Even during the worst of times, when there are pandemics, inflation and recessions, technology does not stop evolving for a single minute. This evolution is an excellent thing, as companies need all the tools and resources possible to get leads and new customers while staying ahead of the competition. There are new terms to learn, plus methods that make a lot of sense once you understand and use them routinely.
What is the Metaverse?
Wired posts that the "metaverse" is the future of the internet, but what does this mean? This term gained traction when Facebook announced that it would be rebranding to "Meta" to bring together all of its technologies and apps under one company. It will include user-generated video games and a virtual reality social platform, but the details are still in the works. Smaller businesses are trying to hop onto this wagon, but the metaverse still seems to be in its infancy. The best advice is to read as much as you can about the latest developments and be ready to pounce when the time comes.
A more tangible trend is influencer marketing. These campaigns offer relevance and context since influencers directly endorse products, valid for both B2B and B2C marketing. Travel Mindset shares examples of this, including Subaru's #MeetAnOwner campaign and Lagavulin whisky's use of Nick Offerman in their videos. Forbes claims that LinkedIn is more significant than ever, calling it a "rising star in the digital space." Its new features drive results for pages and businesses, and marketers are advised to incorporate LinkedIn into their marketing strategies.
Telling Digital Stories
99designs emphasizes that short form, DIY videos are crucial elements of successful social media marketing, and TikTok spearheaded this change. Short video posts are the new norm instead of curated photos and status updates; you see this in YouTube "shorts" and Instagram Reels. These reflect how fast people consume content and focus on the need to communicate concise, engaging content that encourages user participation (such as think polls, surveys, or recipes). These don't have to be polished, either; practically anyone can make DIY short videos, which is what younger consumers like.
Storytelling doesn't always have to be under a minute long, though. Audiences are still drawn to in-depth storytelling on social media and websites, but the focus should be on users instead of the product or brand. Instead of heavy sales pitches, marketers need to engage with audiences who are interested in what they offer; this is where research comes in. Targeting audiences and sharing stories about how companies solve their specific problems is how storytelling works; this targeting may not result in direct sales, but it builds longer-term customer relationships that lead to more purchases.
An Example of Targeted Marketing
If you're not familiar with content segmentation, it targets audiences that have shared interests and similar interests through e-newsletters, promotions, offers and updates. 99designs recommends using more detailed, considerate tagging of email content to let users opt-out from certain content and explains how the flower company Bloom and Wild used this to their advantage. They let customers opt-out of specific content related to holidays like Mother's Day and Christmas; after all, people who don't celebrate these can get frustrated when they're bombarded by ads for these.
This kind of increased personalization makes consumers believe that companies consider their needs, which can develop feelings of trust. Conversational marketing is also extensive now; audiences now expect real-time direct messages from companies on buying journeys. This, in turn, produces enormous volumes of data that help brands understand what consumers want, need and expect.