5 Proven Marketing Strategies for 2012

There’s no greater way to tell generations apart than the technology that separates their everyday lifestyle, behavior and overall function. From phone books and yellow pages stacked a mile high in a corner of your kitchen, to everything condensed in one little piece of machinery the size of your palm, there are no questions that the way people consume information has changed drastically. What does this mean for the marketing and advertising world? How do we grasp fast paced and mobile consumer’s attention in a split second? About.com Marketing lists 5 trends to incorporate in your marketing campaigns for 2012. Follow these proven marketing strategies and you’ll be in step with marketing trends instead of leagues behind it.

Mobile Marketing

Remember that palm-size piece of machinery mentioned above? Learn to understand it, use it and manipulate it. You never see a consumer these days without their Droid, iPhone or Blackberry in their hand or attached to their hip. As marketers, we can make this our best friend by developing apps that help people shop, like Tanger Outlets. The Tanger mobile app is easily accessible and gives customers deals and promotions right at their fingertips. Talk about convenience. 2012 will soon enough be a stagnant year of technology but until the next big thing, use what we have now and incorporate it in your marketing campaigns. Don’t hesitate in jumping on the bandwagon.

 

Social Media

The next big trend and probably most overused terminology in the marketing and advertising industry is social media. Consumers love this. The key, however, is finding out why. If you think they like your page on Facebook because you posted some witty comment or provide up-to-date news on your products, you’re wrong. They want deals. The word ‘sale’ will never fail to spark that immediate sense of urgency and need in a consumer, unlike phone books from back in the day. This is a great marketing tool for reaching those niche markets, involving your customers and providing them an outlet to express their feelings about your brand.

 

The World Wide Web

Consumers have moved online and so should you. New tactics must be integrated into your traditional marketing strategies. People now use those yellow page books as firewood. Get your company, brand and products online and use the Internet to its fullest advantage in the way it best suits you and your customer base. Internet marketing provides a whole new level of opportunity for interaction between the consumer and the brand. Information is more accessible than ever and we no longer need to sell that fact.

 

Sell the Sizzle, Not the Steak

The Internet is only one flashing sign telling you to get creative in your marketing campaigns. Consumers have every bit of information at their fingertips and every other second option surrounding them. Competition is not declining and won’t anytime soon. Consumers determine value. They choose where to spend their money, on what, supporting who, etc. Therefore, we need to create the value they desire by being creative and having them want something before they even realize they want it.

 

Customer Service

No matter how much the times change, this one trend will never fade and has never faded. Customers want you to take care of them. Customer service and proper treatment of your audiences is a proven marketing strategy that should never be questioned or placed on the back burner. Take care of the people that keep you afloat. It’s true what they say, the customer is always right.

 

To recap, the five marketing and advertising trends to incorporate in your marketing campaigns are mobile marketing, social media, the Internet, creating value and customer service. Integrating these five components will help you achieve the desired results you want from your communications plans. Although these will change progressively in no time at all, the more we can stay on top of them now, the better we will be to understanding what the future holds for our industry. At infinitee we specialize in integrated marketing campaigns by incorporating proven marketing strategies like these to make sure your get the most out of your branding and advertising expenses. Contact us today to for more information to see what we can do for you. 

 

Jocelyn Smith is the author of this blog post. Learn more about her specialties by clicking here.