Signify’s 2019 Top Tips & Predictions

It’s that time of year when everyone sits back, mulled wine in hand, and takes stock of the year. Hasn’t it flown by – what have we achieved and done with our year? What plans can we make for next year?

For team Signify it has been the best yet – and what an exciting year! So to celebrate we thought we would put together a snapshot of our predictions and digital marketing tips to get you ready for 2019 – a festive cocktail if you will.

1. Blurred Lines Between Traditional And Digital Marketing

Where traditional marketing and digital marketing have sat in different camps previously, it is now more important than ever for brands, retailers and services to acknowledge that a strong marketing strategy uses both areas seamlessly together. How can your digital demographics influence your print marketing? How can your event promotion successes feed into your social media plan?

By looking at your tracking and results across all areas you will be able to refine your targeting, optimise your message and utilise successes from both areas to achieve a higher return on investment. As you look at your strategy for the new year, we highly encourage this data informed approach across all your promotional activity.

2. What Is True Authenticity?

The media is experiencing a shift bigger than ever before. The trickle down effects of political news stories, high profile celebrity scandals, global environmental issues, mental health and if the Kardashians can really be healthy role models is having a huge effect on how the public will engage with brands.

The idea of authenticity and honesty should be key to your messaging and will continue to be a vital tool in the coming year. How can your company use testimonials, reviews and real life experiences to underline your messages? How can this message stay honest and not too sales focused? This is possibly one of the most important areas to focus on within your marketing strategy for 2019. One of the best places to start is your social media pages. While these can often feel less profitable in terms of sales, consider your return to be engagement and customer insight.  Your ‘return on investment’ will be higher and you will be able to inform your campaigns with authentic customer opinion.

3. Blockchain And Tech

Blockchain and cryptocurrency have been a hot topic for the past few years but very much an area for people in the know. In the coming year this technology will be picking up pace within the main market place with these previous ‘buzzwords’ becoming commonplace.  How can brands use this to their advantage? If you are not yet familiar with blockchain and how cryptocurrency works then be sure to read up. Industry relevant articles relating to this relatively new technology can be ideal for your SEO strategy and your social media conversation – if you are part of a niche market, keywords and phrases relating to new technologies could assist with both your brand visibility, authority and search engine optimisation. As new projects and platforms emerge the very relationship between information, currency and the centralisation of data will continue to shift the way the internet is use globally. Exciting times!

4. Which Influencers Should You Engage With?

Influencer promotion has well and truly taken a front seat for big brands and their marketing strategies. However, many consumers are now becoming savvy to bloggers who are selling rather than reviewing. As in our ‘authenticity’ point, this opens up questions and opportunities for all areas of promotion – whether you are a private healthcare clinic or a high end clothing brand – tapping into trusted voices to review or test our your product/service will gain you both visibility and credibility.

Instead of focusing on the big influencer fish (that can be budget crushing), think more about the emerging micro influencers. While this approach can be more time consuming and require more communication from yourself, the spend should be lower, and the results will be far more authentic while building trust within your audience.

5. Video Marketing For Everyone

How much time would you say you spend scrolling through instagram now before you flick through instastories instead? It’s true that video is by far the most engaging form of media at the moment and this is true across almost every platform, be it social media or otherwise. The huge benefit to brands, big and small is that we all have good quality film equipment on us at all times – through our phones. Big brand are now sending marketing teams on courses about filming with Iphones for social media rather than hiring expensive film crews.

Video for  promotion is set to grow even more in the coming year with organisations of all shapes and sizes using this opportunity for clear and engaging messaging. While the global retail giants are already on board with video, we will see film being used more frequently by local traders, small businesses, niche markets and specialisms that may have opted for a more traditional approach to promotion in previous years. If a picture speaks 1000 words then a video must speak 10,000 words, and the good news, is – you already have a film crew and a camera.

Speak to us about your 2019 digital marketing strategy – connect@signifydigital.com