A LOOK BACK AT 2010: WHAT MARKETING TRENDS WORKED & WHAT DIDN'T - PART II

A LOOK BACK AT 2010 - PART II: 

RING IN THE NEW

2010 marked a giant leap in marketing trends, especially online. What was a phenomenon in 2009 quickly became an everyday reality in 2010. Marketing tactics leaped from one dimensional conversations to two-way relationships and listening and responding to consumers became every wedding business' top priority.


Here are the Marketing Trends in 2010 that not only made a huge impact in how we marketing our businesses but that actually worked:



SOCIAL MEDIA (TWITTER, FACEBOOK, BLOGGING, YOU TUBE, ETC)

I'm really hoping that the climb of Social Media hasn't come as a surprise to you all. After all, with the need and desire for everything in our lives to be in real time, Social Media simply did the polite thing and stepped up to the challenge of delivering it. The success (or failure) of Social Media for most wedding professionals however depended on how it was used. Many wedding professionals are still in the dark about how Social Media can optimize their marketing efforts while others have embraced the notion of 'interacting' rather than simply 'broadcasting'.

Social Media enabled wedding professionals to be found by consumers who were simply searching in general rather than only by those consumers who were searching for them directly. This has opened doors of every shape and colour for wedding professionals and has expanded their reach ten-fold...if they're embracing the Social Media age that is. Those that still view Social Media as simply a passing phenomenon will be left behind by the side of the road. Social Media is forever changing and expanding, hence shedding light on new opportunities for wedding professionals every day.

If you're not yet on the band-wagon you had better buy your ticket fast.



REAL-TIME SEO


While Google was once the end-all-be-all to SEO, it's had to adjust its practices to embrace the Real-Time revolution. More and more people have begun to do their searching for products and services through Social Media networks which has left Google, etc. in a flurry to catch up. As a result, Search Engines have now integrated Twitter and Blog feeds making our businesses, services and discussions that much more visible and allowing greater opportunities for professionals to connect with their consumers. And it likely won't end there. Eventually all social networking feeds will likely wind up in the almighty search engine which means that ensuring that your SEO is up to par is of huge importance.



FACE-TIME MARKETING

The concept may not seem all that new, but the number of wedding professionals embracing this trend is. Face-time marketing is not just about the typical Bridal Show which, let's face it, has been around forever and is not about to go anywhere anytime soon. It's about interacting, engaging and listening to consumers in real time, in a real place and most importantly, face-to-face. Think of it as Social Media but without the Media part...so basically 'Social'.

In a digital, hurry-up-and-wait age like ours many wedding professionals are shying away from the once-popular marketing method and opting for the 'new-age' trends like social media, online advertising and print. However, face-time marketing has been proven in 2010 to still be a major front-runner in marketing. What's considered Face-time Marketing? Launch parties, Public Seminars, Sponsoring and Presenting at Wedding Productions like Fashion Shows, etc. While more and more research is done online, consumers are still out and about and enjoying physical interaction.

Real time marketing is about capturing the consumer's attention and engaging them in the moment. What better way to capture the attention of our consumers than to offer something tangible...our product and service face-to-face.



MOBILE MARKETING

Yes there's an app for that. Hundreds of them.

In 2010 Mobile marketing has made an enormous impact on outreach to the consumer without actually making a lot of noise. Just like our mobile devices get more sophisticated every year so does the way we interact with consumers on such devices.

Whether it's providing an easier, quicker way to use or purchase products on the move as with App's,  sharing thoughts and ideas through mobile Internet and social media applications or connecting communities of like-minded individuals together through texting contests and promotions with companies like ThumIt, Mobile Marketing has brought individuals even closer than before and has brought products and services literally to the fingertips of consumers. 

“We will open the book.  Its pages are blank.  We are going to put words on them ourselves.  The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day”.

~Edith Lovejoy Pierce