How do you get the word out about your business in 2017? Of course, online—if a business can’t be found online, it likely will not succeed—but a website alone is no longer enough. Internet marketing is critical to your business’s success.
As the apps and methods we depend on develop, internet marketing must keep up. Business owners must figure out how to use new features and techniques to continue to tell their stories with their unique voices. Ultimately, you can cash in on the fact that almost everyone carries a mobile device and you can reach more consumers than ever.
Below you’ll find just a few of the many marketing trends on the horizon for 2017. They represent an exciting time of opportunity for marketing, which means that businesses have more ways than ever to connect with customers in meaningful ways.
In the Moment: Facebook Live
Facebook has developed and changed over the years, but no development compares to Facebook Live. This unique opportunity allows businesses to offer a window into their livelihood in an immediate way.
As a business owner, your customers likely want authenticity when they purchase your product and interact with you. Facebook Live can show customers in the moment takes and snapshots from your business’ true day-to-day workings. Instead of an edited video, these live videos bring customers in through a fly-on-the-wall experience.
Users can also interact during a Facebook Live video, adding comments and questions as the video progresses. This way, you can take advantage of the customer already having engaged with the business and encourage them to take a next step.
Additionally, Facebook Live is perfect for streaming events at your business, giving outsiders an inside look. Ideal for viewing on a mobile device, too, these videos will surely become one of the key trends for marketing as 2017 begins.
One Voice, Every Device
Content produced by your business must be easily accessed on every device a consumer uses. No longer do customers only use their phone or their computer; on any given day, they might check email on their computers, watch a video on their mobile device, and use specific apps on their tablets.
Your business’ voice must appear on all these options seamlessly to succeed. However, the same content won’t work on every tool. You can cater the content to the type of device on which it is designed to work most effectively.
It’s a unique chance for customers to find your business everywhere but in different ways. The key is to create content that builds on itself. A customer may find your business in one way on an iPhone, experience it a different way on an Apple Watch, but finally decide to use your product because the message was the same across all platforms.
Making a Profit: Conversion Rate Optimization
Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) strategy refers to the goal of converting a website visit into a sale or the completion of some other desired action. It’s a big category that includes everything from tracking coupon use to examining your audience. But as the Internet changes, so do the strategies we use to market with it.
Now, websites can do almost anything. Simply reading text on the page isn’t as common as it used to be; users can now input data, answer questions, and explore variations on the products listed. As user experience becomes more interesting and the possibilities grow, you can expect to find new ways to convert a website visit to a sale.
As 2017 nears, it’s time prepare your business for the New Year. Thrive is a company on the pulse of marketing trends, ready to help you succeed. Contact Thrive today to discuss your needs!
