Three consumer trends to watch when marketing in 2017

Consumers are the lifeblood of any business so knowing how they think and what they are likely to do at any particular time is critical to how businesses position themselves.  Particularly at the start of a new year when the business is strategizing; zeroing on current consumer trends can help the business to get the maximum profits from customer-business interaction.

Of course 2016 saw some significant consumer trends coming to the fore.  The increase in the use of mobile for both purchases as well as general marketing, and the use of plastic in both online and offline purchases are significant.  But what will 2017 bring?  The following are three consumer trends to watch while marketing your startup in 2017:

1.       Though most marketers tend to focus their online and social media marketing on millenials i.e. 18-34 year olds, Generation X i.e. 35-50 year olds and Baby Boomers i.e. 53-71 year olds are emerging as strong contenders where online purchases are concerned.   According to a 2015 BI Intelligence report, Boomers have adopted mobile commerce with one in every mobile shopper in the US being over 55 years old.  Importantly, this generation while they tend to spend less time on social media, they primarily use their devices to research products prior to purchase and very importantly, check their email which is the best way to reach them online!

2.       These days’ our children play a significant role in practically all household purchases.  From the supermarket list to the appliances and smart gadgets that dot our homes, the influence of our children can be felt throughout.  This is so because so much has changed with how we interact with the world.  Back in the day, a visit to the library was necessary in order to complete school assignments, now with the click of button, inside of the comfort of home, our children are able to complete assignments at their own leisure.  Additionally, children are also staying at home longer; the purchases they influence today will be their comfort tomorrow.

3.       Influencer marketing has continued to grow in significance particularly because it uses well-liked personalities to endorse and approve a product or brand.  There is no testimonial more powerful for your product than having a leading personality recommending it to your target audience.  These influencers through their celebrity assist in establishing credibility for your product as well as increase trust between you and your customers.

Five quick tips for building your Personal Brand

I am following up last week’s blog titled ‘Building your personal brand to build your Business brand’, with five quick tips from a friend of mine to help you to build your Personal brand.

Communication and Brand Specialist, Marie ‘The PR Girl Berbick’ shares that Personal Branding is the way you package and market yourself, whether to clients, potential clients, employers/employees, family, friends and essentially all your stakeholders. 

As a startup entrepreneur, your stakeholder list would also include; investors, business partners, the community in which your business operates as well as the government.

In building your personal brand, Marie identifies three key elements that are important to the process.  “Firstly, there’s you… what is your area of expertise? What makes you unique as an entrepreneur?” she questions.  Then there’s your image; how you attire yourself, how you speak and what actions people associate you with?  And finally, your reputation; this is developed from your image, your target market’s experience with you (your brand) and whether you deliver the brand promise.

Before I jump into the tips Marie shared with me, just three quick questions to ask yourself when creating your personal brand statement:

-          Who are you serving?

-          What problems do you solve for your target market?

-          What makes you unique?

Image courtesy of Pinterest

So now that we’ve identified what goes into creating your personal brand, here are five practical tips that Marie suggests you use for your next steps;

1.       Build your personal brand below the radar before making a grand public entrance.

2.       Identify the places and channels through which you can best reach your target market and meet them there!

3.       Believe in your brand. Live your brand. You are your best salesman if you don’t believe in your brand, it’s harder for others to buy into what you are selling

4.       Be consistent. You cannot be an apple today and suddenly an orange tomorrow (unless you are rebranding!) Consistency helps you to gain the confidence of your target market.

5.       Once you’ve built your brand—OWN IT. Adopt all the necessary legal means to protect your brand from being exploited.

All the best!

Building your personal brand to build your business’s brand

As a business owner, your personal brand is just as important as your business’s brand.  Your personal brand serves as the platform to open the door for your business brand.  This is why Sport Stars can successfully launch their own fitness line, or renowned Chefs can introduce an assortment of nutritional foods or methods of food preparation that are quickly adopted by legions of followers.  

Our world is replete with ordinary people who have successfully built their personal brands and then parlayed their names into a business empire… people like Oprah Winfrey, Steve Harvey or Martha Stewart are not just celebrities in their own rights, but big brands that boasts a sweet line of products that range from clothing to food and media to music. 

Now you may look at these names and become immediately intimidated by their celebrity and their worth, but take heart in the fact that they too started at the bottom, just like us; and brick by brick, we are building our empire.

Striking the balance between building your personal brand and the business brand will of course come with its challenges.  Particularly, if you are a startup business trying to get the process right, it can seem almost impossible.  Engaging in social media activities and networking can help in building your personal brand.  The following are some tips for you as you straddle the double task of building both your personal and business brands simultaneously:

1.       Take stock of who and where you are – Do a laundry list of your skills, qualifications and natural talents… include things about your personality and character traits as these will help to define you as well.  Once you have identified those strengths, use them to inform how you operate your business… if you see yourself as trustworthy; incorporate that into your business practices. Through your modus operandi, your stakeholders, i.e. customers, investors and partners should see this character trait translated in not only how you operate but also in product that you produce.

2.       Evaluate your online presence – How are you on social media? Are you inactive or non-existent?  In this digital age, inactivity or non-existence as a business owner will not help you to build a personal brand.  I’ve often said that your first set of customers will be your friends and family members and in the age of digital media, social media plays a pivotal role in how people communicate.  If you are not online, get there; and when you get there, engage, communicate, share and socialize.

3.       Become a Thought Leader – The term ‘thought leader’ has become so common these days, it is almost overused.  But the reality is, in order to build your brand; people must trust your word on your topic of expertise.  Incorporate blogging into your business to talk about your expertise, provide tips and strategies for growth within your industry.  Also, contribute articles to industry as well as generic publications.  You can also establish yourself as a virtue of knowledge on the specific subject area through networking and being a strong presence at industry events.

All the best!

Using Vertical Communities to improve your marketing reach

In the age of customer engagement and relationship building, incorporating vertical communities as part of your startup marketing strategy has become a necessity. 

The idea of the vertical community is to bring customers and businesses together to ensure the success of each.  So within the equation, the customer would receive the desired product and the business would produce efficiently and deliver a product on-time at an ideal price that the customer is willing to pay.

The vertical community is however dependent on the relationship between marketing and information technology. 

This is why it is critical for your business to have online as well as offline customer touch points.  Today’s customers are watching (video), reading (comments & posts) and participating (tweeting, following and sharing) in the buying process… in order to be able to effectively respond to their needs, businesses must be able to reach its customers whenever and wherever they are.

The benefits of using this method of marketing are significant.  Because the marketing campaign integrates technology, the customer feels more ‘in-touch’ with the business and hence more empowered. 

The business in its bid to maintain its reputation will become more responsive to customer queries and may even incorporate customer suggestions that make the business better.    The business on the other hand will experience an increase in its customer loyalty and can institute a successful customer oriented business.

Marketing methods using social media, online & digital marketing and smart technology though they may seem like an expensive investment can significantly impact your startup’s bottom line.  Of course, while you may not be able to incorporate all elements at once, definitely start with social media.  It is relatively easy to set-up and you have an existing client group in your family, friends and colleagues.

Here’s to vertical communities!

Source: The Value of Vertical Communities by Harry Klein, VP Customer Success at Appsembler