2018 is here. Every year, industry leaders make predictions about what the big marketing trends will be. 2018 is no exception. After some searching I’ve uncovered five marketing trends; 2018 will be a big year so stay in the know by being on top of these trends.
Transparency is King
Millennials are big on seeing the inner workings of brands behind the scenes. They want to know that the places they buy from are human, not just big soulless corporations. Small jewelry businesses have the upper hand here because in many ways it’s easy to connect with your customers in person at craft shows. Keep that personality going on your website, social media accounts, and email marketing and make sure you’re transparent with your customers.
Live Video Is Taking Over
If you haven’t experimented with live video on Facebook, Youtube, or your website, it’s time to try. This trend isn’t going away in 2018; in fact, 80% of customers would rather watch a live video than read a blog post.
If you’re scared of taking the plunge, start small. Commit to a once-a-month post that has a specific purpose and is engaging. Live video is a great format to be transparent with your followers, so show what you’re working on, ask for their advice about a design element, explain your aesthetic.
Rise in Influencer Marketing
Finding ways to interact your customers and have them help you spread the word about your brand is key in 2018. Encourage your customers to share photos in your jewelry designs on social media, create and promote a company hashtag, find a way to incorporate your company logo stylishly into your jewelry designs. The more your followers can help spread your business message, the more ambassadors you’ll have for your brand helping advertise for you.
Voice Search will Continue to Grow
The rise in the use of Amazon Echo and Google Home soared in 2017 and it’s estimated that by 2020 50% of all searches will be done on a mobile device. This means savvy business owners are not only optimizing their content for desktop and mobile searches, they’re also considering voice searches and how their content can rank for this inevitable future.
What does optimizing for voice entail? Make sure you’re considering the long-tail keywords that are conversational.
Generation Z
No longer are millennials the king demographic. The latest demographic is Generation Z, those born in the mid-1990’s through 2000, and they’re one of the largest demographics to hit the workforce in recent years. Because they’re so young, savvy marketers will be marketing to them for years to come. That means it’s time to start thinking about these customers now; what jewelry do they like to wear and what social platforms do they engage with so your brand can reach them?
2018 offers promise, a blank slate, and limitless opportunity. Wishing you a profitable new year for your business!