Eight Marketing Mainstays
We often talk about marketing trends; while it’s true that certain strategies change with the times, there are certain marketing mainstays that have been closely associated with the industry for decades…and are unlikely to go away anytime soon.
Marketing Aspects that are Here to Stay
Ad Age Collective has made it their business to examine marketing industry trends over the years. Their members believe the following 10 marketing aspects are likely to remain important regardless of other trends.
- Finding the right message for your audience. The primary goal of marketing is to deliver the right message to your audience. That will always be the case; only the tools needed to accomplish this efficiently and effectively might change. Even if your target audience and message change, your task will always be to link the two.
- Focusing on the product. Successful marketers match their products and services to the consumer. If they aren’t a good fit, the consumer will move on, especially in this day and age where information on a wide variety of products is never more than a few clicks away. Brand loyalty isn’t as pervasive as it once was, so getting the product right from the start is crucial.
- Creativity and inspiration. The success of your brand and employee engagement are highly dependent on creativity—and that, in turn, is key to inspiring your target audience. Marketers must spend time coming up with innovative, memorable ideas in order to set themselves apart from the competition.
- Fresh ideas. The power of bold, fresh, business-disrupting ideas cannot be overstated, whether those are slogans, campaigns, packaging, messaging…or a combination of all four.
- Authenticity. In order for consumers to develop a connection to your brand, you need to win them over by telling authentic stories that appeal to their emotions. Find an angle that will portray your brand’s uniqueness and touch your audience’s hearts.
- Communication. Some people are so obsessed with metrics, they overlook what is perhaps the most essential aspect of marketing: communication. Data is important and can help you develop and refine your overall strategy, but don’t forget to foster a connection with the people who are buying your product.
- Psychology. Marketing is all about influencing people to buy your products and services, and there is a psychology behind that. Smart marketing leaders study psychology to learn the strategies that will land best with their audience.
- ROI. While we mentioned not relying too heavily on data, return on investment is one important metric you should always focus on. You want to make sure you are getting the most bang for your buck while also growing your business, and ROI will provide a valuable snapshot over time.