A new year, new challenges. We have gathered a few trends that will be with us this year. The global coronavirus pandemic has thoroughly changed the ways we do business and the ways we shop, and it looks like some of the new things are here to stay and will become the new standards.
Brands with integrity
‘Integrity is wholeness, consistency, authenticity, honesty, credibility.’ A company with integrity backs the values it promotes with its actions. The communication is clear, precise, and open. A company with integrity sincerely cares for its customers: it offers them the best solutions, is honest with prices, and transparent in its dealings. This is how the image of a responsible company is built, one that customers happily recommend further. ‘Take care of the customers and the money will take care of itself,’ goes the old saying, which we back up with data showing that companies with integrity grow 2 times faster than the competition.
Influencers, influencers, and influencers again
The buzzword that simply won’t fly away suggests there is something to it. Recommendations have always carried a lot of weight, so it pays to dig deeper into influencer marketing on social media. Luckily, you don’t have to spend a fortune to work with them, since the data shows that micro and nano influencers with fewer than 25,000 followers have an exceptionally large impact. They can effectively present a brand for little money or even in exchange for a product or service. In Slovenia, agencies specialised in this kind of marketing are already developing, so it pays to include it in your other ways of communicating with customers.
Video is the king of content
Did you know that content without a video brings as much as 92% FEWER responses? Need we say it again? That is practically the difference between all and nothing. It’s time to add at least a few seconds of video material to your social media posts and blog entries. You don’t need a production team for this. Tell your customers honestly what you are doing, how your products are developing, ask them for their opinion, or just share content that engages you. Give it a try and see whether we are right.
Give users a voice
Videos, reviews, comments, social media posts, and any other content your customers post are worth their weight in gold. With a bit of imagination you can even make good use of negative remarks. Encourage your customers to leave a rating or feedback. That way you build a relationship with them and gain new ones.
Automation and data
Without analysis we can’t see what we have done well and what we can still improve. The more accurately we can predict our buyers’ behaviour and the more we understand it, the more individualised an experience we can prepare for them. That is why the need to collect and analyse data will keep growing. On the other hand, we have to be aware that piling up that amount of customer data brings certain obligations. To preserve its integrity, every company will have to thoroughly review its security and perhaps even reduce the amount of data to what is truly essential, to lower the chance of data leaking somewhere it shouldn’t be.
Live and online, hand in hand
Do you remember the eccentric Professor Brainard (Robin Williams) from the film Flubber, who, because of his absent-mindedness, ends up getting married over a video link? In 1997, when the film came out, that may have seemed funny to us, but today it is no longer that far-fetched. The real and the virtual world are increasingly intertwined, especially because of the coronavirus, which prevents us from meeting in person. Whoever bet on virtual events hit the bullseye. Shopping, learning, viewing exhibitions, concerts, and chatting with friends are becoming ever more virtual. The new normal demands an experience in both worlds. Think about how you can present your service or product in both.
Online shop
Do we really need to repeat that online shops are flourishing? The coronavirus pandemic caused business to move online. 49% of internet users intend to keep their online shopping habits, even when it is once again possible to visit shopping centres. B2B too is increasingly flirting with online business, so there are no obstacles to finding new business opportunities, despite the challenges that this unusual time gives us.
Working from home
Not so long ago, working from home was an exotic alternative to regular employment. Companies are increasingly realising, however, that with many employees working from home, they suddenly save on rent, heating, supplies, and so on, while the work is done all the same, and it gives employees a great deal of freedom. It is clear that not every job can be done from home, and that this form of employment, alongside its advantages, also has drawbacks. It can quickly happen that employees no longer separate work from free time and end up working all the time. But for most companies, this form of cooperation is fairly new, so we all have to get used to it. Here lie new business opportunities that lead to writing entirely new rules.
Get ready. The year 2021 will be interesting. If you are thinking about refreshing communication with your customers or reshaping your business model, do get in touch. The Pakt marketing agency is committed to success.
