As we move into a new decade, it’s a great time to rethink our marketing methods. In recent years we’ve seen huge changes in how information is consumed and shared online. Emerging technology has created new ways to reach people, but it has also changed expectations. Consumers are more connected, informed and have more choices than ever before. Search rankings and online reviews also matter more than ever. To keep up with the algorithms, businesses need to know their clients, educate them, and build stronger relationships with them. As marketers, we must find new ways to build loyalty and stand out from the ever-increasing competition. Here are our favourite marketing trends for the year ahead:

FOCUS ON QUALITY CONTENT

We are being blasted with content these days, and content may be king, but not all content is quality content. As we plan our content calendars for 2020, we should focus on quality—not just quantity.

Quality content should support your company goals, it should attract the right clients and it should build belonging. When planning a content strategy, consider the following questions:

    • People look to your company for what, specifically?
    • What problems do you solve for your customers and clients?
    • Your company has its unique strengths, what are they?

Keep these tips in mind as you create your content:

    • Remember to use the language of your audience.
    • Create customer personas and address the needs of each.
    • Create content for each stage of your buyer’s journey.
    • Keep your message clear and concise.
    • Ensure customers can easily find what they are looking for.
    • Each piece of content whether a social post, an email, or a downloadable pdf should have a specific purpose.

CREATE REAL CONNECTIONS

It’s no longer enough to think about marketing as simply product, price, place, and promotion. Instead, we need to be real and focus on genuine connections with our audience. Pushy sales messages will not create real connections with your audience. To build trust, turn your focus from only what you are offering, to how you are presenting it. Here are some tips on how to do so:

    • Show your customers who you are and what makes your company unique.
    • You are the expert on what you offer, demonstrate this by educating your audience.
    • Look for ways new to connect and engage with clients on social media.
    • Create individual offers for your clients to show them how much you value them.
    • Give an excellent customer experience to create an emotional connection to your business.

ENSURE AN EXCELLENT CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

Customer loyalty is fleeting, and people are shopping around more than ever. We need to give our clients reasons to belong to our brand. When you can make your clients happy, and surpass their expectations, you can win a place in their hearts. In a world with more advertising and more options than ever, creating an emotional connection will ensure success. Retaining a customer for many years and building relationships costs less and is more profitable in the long run.

Developing a customer reward program will achieve many of the objectives outlined here. Reward programs build belonging, improve customer experience and help businesses win a place in the hearts of customers. From a business perspective, they differentiate your business, give a competitive edge and grow the lifetime value of clients. The concepts of loyalty marketing are very much reflective of these modern marketing trends in general.

If you’re looking to start a customer loyalty program, download our eBook, Loyalty Programs, The New Business Imperative. We explain why loyalty programs are a must-have for businesses of all sizes. We also explain how reward programs motivate customers, in this recent post. Marketing tactics are ever-changing, but strong customer relationships will never go out of style.

Our team of loyalty experts are here to help. We will build a loyalty program that is customized for your specific business goals.  Take the first step, and contact us today!