2019: New trends in brand marketing planning and social media marketing!

1. Brand marketing planning will shape new trends in 2019

In 2019, we will see a world that is very human, full of creativity, data and technology.

Below, the weirdo will give a new trend judgment on brand marketing planning and shaping in 2019.

1. Quirky brand influencers are the new spokespersons

Influencers and celebrities are boring. They have little appeal in trying to attract the masses. Brands need to understand that customers cannot be generalized. There is always a small group of customers who go above and beyond and truly support the brand. Therefore, it becomes unique and interesting for businesses to bring these influential personas online and turn them into spokespersons, compared to people who may never have used the brand.

2. The post-digital marketing era will be the norm, with offline and online integration

Digital is no longer the only way to reach people. For most of the time since 2010, "digital" was the talk of strategists, but now people use digital technology as naturally as using paper, pen and chopsticks. This means that digital advertising is no longer a topic that people need to think long and hard about.

People live their lives online, but we still live in the physical world. Sharing stories is not limited to content shared on social networks. This means that brands that can be more creative and holistic, and tie the matrix together, have a better chance of attracting people, and keeping them. Physical brands go digital, and vice versa, can digital brands go physical? certainly. Now we have brands that are born in augmented reality and then become physical brands. There is not only one path to success.

3. Sales and Marketing Integration

Companies that said “this is sales’ job” or “hey, marketing, give us support materials” quickly went out of business in 2019.

In Disruptive Marketing, the author talks about the need to become a hybrid in marketing. But now that's not enough. Sales and marketing need to not only collide, but also merge and become something entirely new. A whole new way of emotional being that didn’t exist for most of the 21st century.

Sales is not about selling, it’s about coaching and connecting. Marketing is not just about marketing, it’s about education and support. Brands that have a team with a mixed skill set have an advantage.

4. Customers drive brands, not brands drive customers

In brand marketing, consumer groups, or customers, are crucial, and the brand is still determined by customers. But we are in the same market as our customers, and we may always be in the same market. Using a real estate analogy, when you’re in a seller’s market, you can make the buyer jump through a lot of hoops before you’ll even consider selling to them. But, think about it the other way around, this is the heart of the concession. Brands need to consider the latter. Assuming people will follow your instructions to them means you don’t really listen or understand them.

5. Brands that create, write and direct will lead

As automation continues to accelerate, the less need there is to speak to anyone at a brand or rely on any of their content or information or knowledge to make decisions. In fact, almost everything is in the hands of decision makers. But there is a way for brands to break through this: stand with their customers, stand with their consumers .

Take the example of a clothing retailer. Retailers can’t say: “We created these fashions for you to consume”. The new creative attitude is "we design fashion tools tailor-made for you" instead of "we provide you with advertising campaigns"; the new creative attitude is "we cooperate with our customers on communication" instead of "we know best because we are the brand"; the new guiding attitude is: "we are always learning, and we learn based on the needs of customers around the world."

2. 7 social media marketing trends in 2019

We all know by now how important social media is to business strategy, but it’s hard for social media marketers to create high-quality, original content. If you’re not into social media, your business will struggle. However, social media is constantly changing.

As a social media marketer, it can be hard to understand how social media is changing marketing trends. Here are seven social media marketing trends that are likely to emerge in 2019 that will completely change the way we think about social media.

1. AR improves product display experience

Augmented reality (AR) is already being used on a small scale, but its impact will last for a long time. It is estimated that by 2023, the market value of AR and VR will exceed $298 billion. The most obvious example is the AR+e-commerce Taobao Maker Festival.

A few display sponsored filters in the corner of the screen, and of course people can create their own Geofilters (filters based on location), and these features will continue to become more popular on other platforms and further expand their influence in personalized interactions.

2. Focus on the post-90s

People born in the 1990s are beginning to enter the workforce, which means they have money to spend. Marketers have long been targeting this new generation, and they are wise to do so.

In recent years, there are more and more new brands around us. Correspondingly, you will find that pop-up stores are springing up like mushrooms after rain. Almost every week, you can see news about xxx opening a pop-up on Weibo and WeChat Moments. Whether it is clothing retail, catering brands, or even hotels, bookstores and other fields, they all want to find a place in the market through this relatively novel way. For example, the most familiar Starbucks - Starbucks Strawberry Greenhouse Store and the library-themed Starbucks pop-up store.

Hosting strawberry events, as well as book readings, provides a more intimate and personalized customer experience, which will continue to be a major business trend in the coming years. Pop-up stores and events are so popular because they are unique and designed to be shared on social media. The post-90s generation has been surrounded by technology since birth, which makes them a natural fit for social media marketing.

3. Video is still the mainstream medium of social media

Instagram copied Snapchat's feature by creating Instagram Stories, but it works exactly the same way. According to Entrepreneur magazine, 200 million Instagram users use Stories every month. The popularity of Youtube continues to grow due to the increase in YouTube users. Post-90s also use other social video platforms, where users can join group video chats and chat with people online and on mobile.

Social media marketers have a unique advantage in 2019 by promoting themselves on existing video platforms because video platforms make it easier to personalize the user experience, which is exactly what users - regardless of generation - want from brands. People are naturally visual learners, and videos go beyond what pictures can offer. Businesses are cashing in on this, both with the popularity of video channels and the versatility of video.

4. Increase touchpoints and communicate directly with consumers

Like videos, communication apps provide consumers with another channel to connect with businesses, and of course they are also a channel for businesses to reach consumers. We all know how popular WeChat Moments and Sina Weibo are, and how easy it is for people to reach each other through them. This is important - because users on WeChat Moments and Sina Weibo don’t always intend to buy products.

Consumers will land on a business page and see content that interests them, and marketers can contact them via chat and start a conversation, but ultimately the consumer may not place a purchase. Therefore, marketers need to increase touchpoints throughout the consumption chain.

5. Use live streaming to make your brand transparent

Live video streaming is a social tool and a communication tool. Its fast, instant, visual communication and interactive experience make information transmission more three-dimensional, rich and intuitive, thus achieving better results in brand communication and user acquisition. It is not only a reward tool, but also a method of brand transparency. Rather than creating a video and worrying about having to redevelop it because it doesn’t perform as well as expected, social media marketers can live stream what they’re doing, allowing potential customers to see the office’s daily life and the production process of the product through their screens.

We’ll say it over and over again: personalizing the consumer experience is important. Live video not only allows potential consumers to visually understand real-time situations, but also provides a natural call to action. For example, a marketer who wants to run a one-time promotion can start a live broadcast and announce on social media that the promotion is happening while engaging directly with consumers.

6. Influencer Marketing Still Matters

By reaching out to influencers on social media such as Youtube and Instagram, you can promote your products better. When they talk about a certain product or service, it gives the impression that such product or service plays an important role in their lives, and therefore, can also play an important role in the lives of consumers. This helps a lot in a market where consumers are hesitant to trust big companies.

7. Mobilize user-generated content

User-generated content is created by fans for free and can be used by businesses to promote their products. It comes in the form of photos, videos or memes. It’s an effective way to engage consumers in a company’s strategy, leading to – you guessed it – a better all-around customer experience.

Word-of-mouth recommendations still play an important role in this technology-driven market. People no longer respond to simple marketing tactics – it’s not enough to just tell someone they need a certain product, they want to know the story behind it. People want to see products applied in real life, and UGC gives products personality in a way that companies simply can’t.

3. Summary

The social media marketing trends in 2019 are all about providing a personalized user experience with the user in mind. Companies need to understand that they are now playing the role of a navigator, guiding people to understand the product and allowing them to decide whether the product is suitable for them.

Through social media, businesses can quickly and personally connect with customers, generate more revenue, and rebuild trust by creating a more transparent and open image.

Source: Weikamen