new norm, new marketing trends

a new norm: what does this mean for your marketing?

Written by Gabi Moakes - Monday 4th January 2021
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Is one of your New Year resolutions to level up your business’s marketing? With the unpredictability of 2020 sweeping into 2021, and the pandemic affecting everything including consumer habits, we understand that it can be hard to know where to focus your marketing efforts.

To help you decide, we’ve put together a list of marketing ‘musts’ to help you connect with your customers and stand out in a busy social scene. Incorporate these tips into your strategy to really resonate with your consumers this year.

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1. communicate your purpose

Among many other things, your consumers’ priorities have likely changed over the last year. Now, more than ever, doing the right thing and showing compassion for others is at the forefront of most of our minds. And consumers are actively looking to support brands who mirror their values.

Consider your purpose, who your services are for and how they align with your customers’ values. Once you know this, show it! We think it’s a great way to increase brand awareness, and we’re not alone. Deloitte’s survey of global consumers* found that 79% of respondents recalled brands using their profits to help the community during the pandemic. A great example is Nike, which donated $5.5 million worth of shoes to frontline health workers**.

 

2. connect with your consumers

So, you’ve highlighted your purpose. Great! Now your consumers can relate to who you are and what you stand for, and you can start to build meaningful connections with them.

We value human connections more than ever right now and they’re proven to be an effective way to improve brand loyalty***. Just remember to stay true to your brand, be honest with your customers and focus on what they care about.

If your purpose is sustainability, remember it doesn’t matter if your product isn’t delivered to the customer the next day, as long as it’s made in a sustainable way. Tell your customers how your product aligns with their value of shopping sustainably, and they’re likely to come back time and time again.

 

3. encourage customer participation

Make your interactions with your consumers a two-way thing. Show them you care about their custom with follow up email comms or a personalised thank you message shortly after checking out. Not only will they feel like they matter to your company, but it’s also a great opportunity to continue the conversation on social media. So, make sure you invite them to join your community and link to your social profiles.

In fact, engaging your consumers as much as possible will increase the success of your social campaigns. Some of our favourite methods for this include creating content that truly resonates with your audience, providing personalised content and encouraging consumers to submit their own images to be featured on your social media.

But conversations don’t have to be limited to social comments. Asking your customers to share feedback on their recent shopping or browsing experience gives them a voice and tells them you value their opinion. A non-salesy way of positioning this can be asking for reviews to help others find what they’re looking for.

We value human connections more than ever right now and they’re proven to be an effective way to improve brand loyalty. Just remember to stay true to your brand, be honest with your customers and focus on what they care about.

may consistently add value to our business and challenge us on important aspects of our brand and business strategy. They undertook customer research with our client base, which has provided us with a clear, focused and targeted approach – something we didn’t believe would make a difference but it has

David Boulton - Chartered Financial Planner, Dynamic Wealth

4. explore micro-influencer marketing

Influencer marketing isn’t a new trend, but with more consumers shopping online, we expect to see influencers’ opinions impacting more purchasing decisions, making it an even more important marketing tactic.

Influencer marketing is often considered more trustworthy than marketing directly from the brand, especially after a conscious awakening within the industry to only work with brands they genuinely endorse. However, some people still remain sceptical when products don’t appear relevant to influencers or they repeatedly post #ad after #ad.

This is where micro-influencers come in, with typically smaller and more niche audiences, and higher engagement rates****. Plus, their rates are usually lower, so it’s a win-win! Micro-influencers feel like an extension of our friendship groups, recommending products and services to solve our everyday issues and make lockdown life a little easier by sharing some of life’s pleasures from their favourite brands.

With brand trust likely to remain highly important to consumers in 2021, relevant partnerships are set to be more important than ever.

 

5. increase your online presence

Businesses of all kinds made the move to digital offerings in 2020, and 2021 is likely to see even more. From creating simple e-commerce websites, to creating virtual experiences and teaching online workshops, there are a number of ways to increase your online presence and sell in a way you never expected. We particularly love that you can now explore the Tower of London, zoos and museums in the comfort of your living room.

The shop feature on social media channels like Instagram and Facebook makes buying that ‘gram-worthy-outfit’ even easier so you don’t have to find the product online, let alone in a physical shop. (Not that we’ll be going anywhere for a while!)

Consider incorporating such events into your marketing this year. The ease and accessibility of them add to the positive customer experience, which in turn helps strengthen customer participation. And with so many spending more time online, you’ll be opening up your services to potential new audiences.

 

Looking for bespoke marketing advice? Email hello@wearemay.com to discover how we could take your marketing to the next level.

 

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