video – Tonic Consultancy

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Blogs, Digital, Marketing Plan, Technology

16th April 20240

What Are The Biggest Marketing Trends For 2024

Keeping up with the continually shifting landscape of marketing can be a full-time job in itself, and just as you think you’ve got a grasp of what’s going on, it can all change in the blink of an eye. Keeping abreast of the latest marketing trends is never easy, but it’s vital to know what’s what in the marketing world.

We’ve had a look at what all the industry experts have been saying and predicting, so you can succeed and ensure you’re keeping up with the competition, if not staying ahead!

The Marketing Trends of 2024

Short-Form Video Is King

We’ve all been guilty of spending way too much time scrolling through TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels, and you may have then gone and made a purchase after watching too many short-form videos instead of working! Was it some new clothes, pet supplies, or a fancy new gadget?

But you’re not alone in this, as according to a recent survey in the US, 56 per cent of consumers admitted to making a purchase based on an ad they had seen on TikTok, and a further 36 per cent said they would be willing to make a buying decision based on short-form video ads.

These videos make a deeper connection with your customer base, and it has become simple for brands to repurpose video content into podcasts and text-based content. It’s therefore little surprise that 53 per cent of marketers are leveraging short-form videos, and 38 per cent are continuing to invest in short-form video social platforms.

While longer videos have the potential to include more information about products, brands and services, short-form use less bandwidth and appeal more to the fast-paced attention spans of online audiences across a wide demographic.

Content Creation That Aligns With Your Brand Values

According to data published by Consumer Goods Technology, 82 per cent of consumers want a brand’s values to be in alignment with their own, and a significant 75 per cent of shoppers said they had cut ties with a brand when their values conflict.

To ensure you remain on the good side of target audiences, brands need to make sure they make a point of showcasing their values on topics that have meaning to consumers. Studies found that 45 per cent of marketers will boost investment into the creation of content that shows their brand’s values, while only 9 per cent said they would be decreasing that investment.

Native Advertising And Sponsored Content Still Has Value

When a brand pays to have featured content on a third-party website, such as in the form of editorial-type content, this is an investment in native advertising. Over a third of marketers have planned to increase investment in native advertising in 2024, and over half say they will continue to invest the same amount as in previous years.

This is not too surprising, given the value that native advertising can have to brands. Unlike traditional advertising, which is designed to be disruptive and stand out, native advertising blends in and can help promote your brand to new audiences who otherwise might not have come across you before.

Native advertising ‘feels’ different to traditional advertising, and consumers are much more likely to pay attention to it, and research has shown that consumers view native advertising 50 per cent more than banner adverts.

Influencer Marketing Is Still Relevant

Influencers had a huge year in 2023, and it was nearly impossible to scroll through social media without seeing influencers promoting a massive range of products and services.

It’s highly unlikely that this trend will slow down in 2024, and 84 per cent of marketers have said they will be increasing their investment in influencer marketing this year.

By combining thought leaders with influencers in the relevant niches, brands can expand their awareness and gain new audiences from the influencer’s followers. But you don’t have to blow the marketing budget on a famous influencer, as micro-influencers with between 10,000 and 100,000 followers can be a much more affordable solution, and typically yield more success.

Leveraging AI Will Continue To Increase

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has made huge leaps in the past year and is set to continue to bring changes to marketing in 2024.

In 2023, 48 per cent of marketers said they had used AI for content creation – writing blogs and website and social media copy, landing page CTAs, and product descriptions. Amazon began using AI to summarise the key points from consumer reviews to help other consumers make a more considered purchasing decision.

AI has become popular with marketers, with its ability to streamline processes and give marketers more time to do other work and pursue new projects. While there are still concerns about the use of AI, to ensure your brand remains competitive, it will be vital to look at how leveraging AI tools can help your marketing efforts.

The Return Of VR And AR

Way back in 2021, virtual and augmented reality (VR and AR) were being used by 35 per cent of marketers in the strategies, half of whom planned to increase their investment into 2022.

However, by 2023, a quarter of marketers had stopped using VR and AR altogether, with bulky headsets and pricey equipment being slow to be adopted. But in 2024, there seems to be a comeback on the horizon, with 84 per cent of marketers planning on increasing VR and AR investment, as VR glasses and AR apps become more accessible.

Content Marketing Trends

According to statistics, nearly half of all buyers view between three and five pieces of content before they engage with a sales rep, and brands are expected to create even more content to grab the interest of consumers, which is why, globally, brands have increased investments into content marketing.

But what are the best content marketing strategies to be investing in? Let’s have a quick look.

Podcasts And Audio Content

Podcast popularity has massively increased, and 2023 was a golden year for the format. According to a 2023 US report by Edison Research, 42 per cent of people ages 12 and older listened to a podcast in the month previous, which was up 5 per cent from 2020 and 30 per cent from 2013.

Also, 75 per cent of Americans aged 12 and older listened to online audio in the previous month, and 70 per cent in the previous week, so it’s no surprise that marketers have been keeping an eye on this trend, with 82 per cent planning to increase investment in podcasts and audio content this year.

Blogging Is Here To Stay

According to studies, 92 per cent of marketers plan to either maintain or increase investment in blogging in 2024.

Blogging has been a core component of many marketing strategies since brands first started building websites, but the tactic is far from looking out of date. Blogging has been used by marketers for so long simply because it works, with one in three marketers leveraging blogs in their marketing strategies.

According to Hubspot, most consumers read between one and four blogs every month and have then gone on to make a purchase after reading a brand’s blog. Blogs can provide consumer engagement and potential conversion, but they can also provide crucial benefits to websites by way of search discoverability.

Websites with blogs have greater search potential and can implement SEO strategies far more easily than websites without blogs.

Case Studies To Continue To Drive Leads And Brand Credibility

Case studies can help establish transparency and trust between a brand and the target audience, offering a much deeper look into how a brand’s products or services can benefit the consumer, and over a quarter of marketers leverage case studies as part of their content strategies.

Some brands may publicly publish case studies on their websites to help persuade consumers, while others offer them as a free PDF that requires a lead conversion in order for it to be downloaded.

But regardless of how it is done, marketers are still seeing a great deal of value in case studies in 2024, with 87 per cent increasing or maintaining investment this year.

Feeling Overwhelmed?

Marketing will continue to change, and it’s important to keep your thumb on the pulse of the latest trends, as well as always being open to change to ensure your business doesn’t fall behind.

But if you’re feeling overwhelmed by the thought of trying to keep up with everything, don’t worry, Tonic will always be here to help, advise, and make sure your marketing efforts are always relevant and on-trend.

Blogs, Digital

7th June 20230

Why You Should Consider Advertising On TikTok

It might be more well-known as the procrastination tool of teens, taking up viral dancing and lip-synching challenges, but if you’re considering leveraging the exceptionally popular video creation and sharing app TikTok for your business or organisation, you’re certainly not alone!

Since the launch of TikTok in 2016, the app has been downloaded 3.5 billion times worldwide, and was the most downloaded app of 2021, beating rivals Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat.

We have a look at why you should be taking a closer look at the TikTok revolution, which has made a profound impact on culture in the modern world, and why savvy businesses are looking to get a piece of the action! But first…

What is TikTok Marketing?

TikTok marketing is a form of social media marketing that uses the popular app to promote your brand, product or service, incorporating a variety of tactics, for example, influencer marketing, TikTok advertising, and creating organic viral content.

TikTok marketing can help build brand awareness, develop and build engaged communities, advertise and sell your products and/or services to targeted audiences, and generate feedback from audiences and customers.

Let’s have a closer look at the three main types of marketing used by brands on TikTok.

TikTok Influencer Marketing

TikTok influencer marketing has become a major part of the app, with mega-stars such as former competitive dancer Charli D’Amelio and her viral dance videos, actress and social media personality Addison Rae , and Zach King with his videos of magic tricks, all making a huge impact on the success of businesses with their tens of millions of viewers.

However, you don’t need a high-profile and highly-paid influencer for a successful marketing campaign. There are always rising stars and influencers who better fit your niche.

Some of the biggest viral successes have been accidental, such as when TikTok user Nathan Apodaca aka @420doggface208 posted a video of himself riding his longboard, sipping Ocean Spray cran-raspberry juice to a soundtrack of Fleetwood Mac’s Dreams, kick-starting the #Dreamschallenge hashtag, and significantly boosting sales of Ocean Spray and streams of Fleetwood Mac.

Creating Your Own TikToks

Creating your own TikTok videos can give you the most freedom. Simply create your own Business TikTok account and profile, and start creating and posting your own organic content, whether it’s demonstrating your products, day-to-day life in the office, or taking up the many dance challenges.

You can always find a wealth of inspiration on the app by browsing the For You section. Just remember you’re supposed to be working and looking for inspiration, not getting lost in procrastination! Well, maybe a little, for research!

TikTok Advertising

TikTok advertising is typically promoted, full-screen video content that a brand pays to show to a targeted audience. TikTok ads are another form of social media marketing used to help increase awareness about the advertiser, or to help sell a product or service.
TikTok advertising can potentially put your brand, service, or product in front of almost 900 million people over the age of 18, a whopping 18 per cent of all adult internet users.

The average TikTok user spends around 20 hours per month browsing the app, opening it an average of 19 times per day, and 64.4 per cent of users are aged between 20 and 49, according to the latest TikTok user demographics and statistics.

It can be an incredibly lucrative platform to leverage, particularly if you are marketing to females, who make up 57 per cent of all users.

TikTok for Business

The app launched its TikTok for Business hub in 2020, and business users can add more information to their profiles and access real-time metrics and audience insights.

Once you have created an account, it can be switched to a business account in the settings (Settings and Privacy > Manage Account > Account Control > Switch To Business Account), then choose the category that best describes your business, and then add your website and business email address to your profile.

Advertising on TikTok

Paying for advertising on TikTok is a great way to get your brand, product or service in front of a growing audience, without taking any risks with an influencer that may or may not provide a good ROI.

There are various types of ads available on the app:
In-feed ads: Adverts created by the user, including image ads, video ads, and spark ads, which boost the content you already have. There are also pangle ads and carousel ads, which are only available through the app’s Audience Network and News Feed Apps respectively.
Ads for managed brands: similar to in-feed ads, but with additional formatting after consulting with a TikTok sales representative.
Top View ads: unskippable ads that appear when the app is opened, similar to YouTube.
Branded Hashtag Challenges: actionable hashtags connected to your brand.
Branded effects: stickers and filters connected to your brand.

If you plan on advertising on TikTok, you will need an ad account for TikTok Ads Manager by visiting ads.tiktok.com and clicking Create Now and filling in the necessary information.

Top Tips for TikTok Marketing

Trends on TikTok can often appear random, with some never taking off at all, while others seem to run and run. Sadly, there’s no guaranteed marketing strategy to aim for, but there are some legitimate tips that can help your brand make an impact on the app.

Familiarise yourself with TikTok

TikTok is a different social network with unique trends, behaviours and features than Instagram or Facebook, so it would be wrong to approach marking on the platform as you would with others.

Do allow yourself to fall down the rabbit hole of TikTok videos to help explore all the different features available, make note of the currently trending filters, effects, and songs, and keep an eye out for the Branded hashtag Challenges, usually involving a song, a dance, or a task that users are challenged to recreate.

Study up on the TikTok algorithm, as understanding how the app ranks and displays videos can help inform your content, hashtag, and engagement strategies. You can learn all about this and more at the TikTok Business Learning Center.

Define your target audience

Before you begin creating and posting content, you need to determine who you are hoping to reach. Take some time to research the TikTok demographics to help to identify who would be interested in learning more about your brand.

The app is very popular with teens, but it’s far from a teens-only app, as they only make up a quarter of all users. The 20-29 age group are not far behind them, and the 30-39 and 40-49 age groups make up a significant percentage of users too.

Once you have found your potential audience, it’s time to research what content they are more likely to engage with and start developing content ideas for your brand.

Check out the competition

Whether or not you have competitors on TikTok, seek out four or five similar brands to see what they are up to. Learn from what works and what doesn’t work for them, and it might be helpful to use the SWOT framework to determine their Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.

Keep in mind that TikTok is first and foremost a creator-led platform, so don’t forget to include the app’s stars and influencers in this exercise, especially any who fit your niche.

Set goals

It’s perfectly fine to create content for TikTok that’s purely for fun, but it would be beneficial to set goals that can be aligned with your overall business objectives. This could include reaching a new audience, boosting brand or product awareness, and developing stronger bonds with customers.

It may be helpful to use the SMART goal framework, and set goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely. You can access the analytics on TikTok via the Creator Tools to find the metrics to help measure your goals and track your progress.

Post regularly

Develop a content posting calendar and stick to it for a successful social media marketing strategy.

Feel free to experiment

There’s no magic formula for creating content that will go viral, but make sure you have space to have fun, go with the flow and be experimental with your creativity.

If something doesn’t work, learn from it and move on to the next, but if something goes viral by accident, whether you’re riding a skateboard, singing, and enjoying a refreshing beverage or not, roll with it, get in on the joke, and make the most of it.

TikTok is not a platform to take yourself seriously, so have fun!

Looking for help with TikTok marketing?

If you’re looking for help with your social media marketing, content creation, or strategy, then reach out to Tonic today for help, advice, and tips!

Blogs, Digital

21st March 20230

What is Content Marketing?

In recent years, you may have heard more and more people talking about Content Marketing, and how it has become a game-changer for marketing for businesses.

But what exactly is content marketing, and how is it different from other tried and tested marketing methods? Let’s have a look at both what content marketing is, and what it isn’t, and how you can leverage it for your business.

What are the benefits of content marketing?

First, let’s have a look at how content marketing can benefit your business.

Attract a new audience and grow your website traffic – helping potential customers find your brand can be a big challenge, but content marketing can help you become more discoverable to search engines, and help attract attention on social media

Create value for your audience – Content provided to your audience is not only useful, it can provide a message to the right people at a time when they need it most, which will make you an authority on that subject and create value for your audience.

Engage with your audience – Content that your audience finds relevant and useful will likely be shared with their friends and followers, and help develop further interactions such as comments and reactions.

Generate positive brand perception – Increased engagement with your content will help boost the awareness and perception of your brand, and people are more likely to make business with a brand they know than one they don’t.

Educate the market about your products and services – People are likely unaware they have a problem that can be solved by your product or service, and content marketing can help show them that such a solution exists and how it works.

Generate new leads – Visitors to your blog may be encouraged to leave some information about themselves, such as an email address, which can be a potential lead. The more you invest in content marketing, the more likely you will generate potential leads, and increase the chances to sell.

Increase the customer’s lifetime value – The lifetime value is the total value spent by your customer on your business. The more they buy and the longer they remain a customer, the bigger their lifetime value. By providing relevant and useful content, you can encourage a customer to remain a loyal customer for longer.

Content marketing is not a strategy

There are two main aspects of content marketing: To provide valuable content, and to persuade your audience to take a certain course of action, determined in advance by the marketer. Of course, there are various ways of measuring whether the content is ‘valuable’, and actions could range from signing up for an email subscription to buying a product or service, or much more.

But content marketing is not in itself a viable strategy. It would impossible to produce effective content marketing without first having a marketing strategy in place. You should only be producing content that is relevant to your business, that will interest your audience, and that you can write about from a position of experience and authority.

This means you need to know what your brand is, its values, who your audience is and what they want. Content marketing is used to further your marketing and business objectives, and is not a strategy.

How does content marketing fit in?

Content marketing is an essential component of any business’s marketing efforts, as it is key to maintaining contact with the target audience and generating the right results.

It is typically a set of multi-platform techniques that encompasses blogs, email, social media, and video, and is a key component of digital marketing.

How content marketing is used will vary from business to business. If your company has a focus on B2B, then some social media, for example, Facebook or Instagram, may not be suitable. But for other businesses, it might be where they can find their audience.

There will always be some platforms and channels that are right, and some that are not.

You will also need to consider your objectives. Are you trying to grow your audience, or use your existing audience better? In either case, content marketing can provide the solution, but how it is applied will differ.

Content marketing can make it possible to create an immersive environment in which potential customers can learn all about your brand, its values, your products, your services and how they will help solve their problems.

It can also create a similar environment where you can build your reputation and engage with your existing audience.

While it might not always be the case, content marketing is best suited to the ‘inbound’ approach.

What is content marketing for?

Content marketing is for more than increasing your SEO rankings, attracting new customers, or boosting your conversion rates, it’s also about developing a lasting relationship with an audience who will consume and look forward to your content.

It can be used for a variety of purposes, depending on what would be best for your company and your business objectives, such as building initial awareness and augmenting your brand’s reputation, or for more specific objectives such as driving and growing traffic to your website. What sets content marketing apart from other forms of communication is that it is generally longer- term, multi-channel, and involves two-way communication. It can encourage the reader to submit their contact details, sign up for something, or become more engaged with your brand regularly.

What is it not for?

Content marketing should not be used for sales messages, and it’s important to avoid blogging about special offers and such, as this can destroy the trust you have been fostering with your audience.

It isn’t necessarily about selling content. Most content will be free, while some may be for subscribers only, and some might be paid for. It’s important to know when to utilise each type and how to monetise it if you decide to do so, which will depend on your business model and your current situation in terms of brand awareness and engagement.

It’s not really about SEO and keywords. There is a lot of value in having SEO-friendly digital content, but it’s important to avoid pushing the boundaries. One of the key parts of content marketing is building trust, and you cannot write for robots and expect humans to be excited about it.

Never underestimate your audience, they will know when an article or web page is there simply to game the system.

It’s not for converting every single lead. It might be debated that each sign-up you achieve through your content is a potential lead, and while it is true that they have shown they are interested in your content, it does not necessarily mean they are interested in your other services or products.

If you start trying to close each contact immediately, then your inbound marketing approach becomes outbound, and once again, can erode the trust you have been developing.

Where to start with content marketing?

If you’re looking to develop a well-planned and considered content marketing programme for your business, then talk to the team at Tonic today!

Blogs, Digital, Technology

6th September 20220

10 Types Of Digital Marketing For Your Business

Marketing has always been key to achieving success in your business, and in this day and age, developing a digital marketing strategy is more important than ever. But you must understand what this means, how to use it, and the different types of digital marketing that you can use.

We wanted to have a look at different types of digital marketing to help you gain an understanding of how they can help boost traffic to your website, grow your customer base and brand awareness, and engage with your audience.

Content Marketing

Consumers are hungry for information, whether it’s to increase their knowledge base, fulfil their desires, or save a problem. By providing your customers with high-quality and useful content, you will gain their trust and confidence.

Quality content will place your business in a position of authority in your market, and help cement your brand at the front of their mind when they are making purchasing decisions.

Content marketing is about providing your audience with answers to questions by publishing useful content, whether that’s in blogs, on social media, emails, or other channels, such as in apps or push notifications for mobile devices.

Content can take on many different formats, depending on the channel it is optimised for, and there are many different types of content, for instance, blog posts, infographics, videos, data sheets and more.

Content marketing can be orientated by a ‘funnel’, influencing the type of content used. At the top of this funnel, content is more general, for example, evergreen posts like relevant industry news or guides, and then will get more specific as the funnel narrows, such as testimonials, demonstrations, product news or releases.

SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)

If you want your business to be a success, then consumers must be able to find it. SEO, or Search Engine Optimisation, will help your website and content to rank highly in search engine searches, meaning that your website can be easily found by consumers actively searching for what you provide.

To leverage SEO, you need to know the keywords that the consumers you want to reach are searching for, and then develop your content around these.

According to statistics from the Search Engine Journal, 91.5 per cent of web traffic is shared by the websites listed on the first page of results on Google, the first Google organic search accounts for 32.5 per cent of traffic, and 51 per cent of all website traffic comes from organic searches.

Organic traffic can be leveraged by producing high-quality content that is found in searches on Google or other search engines, demonstrating that SEO simply cannot be ignored.

Social Media Marketing

As the name suggests, Social Media Marketing is a method of promoting your brand, products, or content through social media. It can be done organically, by paying for ads and posts on social media, or by using both simultaneously.

You can publish your content on social media for your followers and audience, or pay for ads to be placed in front of a specific social media audience or demographic. Either way, it is vital that you choose the right social network for your brand, product, or content. For example, Tik Tok is better for the younger generations, while Facebook may be more appropriate for older ones.

The advantages of social media marketing are that it is possible to get closer to your desired audience and improve your engagement and interaction with them. There is also the benefit of gaining extra validation of your brand, if or when your audience shares your content.

Social media also provides your brand with means of direct communication with your audience, which is why it is important to continually and consistently update and monitor your social media channels.

Email marketing

Many people may claim that email marketing is dead or dying, due to the sheer number of email messages sent every day. But it is actually one of the more effective types of digital marketing and, used strategically, can provide significant results.

The way to accomplish this is to ensure that email subscribers are provided with useful, informative, and engaging content or interesting product or service promotions, but it is important that you always respect your audience’s privacy and refrain from sending spam. Email also provides a means of direct communication with your customers.

Instant Message Marketing

Worldwide, the use of instant messaging has significantly increased, and almost all social media platforms have integrated direct messaging systems, while more and more brands are using platforms such as WhatsApp, providing a great opportunity for your marketing strategies.

If your customers need support, they can use these channels to get a quick reply, which in turn leads to positive associations with your brand, building on the relationships forged between brand and customer.

According to Statista, WhatsApp has 2 billion users in 2022, easily demonstrating the power and reach of this specific messaging channel and showing that this type of digital marketing cannot be neglected.

Influencer Marketing

An influencer is a specialist in a specific subject with a considerable audience who is interested in their opinions and voice. A digital influencer may be enticed to produce specific content for your business if it fits well with their tone of voice.

For example, they can produce content such as product tests for their audience, reviews, or make affiliate content. However, there are risks, as influencers may also post about any negative experiences, which could be detrimental to your brand.

Despite these risks, more and more brands are using influencer marketing in their strategies and getting very good results, spreading the word to their loyal followers, and helping your brand find a new audience.

Mobile Marketing

To reach your audience in this day and age, mobile marketing is almost mandatory. We all rely on our smartphones 24/7, for everything from communication, social media, health, shopping, and much more.

Mobile marketing is not just a trend, it now needs to be a reality for brands so they can ensure they are immediately available for their customers whenever they are needed.

This can be achieved by creating an app that allows for push notifications and instant messaging for direct marketing and communications with your customers, as well as exclusive mobile content such as engaging videos that they can consume anywhere.

Video Marketing

Over 2 billion people per month look for videos on YouTube, according to Google, whether it’s for entertainment, the latest news, study content, or more. It is a huge opportunity for brands to reach new customers.

By integrating video marketing into your digital marketing strategy, you will be able to drive results through your marketing funnel.

People tend to search for videos for a variety of reasons, such as product reviews, or to find out more about specific products or services, and how others have used them. Over half of consumers will search for these videos before making a purchasing decision.

Developing engaging, informative videos as part of your marketing is an opportunity to boost sales and find new customers.

Audio Marketing

Audio marketing has taken a different turn from the days of radio advertising with the prominence of podcasts, as more and more people listen while undertaking everyday tasks.

It may be an opportunity to develop audio marketing that targets the habits and podcast preferences of consumers, by inserting your product or service contextually into podcast advertising opportunities and making audio marketing a huge sales opportunity.

Virtual/Augmented Reality Marketing

VR (Virtual Reality) and AR (Augmented Reality) are becoming more commonplace in our lives and can be leveraged by marketers to provide your audience with a more immersive experience with your brand product or service.

It is a rather unique marketing experience that will be almost unforgettable for consumers who try it out and will help differentiate your brand from the competition.

VR and AR are innovative and can help associate you with more modern concepts, helping to position your brand as an innovator and ahead of your time.

Are you making good use of digital marketing?

Digital marketing is simply marketing but leverages modern technology, such as smartphones, email, and the devices and online services we all use every day.

To get ahead and build your brand, you must make the best use of the opportunities available. Digital will only continue to grow, and who knows what innovation in technology and marketing we will all be using in the future!

If you want to know more about how digital marketing can help your business become and success, then come and talk to us at Tonic today!

Tag: video