity to another quite quickly in today’s fast-paced world.
Pushing your brand to the customer is another sure-fire way of ensuring that they engage with your brand and do not go elsewhere. To do this, many marketing strategies include push notifications that gently direct consumers in a certain direction. For example, you may have already purchased a dress from a certain clothing store. A message will then come through about pairing that dress with an accessory they have on offer. My favourites are when credit card companies send me notifications of dining offers when I have only just been searching for offers to be availed of to take my family and friends out!
Email marketing is also still going strong. Again, another favourite for me is when supermarket chains keep track of my purchases and then send me e-flyers on the latest deals on some of those purchases. So, even though I may have already purchased enough for the week, I am still tempted to buy more and stock up just to make use of the deal.
Finally, you cannot underestimate the power of a good blog. I am a massive fan of blogs (if you couldn’t tell already). It’s such an effective way to get information about a certain subject across, coupled with exciting visuals. A personal favourite is holiday and travel blogs that present such compelling visual content that your heart immediately yearns to be there and you quickly do a mental calculation of how much savings you will need to make that place your next holiday destination. Vacation, here I come!
And yes, we cannot ignore AI in digital marketing…
Artificial Intelligence is taking marketing to greater heights and places. We cannot move forward without acknowledging its potential. Those in content creation will hate this, but AI is becoming increasingly popular in the copywriting sphere. This doesn’t mean that AI should be writing your entire marketing script for you, but it can certainly give you some ideas to work on and tweak. Also, AI is super good at generating images for newly-created content: while these may have copyright matters that need to be sorted out, you can definitely get inspiration here as well. So, it effectively makes the elements of marketing easier and quicker.
A final word
Be authentic and ethical. Lying to retain consumers will only work so much. In this digital world, the customer is king and they will call you out on your lie sooner or later. So, if you cannot deliver something, admit to it before they ruin your reputation on social media. Also consider inclusivity in your messages. Gone are the days when discrimination was merely frowned upon but nothing much done about it. We are now more open-minded and proactive than that. Consider the languages spoken by your audiences, the cultures, beliefs, etc., that make them who they are when you design your messages and content.
The marketing landscape will be forever changing. But this is what makes it exciting. To stay abreast, we must stay informed.
(Anouk De Silva)