Planning Your 2019 Marketing Budget

With all the planning, cooking (eating), and socializing you’ll be doing over the next couple of months, you’ll also be planning and putting the finishing touches on your marketing budget for 2019.

But, with so many new (and old) marketing strategies available, how do you know where to allocate your money? Well kick back and enjoy that eggnog because we’ve compiled a few marketing strategies worth taking a look at in 2019.

Snack Ads

We all know the incredible power of video. In this day and age, people prefer watching to reading.  That’s why there’s more video content getting produced now more than ever.

Unfortunately, one trend that marketers are dealing with is the ever-shrinking attention span of consumers. Enter snack ads. Like snacks, these ads are easy to consume, and they pack a punch. Snack ads are less than 10 seconds long. They’re short enough to keep people interested but long enough to relay your message.  

Before creating a snack ad, Identify your core message. What are you trying to communicate? What action do you want people to take? Let this message guide the message behind your ad.

Virtual and Augmented Reality

Virtual and augmented reality gives marketers a whole new way to engage with their audience. Look at how Snapchat uses facial and geo filters to develop a following. According to Market Watch, the global virtual and augmented reality market is expected to exceed more than $117 billion dollars by 2022.

How to put this in play - Think about how you can use VR or AR technology to enhance your customer’s experience. As a first step, check out what’s out there and how people are using the technology.

Snail Mail

Alright, we know that anything that corresponds with slow should be ripped from our marketing vernacular, but hear us out first.

Snail mail is making a comeback. Used in combination with digital marketing tactics, trendy startups are using snail mail to stand out and personalize their marketing initiatives.

Mailers are a tangible offer that people can literally hang on to. Plus, unlike digital advertising, marketers know precisely how much it costs to print and mail out. Direct mail used in combination with digital marketing offers the best of both worlds.

Think about how you market yourself in the digital realm. Is there one message that is unlikely to change and would work well in a printed format?  

Voice Search

Over the years, the way people use search has changed dramatically. In the early days of the world wide web, it was common for people to search using one keyword. That soon became two, then three, four, and so on. Largely due to the rise of smartphones and smart speakers, Comscore reports that 50% of all searches will be voice searches by 2020.

Optimize for voice search by making your content conversational. Consider the sentences or questions a person may use to search for your product or service.

Chatbots and AI

Who hasn’t encountered a chatbot recently? Brands are using them to improve customer service without breaking the bank. Chatbots can quickly give your prospects and customers the answers they need and tee them up to for your sales team. Chatbots are also a great way to provide excellent customer service without being too aggressive. HubSpot reported that 48% of consumers would rather connect with a company via live chat other contact means.

If you experiment with chatbots, make being helpful your primary objective. Being too aggressive or being overly sales-y may turn potential business away. Start by answering simple questions and enhance from there.

Real Life Experiences

With the surplus of screens that we encounter on a daily basis, people are craving real life experiences. Similarly to how you’d incorporate snail mail, this isn’t an “either/or” strategy. It’s easy to support your real life events with digital initiatives. For example, use email marketing and event registration systems to organize your event and social media for promotion.  Throw a lunch or happy hour for your staff, organize a panel discussion or a concert.  

However you choose to spend your marketing dollars, don’t be afraid to use juxtaposed ideas through both print and digital. They’ll allow your marketing initiatives to stand out in the new year.  Make 2019 a year for both old and new techniques with the ultimate goal of getting creative and growing your business.