In the last years there have been huge changes and developments in the marketing industry, with TikTok’s explosive growth, the beginning of Meta and many others. Because of this, it is very important to stay proactive and adapt to these changes by becoming growth experts of the upcoming trends and possible changes.
See below our chosen key growth marketing trends.
1. Social Commerce
Global eCommerce sales have almost doubled in these last years, and we just continue to see new ways emerging for content to become more shoppable. We see this with Instagram offering discounts on in-app purchases and ITV’s shoppable episodes where consumers can purchase items directly through a TV show/episode.
The experience of the customers are very important for the companies, people are looking for a shopping experience that is fast, easy to navigate, and efficient. It all starts with a compelling ad with enticing content, from there it should be as easy as click, shop and pay. You want to get the conversion on the first contact, but then you still have retargeting. Integrating these principles and ensuring that content on social media is shopper-friendly is absolutely essential. This are some of the aspects that you have to take into consideration:
- Website/shop is speedy
- Utilizes a user-friendly UX
- Is 100% mobile-friendly (most customers shop via their smartphones!)
- Has clear purchasing instructions so users won’t leave before buying, thinking “It’s too complicated!”
- Offer immediate and easily accessible customer support
2. Managing User Generated Content for Growth
UGC or User-Generated Content (which can be frequently spotted on TikTok and other social media platforms), is used across every stage of the buyer’s journey to help influence engagement and increase conversions. Nowadays, brands have to fight to be seen online, and competition is fierce for audience attention. As a result, buyers are more selective about the brands they interact with and purchase from, especially the notoriously fickle Gen-Z.
Our society and the customers are shifting towards a ‘mobile first’ direction, as our mobile phones are getting more intelligent and sophisticated. One example is video streaming, which with phones and tablets is easier than ever, allowing apps like TikTok to continue to grow because you can record videos anywhere at any time and watch them. TikTok has shifted the landscape of social media away from status updates and curated photo grids in favor of short video posts – and has been wildly successful in doing so.
Many brands still have the misconception that TikTok is purely an app for easy lip-syncing content for tweens. In reality, there are thousands of communities on TikTok for everything from entertainment, activism, storytelling, tutorials, how-to guides, and more. Therefore is a perfect platform for brand, budget friendly to get into the trends content and incorporate these into promotions for their products or services. The cost of content creation is super low since it thrives on more organic content.
TikTok’s organic reach is unparalleled when compared to other social media platforms. Add to that the fact that 50% of the top brands do not have a presence on TikTok, and what you’re looking at, is a level playing field full of opportunity. And there’s no other content type that’s more authentic than UGC from your customers.
Here are a few tips to prepare for a more video-centric marketing world:
- Invest time in producing high-quality video content for your brand. You can use a video maker tool to assist you.
- Get active on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram Reels.
- Collect user-generated content by encouraging customers to capture their purchases.
- Allocate more of your budget to video production.
3. Demand for Social Responsibility
New generations of consumers believe that values, authenticity and transparency are essential for brands if they want to create and maintain a loyal customer base. Companies need to allow all individuals and groups to recognize themselves in their marketing efforts and know they can connect with your business.
With the current socio-political environment, modern-day consumers take into consideration social responsibility, ethics, and transparency.
These values are present in every level, from the culture of the company, inclusive teams and customer relationships.
The interest in buying products from socially responsible and inclusive brands grew exponentially during the different global events of 2020 until 2022. Research from McKinsey shows that customers have a higher probability of purchasing from and supporting a brand that demonstrates their care for all customers, employees, and shared causes. When testing out messaging for social responsibility, rapid experimentation is your best friend here – this also allows marketers to be more agile. By testing creativity and messaging in different formats across core audiences and gaining insight and data rather quickly and pivot when needed. However, keep in mind that social responsibility may not sell products immediately, showing a sense of social responsibility is still both thoughtful and effective long-term play.
4. Tapping Into Extended Reality
Artificial Reality provides a unique experience to the customers. Because this technology can be used through mobiles, customers can find it easier to adapt and it will be convenient for enterprises to promote their business, products and increase sales.
Brands like IKEA are already successfully using these technologies for marketing and sales purposes. IKEA created the app IKEA Place, in which AR technology allows in-store shoppers to virtually place items into actual physical living spaces. AR technology enables consumers to imagine how products look and feel before buying them. As you can imagine, this “hands-on” experience can drastically increase buying consideration and drive sales.
Additionally, these technologies have opened the door to personalized ad experiences that are unique to every individual – think programmatic advertising, messaging, and marketing at the individual level. Getting online with these technologies as they take on a more prominent role in consumers’ lives is an advantage to be considered for the future.
5. Branded Audio Content Is Reshaping Marketing
People listen to Spotify everywhere—in the car, gym, office, and in the shower. It is more possible now than ever to understand how people stream across devices throughout their day and deliver the most relevant message at the right moment.
Understanding an audience’s context and taking an audience-first approach to brand marketing strategy will help brands show up in the moments that are important. Spotify’s research shows that listeners prefer when an ad recognizes their listening moment, mood, or context. Not only does this make for an uninterrupted listener experience, but contextually relevant ads can make a brand more memorable.
Brand marketers who include digital audio have a unique opportunity to reach a truly immersed audience—and create a competitive advantage. The main benefit of using digital audio is that it can go wherever the listener takes it. Spotify listeners soundtrack their days with their favorite music and podcasts, spending up to 2.5 hours a day listening across devices.
As audio content becomes much more common in the online world, marketers are now also looking to shift their ads towards a more audio-first format to benefit their brands. Although most audio platforms might not have great monetizing features or conversion paths at the moment, they still provide the engagement and brand awareness companies need.
Adding audio to your marketing mix will expand your content marketing strategy and even increase your website SEO. Having podcasts or videos embedded in your page can help increase your ranking potential. Also, consider transcribing your podcasts into blog posts to help voice searches pick up on the more natural speaking language.
