The last two years have sent the universe into a hyperspeed of challenging and changing how we connect, relate, and reach one another, especially in the retail and e-commerce space. Things are not slowing down and definitely not “going back” in 2022. The best possible result for your company is to stay on top of the marketing trends that will reach the post-pandemic consumer.
Let’s look at five tools and opportunities available to engage more effectively with audiences. These digital marketing tactics can improve leads, sales, and conversions in the coming year.
Social and Digital Marketing Content
Over 3 billion social users are online looking for trending topics, entertaining content, and products. Search engines like Google have continued to prioritize quality content. Your business needs to post interesting and valuable content regularly to grow your social audience. Social media moves fast, so content should be timely and relevant to your audience. Being able to track and analyze the behaviors of your audience will also help you create clear and compelling messages.
Consumers want to hear more real-life advantages to your product than how fantastic it is; they want to know is the story about the time you helped to solve a specific problem or the journey of how people use and enjoy your product.
Engaging a team of digital and social gurus can help give you the edge your business needs to bring your brand to life on social in a fresh, new, relevant way.
Hybrid and Virtual Events
2020 and 2021 forced every business to tap into e-commerce tactics and reach consumers where they were – on their couches, at home. Virtual events became a mainstay for engaging with customers and leads and connecting with current consumers across all digital platforms. Increased spending on social media and other digital platforms helped make these events successful. In 2022, consumers will be happy to keep things virtual, to shop and engage from the comfort of their homes and choose when they want to participate in person.
Keep it Simple
Content (alone) is no longer king. Consumers have become more interested in high-quality and unique content that is timely and relevant It’s becoming more and more essential to deliver high-quality, unique content.
Blog posts and well-written and thoughtful articles are excellent tools for strong SEO and website rankings. You don’t have to post every day; it’s better to provide higher quality content less frequently but be sure that whatever you are delivering is relevant, engaging, and beneficial to the consumer. Connect your audience to your brand and give them real-life examples of how you can solve the problem they’re looking to solve.
Reputation Management
88% of consumers consider online reviews when purchasing a product. Online reviews are the deciding factor between choosing you and your competitor. Negative online reviews can do serious harm, while positive reviews can significantly benefit your bottom line.
Actively review, respond, and manage your reviews to build trust with your consumers and keep them coming back. While any company can talk up its own products or services, other consumers can provide honest, unbiased reviews.
Good online reputation management also considers how accurately your contact information is displayed and what people are saying about your business outside of reviews. Search engines like Google take your reputation into account when ranking your business on search results, so the better your reputation, the better your chances are of getting found ahead of the competition.
Take control of your reputation and start bringing in more customers today. Our team at Cight Solutions is here to help you manage and improve your online reputation.
Mobile-Friendly Websites
Studies have shown that you have eight seconds to influence a customer on your website. It’s the digital front door of your business, so it’s important to make a good first impression!
Customers expect your website to load quickly with quality information and look good on their mobile device by designing and creating it on the smallest screen first to deliver the best experience to mobile users. Consumers are five times more likely to shop with your competitors if your website is not mobile-friendly.
Mobile-friendly websites are designed to be:
- touchscreen-friendly navigation
- have streamlined navigation menus
- include less text-heavy content, and
- feature functions like collapsible menus. It is important that websites still work correctly on desktops and large screens, but the user experience is tailored to mobile users.
A fast and mobile-friendly website is the first step to a great customer experience. Use your website to provide live support, contact forms and let your customers book appointments all from the comfort of their homes. Aim for a site that makes the right impression, then watch as new customers roll in this next year! Work with our website experts to customize your online “front door” experience and give you the edge you need online.
The new year is a wonderful time to re-engage your customers in new, relevant, and meaningful ways while reaching new customers who easily find you and quickly know how what you have to offer will add value to their lives.