Table of contents
The start of a new year means it’s time to review and update your marketing strategy for the future. Here are some of the leading marketing ideas for 2019 and ways that you can make them work for your business.
1. Create personalized messaging.
Registration surveys, wish lists, and purchase histories are just some of the ways that business owners can collect information about their customers’ preferences and shopping behavior. But this data is not very helpful unless you put it to work. So, review that information to better understand your clientele, and then develop an email marketing strategy around these learnings.
For example, if they purchased a certain brand or item, send them updates regarding those categories, like a discount from that brand or an alert about new arrivals.
2. Rethink content marketing.
Getting media coverage is great, but to reliably and consistently communicate your company’s message, creating content is your best bet. But what’s not as straightforward is understanding the best way to get there, and what worked a few years ago probably won’t be quite as effective in 2019.
For example, maintaining a robust blog is still a great way to communicate your expertise and position your company as a leader in your industry. However, if you’re not investing in SEO, then your chances of getting on the first page of Google search results is slim, and so are the chances that customers will discover and read your blog.
3. Keep focusing on video.
Yes, you’ve heard it before (including from us last year), but video remains an incredibly important component of marketing efforts. In fact, Cisco reports that video will represent more than 85 percent of U.S. internet traffic in 2019.
If you’re just getting started with this medium, the good news is that creating, posting, and streaming video content is easier than ever. Not only can you record high-quality video with a smartphone, but, with an internet connection, you can also broadcast instantly on social media through burgeoning platforms like Facebook Live and Instagram’s new IGTV, which plays both in the IGTV app and Instagram app. From broadcasting live events to creating video series, the possibilities for social video are as limitless as your imagination — and your potential audience.
4. Invest in short “snack ads.”
Watching 30- to 60-second ads before viewing video content can be a drag for consumers — especially when they’re served multiple ads before the video plays. However, “snack ads,” or those shorter than 10 seconds, have been shown to be most effective at keeping viewers’ attention spans.
And if you can get your message across in less than 10 seconds, then why risk alienating current and potential customers with a long-winded ad?
5. Create a high-quality mobile experience.
You might have a website that looks good on desktops, but if it doesn’t translate well to mobile devices, you’re in trouble.
Check your site on your smartphone or tablet and ask yourself a few questions: Is this font readable? Do images, videos, and text load instantly? Can I easily navigate the site? If you answer “no” to any of these questions, it’s time to overhaul your site to make it a better experience for the ever-growing mobile audience.
