Marketing your business in 2018 will get both easier and harder. Easier because marketing tools are increasingly readily available. Harder because you will have to do more to stand out of the crowd.
How you use the marketing tools that are available is what will help you stand out. However, the age of gimmicky tactics like black hat SEO and clickbait may well be in the past. Web users today can spot such gimmicks from a mile away. Search engines have also gotten smarter at spotting such fakes.
In 2018, businesses that invest in genuine marketing efforts will win. Such businesses will have the goodwill of web users and the blessing of search engines as they promote their businesses.
To help you start your 2018 marketing with a bang, here are three types of marketing every business will need in 2018.
- Snapchat Marketing
Snapchat is the social media platform of the moment. The dying platform of the moment. Three out of every five millennials are on Snapchat. The platform has a massive user base and a growing list of marketing tools. And the great news is that marketing on snapchat is underpriced.
While other marketing platforms like Facebook, Adwords, and Instagram are growing in popularity and cost , snapchat still remains an undervalued platform with a massive audience.
In 2018, businesses that want to tap into this target market will have to integrate Snapchat marketing into their marketing mix.
Here are a few ideas on how you can use Snapchat to market your business:
- Share behind-the-scenes footage with your fans: If you run a bakery, share exclusive footage of your baking process with your audience.
- Run quick tutorials: Millennials love this. Teach your audience how to do something you are an expert at. Remember Snaps only last up to 24 hours so keep the tutorials short and sweet.
- Share exclusive content: If you are launching a new product or service, share this footage with your audience.
- SEO Marketing
Search Engine Optimization marketing is still the cornerstone of digital marketing. While large businesses have mostly moved on to other forms of marketing, SEO continues to change small businesses’ fortunes.
One key area business will need to work on in 2018 is local SEO. As small businesses mostly operate within a small geographical area, local SEO will be a sure bet to win more business.
Working with a local SEO agency will be a clear path to success for businesses in 2018. This is due to the localized expertise such agencies offer.
- Content Marketing
Content marketing will continue to gain preeminence in 2018 as search engines promote quality content. Building a web presence in 2018 will require businesses to make significant investments in creating and optimizing quality content.
One of the areas of content marketing that will experience a shift is blogging. While the age of the blog is far from over, frivolous blogs will no longer have any impact on marketing efforts.
In 2018, blogs that demonstrate thought leadership will win more traffic over generic ones. These will be blogs that have deep, well-researched articles that offer new and interesting perspectives. This is the same direction most large media houses are moving to as short-form writing loses its allure.
In 2018, digital marketing will continue to play an ever-increasing role in overall business marketing efforts.
With innovative technologies emerging and user habits shifting, businesses will need to adapt swiftly to keep up with trends and stay ahead of the competition.
