Here at Desert View Photography we’re all about helping you sell yourself, so we thought we’d let you know about some of the marketing trends we’re seeing for the future, and just how our services can help you take advantage of these new trends.

Back in January, Matt Mansfield of New Co Shift made some predictions about what marketing trends were going to be big in 2017, and so far he’s turned out to be fairly on the money.  Let’s take a look at the most important trends, which are still growing.

Mobile Only

One of the most overwhelming trends is “mobile first” and even “mobile only.” It’s safe to say that if your site is not mobile optimized you are not providing your customers and clients with an ideal experience when they interact with your brand. But, it has long been the case that we need to be mobile-friendly, so when is mobile-only coming?

In January, Zenith predicted that 75 percent of internet use would be from a mobile device. As of now, traffic in the United States is only fifty-six percent mobile. But, the growth of mobile isn’t slowing down, and we may yet reach a place where investing in mobile-friendly sites before focusing on other platforms, if ever, is a reality. A handful of topics, including home and garden, people and society, and health, already have over sixty percent mobile traffic. It’s only going to grow.

Personalization

Mansfield rightly predicted that we were going to take some big leaps forward in personalization this year. On the marketers side, it just makes sense to make the best use of your client and customer’s data to offer them the products they have shown interest in. Those who have lept into this strategy are most happy with the results they are seeing on their mobile platforms, and they are seeing some conversion.

On the receiving end, there is some concern that this personalization will be more creepy than useful. Conversionxl warns that personalization can be uncomfortable for the customer, especially if they are surprised that you have information about them.

The best way to avoid that is, counter-intuitively, to focus on making the most of your data, to understand your customer. This is the foundation for an authentic connection. Perfecting your targeting and segmentation is going to make the customer feel positively about their experience.

Don’t tell customers their information without doing it for a reason, and try to make your overall personalization approach a subtle, but persuasive one. You aren’t just showing off that you can personalize, blindly hoping it will forge a better connection. Instead, you’re offering customers something they want. That’s the difference.

Virtual and Augmented Reality

This is an exciting new area of marketing, and one that aerial photography has a lot to contribute to. In many ways, this technology is still on the horizon, but where it is being used it is making for unique and engaging experiences. It can also be highly functional and practical. Check out our previous blog post on these technologies in the construction space for more details.

Live-streaming and Other Video

We already know that video marketing is highly effective, bringing in reach, leads, and sales. Using video to your full advantage in the future will mean offering live streams. Customers connect with them because they feel more authentic, offering an unedited look into your business. Keeping these live-streams short is a good idea though. If you bore a viewer, they leave. But if the video ends and they still want more, they come back for it.

Even if you’re not ready to do some livestreams, starting with video can increase your impact. Look beyond Youtube to offer video as well. Facebook, Instagram, and (most obviously) Periscope audiences all respond well to video. So do email audiences, which brings us to our next topic.

Email Marketing

Email marketing is a reflection of each of the wider trends in marketing, including personalization, becoming mobile-friendly, and using video. It is especially important to make email communication mobile-friendly, since most users now check their email on mobile devices. Segmentation, or separating email lists into more targeted groups, is one way to improve results. Another way is putting social media buttons in emails, which increases the click through rate by over 150%. This was correctly suggested by many digital marketing experts, such as business2community.

While email continues to be one of the most effective forms of marketing, there are still plenty of marketers and business owners who are not taking advantage of it. With a $40 return for every $1 spent, perhaps it’s time to re-consider where your marketing resources should be going if you’re not using it yourself.

Influencer Marketing

Though we previously thought of influencers only as big celebrities or average customers, the middle ground is actually the best area to focus on. These people are “micro-influencers” with a smaller following on social media than the giant celebrities. They have a strong connection with their audience, and they get more engagement than those with unwieldy followings. They still have many more conversations than average customers, 22 times more, in fact.

There seems to be some disagreement about precisely how many followers someone needs to count as a “micro-influencer.” It may be more useful for you to look for ideal characteristics before getting hung up on a certain subscriber account. Look for individuals who have real knowledge and experience about the area they are talking about, and the area you’re marketing in. You want someone who is seen as well-versed authority, who has passion for your industry, and makes authentic connections with their audience based on that passion, but not necessarily that passion exclusively.

Your Turn

We hope this post has given you some starting points to fine-tune the future of your marketing strategy. Though it can sometimes be frustrating that things are always changing in this field, that lends a sense of excitement and challenge that leads to a deep sense of accomplishment when it works. We’re just glad to be along for the ride with you.

Whether you’re using digital marketing or traditional marketing offline to promote your business, aerial photography of your project will look spectacular. This is especially the case for commercial construction, multi-family real estate, tourism, events and other industries. Contact Desert View Aerial Photography for aerial photography services in the Phoenix area and statewide in Arizona.

For all your digital marketing needs, including mobile-friendly websites, search engine optimization, social media, and email marketing, contact Mirex Marketing, a local digital agency in Arizona, to request a free consultation.