2018 will be full of new, cutting-edge marketing strategies for associations, but if you’re not at the forefront of the changes, you could be left behind.
Whatever the next year holds, marketers need to keep up with the latest developments. In 2017, we’ve learned that every minute, 4.1 million videos are viewed on Youtube, 1.8 million Snaps are created, and 15,000 GIFs are sent via Messenger.
And the numbers will only get bigger.
The digital marketing landscape has become so busy, it’s increasingly difficult to focus your attention on what truly matters.
Where should associations spend their marketing budgets, time and resources in 2018?
VIDEO
Alright, we get it, video content has also been a thing for a while. What gives?
Well, the reason we keep emphasizing these trends that are already in motion is that they’re only becoming more important to broad, all-encompassing marketing strategies for associations. And, video is one such trend that’s not going anywhere anytime soon.
By creating your own video content that is humorous, or gives a behind-the-scenes look into your organization, or simply tells a story, you build a bond that is just not achievable with many other content methods. You provide a visual stimulus that can help solidify your members as being part of a common goal and purpose while providing that relational aspect that we discussed earlier. But video goes beyond just engaging content. Even video ads are still a fantastic way to reach your audience.
ENHANCED GRAPHICS
A picture speaks a thousand words; while that is an ancient proverb today, it still applies in the digital marketing ecosystem. Images are perfect if you want to make an impact on people digitally and they make quite a difference as online retain 65 percent of the information when served in the form of visual content. Moreover, visualized content will also see a hike and dominate 2018 because 74 percent of the marketers already use it in their social media marketing.
ADVANCED PERSONALIZATION
Personalization continues to be a hot topic because it’s essential for companies that want to win and retain customers in the “era of customer experience.” No doubt your organization is already using some level of personalization in its marketing communication, for example, tailoring messages to various personas, or incorporating personal addresses using your audience members’ names. However, you can take this to the next level even in your ads and other content by using technology that allows for “smart marketing.”
This type of marketing requires some artificial intelligence and data gathering, but don’t let that scare you off. After all, there’s software for everything nowadays! Advanced personalization simply means that you incorporate data that you’ve gathered on website visitors and your current members into your advertisements and other messages.
Polish must be applied to association marketing strategies in 2018 — with a loss of growth likely where it’s not — guided by a demand for high-quality experiences that are delivered on both a global and local scale and that leverage new technologies and data to offer true personalization. Need help taking your marketing to the next level? Contact VPG today to see how we can help.
MVP
Megan Van Petten
CEO & President
Van Petten Group, Inc.