Marketing Into the New Year

According to Forbes Magazine, it’s going to be more challenging than ever to authentically connect with consumers in 2014. And, trust will be at an all-time premium, so react accordingly as you chart your marketing course into the New Year.

How do you build trust? It’s not rocket science. Make sure you’re “giving” useable information and not just “selling” your product or service. Keep your brand promise to your customers and engage with them in a meaningful way throughout the year. Share important information. Acknowledge what’s on their minds and offer support and solutions to the problems they face. For example: Instead of simply pushing toilet paper, Charmin introduced an app called “Sit or Squat,” pinpointing the cleanest bathrooms across in the country.

Consistent, authentic and meaningful connections will be more important in the coming year than flash, pomp and circumstance. However, your connections will need to be made through multi-level channels with face-to-face, written, mobile and social interaction. If you’re spending too much time at your desk, it’s time to get out of the office, meet and greet your customers. If you have an automated phone answering service, consider investing in a human to answer our phones instead. After all, trust is established upon first contact.

If online marketing and social media engagement have not been a priority for you in the past, it’s time to add them to your “to do” list. If you’re thinking about communicating with potential customers through video, ask yourself these two questions:

1. What is my goal for making a video and will it help me accomplish it?

2. Will accomplishing the goal be worth the investment?

If you answer yes to both questions, move forward. If you answer “no,” re-evaluate in 2015. YouTube has become one of the top ranking search engines, so it’s an important marketing consideration, but don’t make a video just for that reason. It doesn’t matter how many people watch it, if it doesn’t drive solid ROI.

Your website will continue to be the nucleus of your business in the coming year, so budget for it, update it and keep it relevant.

The tools for marketing engagement and success are out there, but choose wisely and move forward into the New Year with a focus on building trust and connections.

Published on: November 5, 2013