When it comes to marketing, staying in your comfort zone is no longer an option. Some things have stayed the same from the bygone era of Mad Men-esque marketing, such as standout and consistent branding, impeccable creative concepts, and truly understanding who your target customer is and what makes them sit up and take notice. However, what works in modern marketing is light-years away from that golden age before worldwide exposure was available at the click of a button. As the marketing world revolutionizes, innovative and interactive technology takes the lead in the way we communicate with others and encompass what is known as emerging media.
Picture this: You’re away from home and want to pass the time by browsing the internet. But you land on a website that isn’t mobile-friendly, making it almost impossible to navigate on a smaller device. This can be frustrating, and maybe you’ll leave the website and find a new one that is more user-friendly. If your business’s website isn’t responsive already, you might be losing customers this way again and again. Having a responsive website is not only imperative to capture over 50% of web users who are using their mobile device to use the internet, it also affects your search results on Google, a vital aspect of recruiting potential new clients to your website. The number of people who use their mobile device to use the internet is still rising, and if you haven’t adjusted your sails to capture them, you might sink.
YouTube isn’t just for cat videos and makeup tutorials; if you haven’t experienced the power of video marketing, you’re missing out. Video marketing is the latest and greatest form of marketing communication. From Facebook adding autoplay on videos in your newsfeed to giving customers a clear overview of your product in a quick, concise format, or changing your content blog format to a vlog (video blog) in order to increase engagement from different audiences, video marketing is at the top of the ‘what’s hot’ list in media these days. With 78% of people watching videos online every week and 64% of all consumer internet traffic coming from online video, this is a must-do to stay at the top of your marketing game.
Besides having a solid, responsive website, having an app can be one of the most helpful tools for your business to divide and conquer the digital world of emerging media. From increased customer engagement to transactions, a well-designed app that focuses on user experience can be a vital tool for your business. In 2015, people spent twice as much time as 2014 on their smartphones and tablets, and Americans use apps more than PCs to access the internet. To take advantage of this mobile wildfire, you must focus on obtaining a loyal user base. First impressions are everything when it comes to emerging media, and you can increase customer loyalty and reduce support costs by starting with a well-designed app off the bat. If an app is chock-full of errors or non-intuitive, or doesn’t provide consumers with what they want, this will reduce customer loyalty and increase support costs to fix the complicated inner workings of poor design.
Social media has been on top of the marketing mix for over 10 years, but more types of social media and constant updates to make existing platforms more user-friendly help this medium keep its spot on emerging media lists. With almost 65% of American adults using social networking, this has entered most people’s lives and the way they communicate and learn about the world. Although different generations tend to use social media differently, marketing on these platforms reaches a universal audience of ages, including 35% of adults 65 and older! You must choose your social platforms wisely to really reach your target audience in the sometimes overwhelming and definitely fast-changing social world. For instance, younger generations tend to favor the visuals and semi-privacy afforded by Instagram and Snapchat, a change from the openness and crowds found on Facebook and Twitter. If you are trying to reach an older, professional audience with your content and marketing, LinkedIn might be your best bet. No matter which platform is more appealing for your target demographic, the one thing your business cannot afford is to have an underwhelming social media presence or none at all.
As time marches on, emerging media marketing keeps going with no end in sight. Let us keep track of the latest and greatest ways to communicate and make your business a target market magnet. Contact us today at 701.757.2000.