After a year that could belong to an apocalyptic series, technology has taken another course and has become our best ally. Technology has been put at the service of people and is already immersed in our lives, so engaged that we have more and more attention to our devices. Digital marketing strategies will inevitably transform.
Latest trend: the 5 A’s
One of the latest trends in digital marketing put into practice at the end of 2020 is dialogue. It is not as easy as it seems, but its root is like communication. The brand no longer talks to the customer; the customer talks to the brand and other customers. The new interaction system arises from the marketing strategy of the 5A’s: Attention, Attraction, Inquiry, Action, and Apology. The five keys to having a hyperconnected market:
- Attention: our first objective is that the client knows us and remembers our brand with good vibes.
- Attraction: you know us, now we have to attract the customer. How do we do it? Entering the game of seduction, arousing your interest among so many other brands, which in turn also bombard you with messages.
- Inquiry: once we have managed to get your eyes on us and that you are also interested in what we offer you, your decision will no longer be in our hands (apparently). The client will seek opinions from other consumers, trusting unknown Internet users or those closest to him.
- Action: once the customer is convinced, the expected time of purchase has arrived. And therefore, the time has also come for possible returns or claims.
- Apology: the last step, perhaps the most important. The time has come to retain your customer and get him to recommend your products to his entire circle.
So far, the trend of last year has left the most footprint. Stopping looking at the past, with a prospective look, we will review the movements on the rise for 2021.
<H2> Mindfulness: from meditation to H2 marketing>
Mindfulness is not just a fashionable meditation technique. There is also mindfulness in terms of marketing. Based on the current paradigm shift that presents the most eco-friendly customer, mindful marketing goes hand in hand with this concept. Well, mindfulness or conscious marketing is constituted around environmental concern.
Sustainability and environmental responsibility are two factors that have a very influential impact on our society today. For this reason, users tend to choose a brand or company that shares the same values. Therefore, when matters concerning the environment are so every day, opting for a trustworthy brand is the most likely.
The terminology of the word arises from the same practice, “mindfulness.” As we have commented previously, it is a technique that fights against a busy pace of life. Conscious marketing emerges from this trend of relaxation.
What is mindful marketing?
It is a method that focuses on knowing the consumer beyond their socioeconomic characteristics. Investigate their social concerns to analyze their emotions and values. Only by knowing the target audience can customer loyalty be achieved. In other words, the key to the strategy is to understand the clients’ concerns to put them into practice with subsequent solidarity actions.
In short, it treats the client as a person and understands their entire spectrum, both emotional and rational. This way, you will ensure that when the customer buys something, they feel that they are getting a product and contributing to a global cause.
How do I apply mindful marketing to my company?
To begin with, we need to study the social causes that are of most significant concern at a global level. Once we have a mental map of these, we have to locate our company most akin to our values and vision. We have to conquer the cause, understand the client’s intentions to draw up a strategic plan, and face the problems raised.
To work on the cause, it is necessary to transmit a message that fits and is related to our client’s expectations, which they have previously built. Empathy will be an essential requirement. The time has come to think about what we can do to make the world better. How do we do it? Putting ourselves in the shoes of our future clients and thinking about them from a humanistic perspective.
Now that you are clear about all the following guidelines leave your ego behind and get to work.
Lead by example
Many brands on the international scene have already started using the mindful marketing technique. Some of them base their values and brand discourse on this strategy. Here are some cases of brands that use mindfulness, and surely you know:
- Lush: it is a company of natural soaps and cosmetic products. Its effectiveness is not treated in animals. Not only does it position itself as an environmentally friendly brand, but it also acts as such by creating actions and initiatives in favor of the change. It is also a participant in the fair trade project. It is also in favor of workers’ rights and gives them credits in all areas.
- Natura: is a company of complements and accessories known for its outstanding work of social responsibility. Its main charity project was created 27 years ago. It is part of projects that contribute a grain of sand to the world and its improvement.
Both companies are examples of the already existing tradition of a strategy that had not yet been baptized. Now it has a name, and you will not stop hearing it: mindful marketing.
From storytelling to story doing
Storytelling is such a widespread technique that it is no longer a differentiating factor among the competition and has become a must-have in marketing to participate in the market. From the habit comes a novelty: from storytelling to story doing.
Story doing is the evolution of storytelling in a changing environment where companies. Therefore, instead of telling or narrating the event, the time has come to carry it out. Not only are sight and hearing isolated and functioning. The audience activates the five senses to feel and live the experience in a real-world setting, theirs. Storytelling manages to intertwine two realities, that of the people and that of the brand with its values.
The clearest example and reference in storytelling is the case of Starbucks. The company has managed to turn something as routine as drinking coffee into an exciting activity. It’s like applying a bit of Hollywood logic. Starbucks gets involved and infiltrates your day-to-day:
- Recommending one of its varieties.
- Knowing your tastes.
- Even remembering your name (place the glass with the coffee that is addressed directly to you).
Your story-doing strategy always takes into account personalization tactics in marketing. Creativity, involvement, and the connection between the brand and the customer are the secret ingredients to create an irreplaceable user experience.
On the other hand, one of the pioneering brands that have carried out this technique is Red Bull. The worldwide repercussions that they have achieved makes them great competitors. Each year, its race of vehicles made by its participants (Redbull Flugtag) attracts thousands of people. The viewers are in charge of creating good feedback inevitably, thus making the brand’s image grow without stopping.
Buy on TV or Shoppable TV
Shopping models have been changing and evolving for a few years now. Through social networks, we have seen how, with a simple click, we can obtain the blouse of our favorite influencer or even some of their promotional items. Well, this has reached the big screen: television. One of the latest trends is being able to buy through TV. The purchase can be made with the remote control or QR code readers, which open from the mobile camera and take you directly to the website to buy the item you want.
Multitasking prevails in all areas of the day today. Well, users who consume television are in turn with a mobile, tablet, or computer. What at first glance may seem like a disadvantage for TV content is an advantage to have fast access to clicks and, therefore, impulse buying.
Streaming, which is what watching live videos is now called, is financed by sponsors who want to be publicized in the live streams so that, while you consume the content that interests you, you are watching their advertising all the time.
This trend is still to be developed much more; it is not well established yet, but some platforms are already working quite effectively.
The best-known example so far is NBCU. It is an American company that has created a shoppable TV system. While the show or series is running, a warning appears announcing that paid advertising will run. At this time, a QR seems to be attached to the ad to go directly to make the purchase.
The stories: the boom in advertising
The platforms with the youngest audience, Tik Tok and Instagram, are two of the most important content in stories. Even Tik Tok has created a section for self-service advertising. Anyone can post in this section and advertise any product or service. The only requirement is to do it through the famous videos of the social network.
On the other hand, advertising on Instagram stories is more generally known. It appears in their famous bubbles and is usually advertising for stores or influencers who promote their products. This content lasts 24 hours and encourages sweepstakes, discounts limited in time, or even promotional codes.
The latest platforms to join the story boom are Linkedin and Twitter. Yes, these two opposing social networks have opted for the same thing. Its objective is to make the stay in the applications more dynamic, and in the case of Linkedin, to appear more natural so that companies can see more about you.
Biometric Identification
Thanks to this new trend, one of our leading technology headaches are about to disappear: passwords. We all have numerous keys that we never remember. The world of passwords is divided into two: abandoned passwords, which are not used much, and shared passwords that undergo so many changes that they fall into oblivion (one too many capital letters, one numeric character…).
Well, yes, it seems that the biometric identification system of users is going to keep us away from passwords, and it will facilitate access to them in case of being forgotten.
In addition, the recognition carried out through the iris, the fingerprint of the face, among other biometric identification techniques, has significantly alleviated doubts and fears regarding making payments online. Thanks to its ease and reliability, users feel more and more comfortable making their transactions through biometric identification.
A little warning! For the operation to be reliable, you must meet these requirements:
- General: anyone could use it without a problem.
- Distinctive: that differentiates 100% of your biometric data without the possibility of error.
- Stable: that you do not have to change these data every two by three, that it identifies you by other traits if you are wearing sunglasses that day, for example.
- Biometric errors: the rate of people who pretend to be us and pass as legitimate is called the fraud rate, and the times that we try to authenticate ourselves and it tells us that we are not the registered person is called the insult rate.
It is important to note that this trend needs constant updates not to have any problems. However, there are usually no changes in the forms of biometric identification.
In short, now that you know which are the five most important trends for 2021, it is in your power to follow them or not. But without a doubt, if there is something that should be done, it is to dedicate time and effort to choosing the form of advertising that we will carry out on our website.
If you are thinking of applying any trend technique to your business, we are here to materialize your idea.