Tag Archives: Marketing

Future Implications

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  • Photo courtesy of https://techjackie.com/social-media-future/

One thing that is a known fact is that our social media landscape is constantly changing.  Why is that?  Well basically it’s because technology is constantly evolving which means that anything reliant on it must do the same or die out.  People either love or hate social media but the fact is, it’s a resource that every day people use, and brands must follow suit or fall behind.  Though there are those who may hate social media there are presently 3.80 billion people using social media worldwide since the beginning of 2020.  I’m sure that with COVID-19 those numbers have continued to climb because of the quarantine and a lot of people staying home or working from home.  5.19 billion people use mobile phones globally with user numbers up by 124 million (2.4%) since the beginning of the year in 2019. The numbers below don’t lie, social media is here to stay.

  • Photo courtesy of WeAreSocial.com

I feel that the changes are due mainly to changes in human behavior but also because as I stated above technology is constantly changing and growing.  The changes in human behavior come in the form of people wanting brands to be health conscious (fast food industry) … fast food brands are launching new products and drafting health-related communications strategies. Then there are the those who want brands to be socially conscious such as Ben & Jerry’s stand on racial justice.  There are of course a myriad of issues that consumers wish brands to follow these two are just the tip of the iceberg.

There are a few trends that I feel will be up and coming in the future with social media (although there are many more, I’m sure these or the ones that I’ve focused on):

Photo courtesy of https://www.information-age.com/augmented-reality-transforming-e-commerce-123465096/

Continual growth of social media and its platforms.

Heightened privacy and security (huge boost in data management).

AR (augmented reality) and VR (virtual reality).  AR takes the real world and projects virtual, computer-generated augmentations to enhance the user’s experiences.  VR a 3D dimensional computer-generated reality that users can explore as if they are in the real world.

Video’s will be used across most platforms (Cisco stated that by 2020, 75% of the mobile traffic will be video).

Courtesy of YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOKJDCqvvMk

I think the future is definitely bright and fun with the addition of Augmented Reality along with Virtual reality being added into the mix because it will add to the consumer experience.  Mixed and augmented reality, in particular, are proving effective in allowing consumers to engage with brands and interact with products like never before.

Photo courtesy of https://blog.appvirality.com/how-to-use-social-media-mobile-app-promotions/

The question that companies need to be asking themselves according to TTEC, With these numbers continually growing, the question isn’t whether to embrace social media; it’s “How can I effectively leverage social networks to enhance the customer experience and gain valuable insight?”  Indeed, that is the one thing that small and large businesses need to look at social media.  How can they make it better for their consumers and how can I use the information gathered for the company’s benefit? Two questions I will leave you with is:

What trends do you see for social media as technology expands with consumers and businesses having to explore with it?

What brands do you follow on social media?

Photo courtesy of https://openviewpartners.com/blog/social-media-branding-10-tips-to-build-your-brand/#.X7ghCWhKhPY

Viral Marketing Initiatives

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https://techbriefly.com/2020/09/11/what-is-viral-marketing-and-how-to-get-most-out-of-it/

Let’s face it.  Social Media has made it easier than before to become famous by going viral.  Or at the very least to have your 15 seconds of fame as it were (or more if you’re lucky).  When it comes to businesses wanting their brand to be seen by as many people as possible the quest for the keys to the magic kingdom. Viral marketing …is currently considered “holy grail” of digital marketing.

For me some of the most memorable campaigns out there were the ones that promoted LGBTQ lifestyles with the unifying hashtag of #LoveWins when it was made possible in 2015 for . I happen to find that as a romance author that I tend to agree that love is love and it doesn’t matter if a person is of another race or another gender. We love who we love and it is great to see campaigns with that kind of sentiment going viral. A lot of the big brands celebrated the fact that now in all fifty states same sex marriages are now legal. Which is how it should always have been but that is besides the point.

Mentos – Two of the same is beautiful. Mentos Twitter 2015

What are some of the characteristics of going viral, you ask? there are five that I’m going to mention and break them down.

Purposeful: Not just a random tweet or post that isn’t consistent with the brands history or message. Posting with purpose and intent and not just jumping on the bandwagon).

Shareable: so others can like, love, retweet, repost, and even share through word of mouth (organic reach).

Creative: Doing something no one else has done or if they have doing it in a way that it looks shiny and new.

Current: Up to date and with content that is modern and not old news. The #LoveWins content was an extremely exciting time for those in the community and well for most everyone. It was the hot topic and is still a hot topic.

Relevant: The content must be designed for your target audience if it isn’t you’ll miss the mark and we all know that bad publicity can also go viral and could be detrimental to a brand. Ask any brand that has been hurt by negative feedback from posting/tweeting something that wasn’t relevant or sensitive to the times. Such as the 2013 Hyundai ad trying to get people to buy their cars by having a guy doing self harm…hmmm…and how could they possibly think that would work?

Gap – Equality is always in style. Twitter 2015

What better way to tell your target audience that you care about them in more ways than just their dollars? You show them by promoting what matters to them. You’re creative like the Gap ad with play on words of being into equality because it is always in style. Which keeps you current and relevant all at the same time you’re posting for a purpose and that is to unify just as the mentos add did and all with beautiful images and a unifying hashtag of #lovewins. If you can get people to talk about your brand in a positive light you can most likely get them to share it and perhaps share it over and over again to go viral. I do happen to think that going viral is a luck of the draw kind of scenario but following steps that others have to do so can put you on a better path to doing so rather than just hoping and praying it will happen. And as far as that hashtag #LoveWins? It is still out there telling its truth…(I love a good hashtag as they cost nothing and can easily be used on social media platforms and is very shareable!

So tell me what is one of your favorite campaigns out in the wild that had a purpose, relevancy, was shareable, creative, and current? Hit me in the comments I for one love to see a positive campaign that is meant to help people and may even make them laugh, smile, or just feel warm inside. Hey in this time of COVID when the world feels a little crazy…we need lots of love to let the world know that #LoveisLove and love should always win.