Marketing can make or break a small business, and the industry is changing all the time, so it’s important for small business owners to stay on top of the latest marketing trends. Of course, mobile continues to be a priority, but there are other marketing angles that continue to be quite powerful in capturing audiences and driving conversions. Here are some of the latest pieces to emerge, aimed at helping SMBs develop and maintain unique, compelling, and most importantly, successful marketing campaigns.
Here are some of the top articles trending this week.
How Marketers Should Connect with Mobile-Focused Consumers (Entrepreneur)
According to recent Google/Nielsen data, when consumers use their smartphones to make a purchasing decision, 57 percent are more likely to visit a store, 39 percent are more likely to call that business, and 51 percent are more likely to make that purchase. PR Daily’s Clare Lane offers some sound advice on how to capitalize on this and connect with consumers using the wide range of screens and channels currently out there.
New Rules for Content and Marketing to Attract the Best Sales Opportunities (Forbes)
The world of content marketing is ever-evolving, and it’s no different in 2016. These days, the focus is on customer engagement, writing content that will attract the best potential customers for your particular business model, and finding inspiration for that content by listening to your customers. This is a great breakdown from Forbes on how to create dynamic content that will translate to sales.
Small Business Email Marketing Makeover: From a Cluttered Mess to a Personal Letter (Small Biz Survival)
You have a great email marketing list…now it’s time to maximize it. Personalized emails that reach out to and engage valued customers are more effective than impersonal, cluttered letters. Here are some great tips on how to improve your email marketing game.
Finding Your Sweet Spot: An Extreme Content Focus [Exercise] (Content Marketing Institute)
In content marketing, the current trend is around differentiation, or making your business stand out from all the rest. In other words, generalist content no longer works, and businesses need to find that special angle that only they can deliver on. Here’s a fantastic exercise by Joe Pulizzi from the Content Marketing Institute on how to find your unique story and expertise.
5 Things You Need to Know about Images and Your Content Marketing (MLM Blog)
No matter the marketing forum, images play a key role in the overall message you are sending current and potential customers. Considering that Facebook posts with images get 87 percent more engagement and blog posts with images imbedded every 100 words or so get the most shares across platforms, the visual factor cannot be overlooked.
