All Things Business and Tech

As 2018 begins, it’s no big secret the popularity of social media continues have an impact, and it’ll be increasingly important to carefully select which networks to invest efforts. Once the right avenues are identified, knowing which marketing trends are moving forward and  which ones are dying  is a necessity.  If you’re looking for ideas to integrate into your social media marketing strategy and keep up with the times, here are some trends experts suggest will matter in 2018.

Nowadays, mobile is such an integral part of our lives, most people probably don’t stop to think that, in the scheme of things, it’s a relatively new technology. Not exactly brand new, as mobile is clearly well-established in our society, however, it’s not been until the past two decades the technology has really taken off. And, it’s not until the last decade that businesses have figured out ways to use it to market to their customer bases. These days it's hard to imagine a day without mobile. Here is a look at the evolution of mobile marketing.

Image credit: Pixabay Marketers have long-time considered freebies to be an attractive way to advertise. In marketing circles, this approach is considered a way to allow consumers to have the opportunity to "test drive" products (or services) they want to promote. The advantages of giving away freebies to consumers are many for the business.

A business card is a valuable tool and is useful for both marketing and networking. A professionally designed card with all the right information can be a great portable advertisement for both you and/or your company.

People who publish content on the web generally want to be read. Be it a marketer, writer or anyone else. If they wanted their thoughts or the information they have to remain private they'd keep a personal journal or write on their word processors and let dust collect on their thoughts as they wither

Image credit: Pixabay From time to time Facebook suffers outages. With so many people dependent upon the network these days, and a 1 billion+ membership, any downtime is definitely noticed.

In today’s digital-centric world, text messaging has long been a staple in daily communications for many people. They use it to make plans, send short messages (and even sometimes long conversations!) and to simply touch base with family and friends. But what many do not often consider is that text messaging can also be used as a promotional tool.

Email promotion is a popular marketing channel for many reasons. Different email techniques are used by marketers to reach their target markets or already established customers. If designed correctly, email marketing campaigns can be very successful in any given industry. However, if poorly conceived, a campaign is likely to be ineffective and a waste of energy and resources.

Advertising has been around almost as long as products have been sold. While the trends of commercial advertising have evolved significantly over the years, the one constant is that companies will follow trends of where consumers will see their messages about their products. "Advertainment", also known as branded entertainment, is one trend that has picked up a lot of attention.

Consumer confidence can be lost for a variety of reasons. Reasons for loss of customer confidence may range from selling faulty products to experiences where poor customer service was received. One of the largest reasons a company will lose customer confidence is when it possesses an inability to handle complaints and solve problems. These days companies also face the challenge of maintaining trust in light of the growing incidences of data breaches .

Marketers have traditionally placed emphasis on areas where consumers will see or hear the information they want to promote. Over the years advertising channels have included print, radio and television. However, today the dynamics have changed and businesses have had to evolve to keep up with the times and remain competitive. Investing in channels, such as social media and mobile, have become essential.

Brand awareness is an important piece when working to establish a strong business presence. Through brand awareness companies not only boost visibility, they use it to differentiate themselves from competitors selling similar products or services. Storytelling is an important part of this process.

Networking is a terrific opportunity to increase sales. Developing relationships is at the heart of networking and, as you grow your connections and get to know others well, the trust factor increases. As trust builds, others are more inclined to want to do business with you.

Social media has had a significant impact on society. Initially, the platform was a way for people to connect and/or reconnect with one another, but over the course of time the concept has expanded to so much more.

Specialization in business is when a company focuses on a precise area of the commercial market. Companies that specialize in a niche market area put their energy and resources into producing and/or promoting that particular product or service.

Today's consumers have a lot of choice in the number of businesses they can give their dollars to. As a result, it is in a business' best interest to set themselves apart from their competition. E-commerce and m-commerce have rapidly increased the level of competition in any given market. As a result, companies must strive to differentiate themselves from competitors. This often does not come without a lot of invested effort and strategic planning.

A business' logo is its identifying trademark. Consumers are drawn to the recognizable, and a successful logo essentially helps boost the company's visibility. Creating the right image ideally will provide instantaneous recognition.

Image credit: Geralt /Pixabay A customer's stamp of approval through a personal referral is one of the biggest compliments that can be paid to a merchandiser, retailer, supplier or other vendor.

Image credit: Kevin Phillips /Pixabay   Social media strategies have become an important component of the modern business marketing plan.

Image credit: Pixabay Small and home businesses don't typically have large marketing and advertising budgets available at their disposal. As a result, the smaller companies have to come up with creative and inexpensive ways to increase visibility.