In our society today, we have seen a large shift into digital and social media marketing. Although many of us will look up on our way to work and see a large billboard that is semi clever, most of the products and services that attract us will be found through tv and social media. Today we are going to discuss 10 of our favorite and most popular marketing tactics to use this year.

1. Undercover Marketing
This is one of our favorite types of marketing, however it does not get enough use. Actors will be placed in a public area using the product, and people standing by will be intrigued to ask what it is. Once they do that, the actor will allow them to try it out and provide information. Undercover marketing is stealthy and noninvasive, however reels customers into buying a product. For example, when Sony Ericsson had actors pose as tourists, asking people to take a picture of them so that they could see for themselves the amazing new picture phone.

2. Social Media Influencer/Brand Ambassador
This form of marketing has been the most up and coming this year. Companies will reach out to Instagram/twitter/snapchat users with a large following and pay them or offer them a discount on their product to give them “shoutouts”. Social Media influencers will post pictures/videos of them using the product and recommend them to their followers. A lot of the time, Influencers are given a discount code to share with their followers as well which is even more attractive.

3. Product Placement
Product placement might seem obvious to some consumers; however, it is an effective marketing tactic. Product placement is when companies pay to have their products featured in certain movies or TV shows. Product placement can go from a shirt a celebrity is wearing in a movie, to the drink they have in their hand, to what brand laptop that they are typing on. A lot of times it is sneaky how the product is placed, but even if the consumer may not notice it it will still be in the back of their minds. Sometimes, product placement doesn’t even have to show the actual product, but it can be part of a conversation within the dialogue of a movie/tv show.

4. Newsletter
This is a smart tactic to keep your consumers attention. When a customer buys your product, give them the option to sign up for emails that include special offers, this way you will be able to keep your consumer updated with deals and updates, while keeping their attention on your product/service.

5. Guest Blogging
Although providing content for your product or service on your own output creates attention, it is also important to show up on other outlets as well. Doing this helps grow your consumer market by introducing your product/service to a new audience that may not have stumbled upon it otherwise.

6. Positive Reviews/References
Creating a yelp page or having a system where customers can rate your product/service after buying, makes a large difference in future success. Many people will look towards previous customer reviews before making a purchase as their deciding factor on the product/service. This also leads into buzz marketing, or word-of-mouth marketing, where customers will speak of your product to their family or friends, and this trend will continue.

7. Content Marketing
Content marketing is a smart way to indirectly sell your product/service. It provides the consumer with information and education, and shares material that relates to your brand rather than directly advertises it. This engages your target market because it allows them to make their own choice with the information available, and also builds your brands respect and credibility.

8. SEO
Search Engine Optimization is a learned task that will take time and effort. You cannot do it once and expect results. However, once you have perfected this skill specifically to your marketing efforts, it will work very effectively in your favor. The visibility of your site among others will be much more readily available, and you will learn how to better write/post content that attracts more viewers.

9. Use Social Media Analytics Tools
Our favorite tools to use are BuzzSumo and Sprout Social. These tools help you identify what of your content is doing well and what you should continue to do. It communicates with customers and measures how successful your marketing efforts are.

10. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS!!
There are so many social media platforms out there that are readily available to use and take advantage of. Each platform does better at certain things. For example, Instagram is best for photo content. LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and Snapchat are all free applications that will only serve to benefit your product/service marketing efforts.

We hope that this article will be helpful and help you succeed in your marketing efforts. Let us know what you liked best or what you saw truly make a positive difference in your success!