There’s something exhilarating about catching a moment as it happens. It’s why we pull out our phones during concerts, why we stream breaking news instead of waiting for tomorrow’s paper, and why businesses that lean into real-time customer data are steadily outpacing those that don’t.
As businesses strive to build trust and loyalty among their audiences, leveraging the power of brand advocates—customers, employees, and influencers who passionately support and promote a brand—has become a key driver of growth.
In the digital age, artificial intelligence (AI) has become a linchpin in transforming marketing strategies from standard to spectacular. Embracing AI in your marketing efforts can not only enhance efficiency but also personalize experiences at scale, ensuring that every campaign hits its mark.
For the past century, technology has grown at an extremely rapid pace. It was so rapid, that it came to the point that people would predict a future of flying cars and advanced robotics that could perform any human task possible. Although these may still be in our imaginations, it goes to show how the swift pace of development has shaped our expectations and even business practices.
By now, most people have had some exposure to the hunky dentist doing a dance challenge in the hallways of his practice. The video went viral almost immediately. (Here is a link, in case you missed it!) While this is an unusual example, building an online presence and interacting within digital communities can help dental professionals promote their practice, provide reliable information, and help patients feel less anxious about their trips to the dentist.
Mid-July into September is the second largest consumer spending period each year. Back to school and college spending is expected to exceed $27 billion in 2018 with children likely to influence more than $21 billion of that spending. This large-scale shopping season presents a fabulous business opportunity for retailers and service providers alike so it is important to maximize sales of everything from clothing and personalized bags to last minute haircuts and teeth cleanings.
In 2017, 81% of Americans had a social media profile. As such, it should be no surprise that modern consumers have the expectation that they can use social media platforms to communicate with everyone and anyone.
To be successful, you need to maintain a sell anywhere and everywhere attitude. The number of online purchases continues to grow every year. E-commerce saw 2.3 trillion dollars in sales in 2017 and is predicted to exceed 4 trillion dollars by 2021. Some businesses rely on sales made through large online marketplaces, others depend solely on their website’s e-commerce ability. Let’s look at the advantages and challenges of both.
Considering starting a new business? Have one started and waiting for things to take off? For small business owners and entrepreneurs, one of the biggest pain points is often that they are not getting enough eyes on their site or reaching enough people to let them know about their business. Obviously, the amount of traffic you are getting to your website really affects your company’s bottom line.
Humans are visually based. Most of us make snap judgments on what we see hundreds of times every day. A strong visual presence is an important element for your business’ website and social media channels. Images help tell your brand’s story and can subconsciously influence consumer purchasing decisions. People are used to and appreciate seeing products prior to purchase and almost 70% of online buyers say images are influential in their online purchasing decisions.
The successful use of marketing automation depends on the size of a business, its sales cycle, advertising channels and a number of other variables. It is important to know the features your business needs and those that are superfluous to your efforts. You should consider pricing, usability, and integration with your current software – especially if it is an option without a built-in CRM.
Your company’s website is one of the most crucial components of your marketing and branding strategy. Sure, we could hop in and do your socials, throw some money into ads that will drive traffic, design and mail out postcards, or do other means of advertising to generate you new traffic or even better, business. If your website is lacking, however, that is putting the cart before the horse.
Historically, “shopping” via Instagram was often a time consuming and, sometimes, frustrating experience. Brands could use the platform to show the picture of a product but then the consumer would have to click a link to the external website and search through all of the company’s offerings in order to find the product that had been presented in their Instagram feed.
