Back in the day, marketing was focused on products only. If you had the best product of the greatest quality and a useful product, it would sell. Today, things have changed a bit with the new generations taking over. However, the product and its quality are still important, but the product itself is not the focus anymore. What is more, new generations have changed the channels used for advertising, which has become a big game-changer. Since the ones who are present on social media are people, the products now need to show people as well in order to get loyalty and hit the target audience and sell.
Millennials and Gen-Zers are now the ones who dictate how the product should be advertised and how companies need to develop their marketing strategies in order to get their attention. A very small number of these generations watch TV or listen to the radio, which means you have to go online and use social media platforms in order to get the attention of your target audience and sell. What is more, these generations also change the very looks of ads. It’s not about promoting the product, but now you can see people sitting around or using the product that is actually advertised and they need to convince the audience to actually buy. So, here are a few tips on how to promote your product and influence people.
Determine What Your Product Can Give to People
When selling a product, sometimes it’s hard to communicate why people should buy it and why they need it since there is already a large number of products on the market like that one already. However, if you go the extra mile and find what differentiates your product from the others then you can lean into it and provide people something new that they need. People are usually looking for cheaper alternatives that are easier to use or get. Your job here is to convince people and explain to them that your products offer more for less, for example, or that it provides a new way to use certain things and you will increase your chances of success.
Invest in Influencers
Some of the biggest brands in the world, such as Nike, Rolex, and many others have invested in influencers and they have let them show people that their products are useful and of great quality. This is a successful strategy since people trust other people more than they do to companies. For example, in 2018, influencers and advertising on Instagram through people was a big boom and it brought plenty of success to many companies and startups.
However, today, people are turning more towards micro-influencers and once again, this has shown to be a great strategy. Those big influencers look more like sponsored ads and it has created some distrust among people. On the other hand, micro-influencers have more niches they can cover, and they usually have a more authentic rapport with their followers who do really trust them and products they are using.
Avoid Ego Branding
It can sometimes be easy to make your brand stand out from the crowd since marketing today is too ego-driven. Some big brands have managed to get away with that, such as Gucci because their brands are considered a luxury. However, smaller companies and startups cannot really use this tactic. What drives people towards luxury brands is that people think those products can provide them with something other products can’t.
However, with new generations, luxury is not the only thing important today. People now don’t like ego-driven brands because that doesn’t seem true and real to them. People turn towards brands and products that are doing a good thing and for a good cause, rather than towards expensive luxurious brands.
That is why you should avoid ego branding and focus on building trust and showing people that you care about them and about the world and that your product does the same. Companies that usually don’t use ego branding are those that are focused on improving our environment and making it healthier and greener, and they sell such products too. So, if your brand and product fall under such categories, keep in mind when building your campaign that ego branding is something to avoid.
Develop a Multichannel Approach
A few years ago, Twitter was almost the only platform social media marketers used for advertising. However, generations today use multiple social media platforms for their entertainment, news and hanging out with friends. For a brief time, Facebook was also a big deal and main media for marketers, but Instagram has taken a lead today.
What is more, you can use multiple social media platforms to promote your company and products and you will manage to cover multiple generations. But, it is most likely that Instagram will bring you more benefits since a large number of Millennials and Gen-Zers are using this platform. There is simply no telling which social media network will be the most famous one in the future, but most marketers recognize that it can be dangerous to use only one of them. You should understand your target audience better and know that they all use a variety of platforms for different purposes.
Technology is changing marketing fast. The more developed tech we have, the more marketing is going to change. Right now, it’s not all about the product, but about people and you need to have them trust you and your product in order to buy it. So, do your research, rely on social media and you will do a great job.
Author’s Bio: Alexander Hunkin is an Australian based startup advisor with in-depth experience in growing business. His meaningful and strategic advice has helped in setting and growing many startup companies in Brisbane and Perth. Alexander is also a content creator for different niches. The top ones are business, career, finance, and marketing. He aspires to share his experiences and is always on the lookout for the next opportunity to enhance his skills. When he isn’t busy working, you can find him cooking exotic meals, scuba diving, and cycling.
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