In this microwave society, viral trends come and go. While hopping on the bandwagon may not matter to everyone, it can mean everything for your small business. Staying ahead of the curve can help your small business build brand awareness, enhance engagement, drive profits, and acquire loyal customers.
Keeping up with trends for your business means investing in research and understanding technological advancements in your industry. When you are proactive with these changes, you can stay ahead of your competition and set your business up for success.
In today’s article, we will explore 5 trends and advancements your business can implement to stay ahead of the curve in this fast-paced and ever-changing world.
5 Trends and Advancements That Will Benefit Your Small Business
- Short-form Video Content
- Breakthrough Creative Content
- Value-Based Strategies
- User-Generated Content
- Leveraging AI
Short-form Video Content
The first trend to look at is short-form video content. Viewer attention has shifted over the years, dramatically lowering to an attention span of 8.25 seconds. Because of this, many businesses have shortened their video content. Statistics show that content under 90 seconds retains 50% of viewers. Short-form videos also provide the highest return on investment (ROI). They are highly engaging and aid brand retention with their captivating nature and quick, impactful messages, which have been proven to drive immediate action.
Short-form video content is also more cost-effective compared to traditional video. It usually requires minimal resources to create, and when you combine it with high viewer engagement and conversion rates, the return on your investment becomes unparalleled.
Because they can be easily shared, short-form videos have a higher chance of enhancing business recognition without increasing investment costs. By incorporating short-form content into their marketing strategy, Restaurants have boosted their visibility and patronage with videos showcasing their meals, drinks, and ambiance, which are reshared frequently.
Breakthrough Creative Content
The next trend to hop on for your business is breakthrough creative content. What does your business offer? Can you give a fresh perspective on your service or product that no one else has done before? What can you create that is different?
For your content to be innovative, your format or visuals should be engaging, effective in communicating your brand’s message, and resonate with your target audience.
Unconventional/Radical Content
This is bright, bold, and in-your-face content. It speaks volumes to your audience because it’s something they’ve never experienced before. This content typically uses public spaces like billboards, vehicle/transit wraps, or a public experiment. Guerilla marketing is designed to generate excitement. It can help your small business reach a wider audience and make a lasting impression.
Let’s take Sarova Hotels.
To promote their campaign, they did something unconventional. They placed giant fake cats on top of road lights. If you were driving along the highway and spotted a massive cat lounging on one of the cars, you would likely slow down to get a closer look. Upon closer inspection, you will come across the sign below.
So, the leopard on a lamppost campaign makes sense. However, do you know what else it does? This guerrilla marketing campaign is a clever tactic to raise awareness and promote the brand’s identity.
Real-time Engagement
Not all breakthrough content needs bells and whistles. Sometimes, less is truly more.
One campaign that went viral from its innovative and fast-thinking response to the 2013 Super Bowl outage was Oreo. Their swift reaction was a simple tweet: “You can still dunk in the dark,” Showcasing their creativity and agility on social media, this response quickly turned into a campaign that “broke the internet.”
Value-based Content
Value-based content is another key your business can focus on. It aims to form a genuine connection with your audience by appealing to their ethics and values. This allows you to identify your customers’ pain points and find ways to promote your product as a solution to their common problems. Value-based content can help your company cultivate lasting customer relationships by consistently providing value and customer satisfaction while fostering loyalty.
Ever since TOMS shoewear was established, the company has been promoting its “One for One” humanitarian initiative, where for every pair of shoes sold, the company donates a pair to a child in need. Through initiatives like “One Day Without Shoes,” TOMS has used its platform to raise awareness and provide practical help, rather than just focusing on sales. Their impactful campaigns have inspired other companies to take part in charitable activities.
User-Generated Content (UGC)
Is your business tagged in any videos by other users? Growing by the minute, user-generated content (UGC) easily pulls in viewers. Created by consumers outside your company, UGC is another way your small business can build brand awareness. The creators offer their views, experiences, and recommendations without receiving any compensation.
UGC campaigns are organized efforts by a brand to encourage users to share content that promotes the brand’s product or service. While UGC can occur organically, it’s more effective if brands plan for it to promote specific messages or campaigns. Below are two forms of UGC that can benefit your business.
User-Testimonial
II Makiage is known for its full-coverage foundation and 90-second makeup quiz. The brand revamped its online platform in 2019 to offer tutorials, product discovery, and at-home product trials. The platform also features a 90-second foundation quiz to help customers find their perfect shade match. Their UGC included a variety of people from everyday non-influencer consumers to celebrities like Melissa Joan Hart.
Stitching
A new UGC concept developed by TikTok allows small businesses to merge another video on TikTok with the one they’re creating, and vice versa. The Four Seasons Orlando wasted no time stitching with a user whose reel went viral and promoted their business. The reel had already 1 million views by the time Four Seasons stitched it.
Stitching can help your small business with brand endorsement and connection with well-known figures in the industry. Just like Oreo’s “Dunk in the Dark” campaign, stitching involves marketing in real-time and being proactive.
Leveraging AI
Is your business incorporating AI? Utilizing AI doesn’t have to mean eliminating people from the equation; it is a tool that your small business can use to streamline customer service while allowing you or your employees to focus on creating more products or providing services that AI cannot do. Below are two ways to help your business effectively incorporate AI.
Chatbots
Implementing chatbots can help your small business deliver a seamless customer service experience by reducing wait times for potential clients, and the chatbots will improve their effectiveness and accuracy by learning from customer interactions.
Automation
Another way your company can use AI is for automation. This AI system can handle routine tasks like tracking support tickets and sending order confirmations. Additionally, it can seamlessly integrate with other software applications or customer relationship management software, thus optimizing your company’s workflow.
Running a small business demands significant effort. We understand that small business owners often have to juggle multiple roles, such as manager, marketer, accountant, customer service representative, and HR. Balancing these responsibilities requires a diverse skill set and substantial time investment.
🦋MK Marketing is dedicated to delivering personalized service to each client. We take the time to comprehend your specific needs and objectives, offering expertise in creating content that resonates with your target audience, including an understanding of language, tone, and style. By collaborating closely, we work diligently and effectively to develop customized content and a marketing strategy to help you achieve your desired business growth.