Businesses need to think about what they can do to attract their target audience. Undoubtedly, online marketing is a crucial aspect, but every other company does the same. So, how can you make your brand stand out in the crowd? This is one of the biggest business concerns nowadays. The busy holiday shopping season is underway.
Consumer shopping behaviour over the years has gradually evolved. And in the last two years, it has changed drastically because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But now that most countries have learned that they have to live with the virus rather than become a Zero COVID country like New Zealand, things are looking good for most businesses.
Most businesses are still unsure how to proceed and what things we need to keep in mind to make it big. Please go through this blog as I discuss some important respects here that can work for any company regardless of the size and nature of the business.
Online marketing, post the pandemic, is looking just like it was before the deadly virus. All the attachments which are related to online ads like Facebook and Google are reaping the benefits. Consumers are spending like crazy as online shopping giants like Amazon are also very optimistic about the results for the fourth quarter of the year.
The concern about the new South African variant, Omicron, is not as great as the case with the Delta variant as it is not causing severe illness. Nevertheless, the speed at which it is spreading is causing concern in South Africa and many nations. Again we are seeing many countries going into lockdown again.
For brands, 2022 should be a bountiful year after what they’ve seen the last two years. But there are still many factors they have to perfect to get their business going. For small businesses and startups, making their brand heard amongst all the big players in the market can be tough. Because most online Shoppers go on to visit the websites that they find on Google, is there any mechanism through which they go to small businesses’ websites without paid ads?
Let me discuss this aspect further and some more.
While not many people or even experienced marketers can protect what to expect from the shoppers in the New Year, there are some clues that they are following. It is not just about the following year but also for some time to come because online marketing is not cheap. Even if those companies were spending just on social media marketing, thousands of dollars can be spent. And if they cannot get the result they are looking for, then the very existence of these businesses will come into question.
As I have mentioned before, small businesses need to pick up their game as they need to think about a strategy that can work for them in the long term. Going for physical stores can be a good ploy as some people look for physical stores. But startups don’t have much capital, so they can only go for one or two such stores. This will certainly not be in their favour because they have to compete with big players in the market who have at least 10 to 20 stores in any given city.
Businesses must know what the shopper in the future will be up to and how they would like to buy a product. This will enable them to make strategies exactly according to the requirements. Read on as I discuss this factor and what can be done to make things perfect for a small business
Climate change and global warming are in vogue nowadays as these are serious issues. The recently concluded UN conference on climate change has made this a global issue, with extensive media coverage has created more awareness. Businesses must also deal with this as the future shopper will be more eco-conscious. Therefore, focusing on sustainability throughout the product life cycle will be one aspect required by every company.
Governments have asked the regulators to ensure that this practice must be implemented. And the watchdogs and whistleblowers will be interested in getting into the nitty-gritty of things as companies must adhere to all the rules and regulations passed by the climate conference. Also, companies must start production with climate change in mind. Green products will be the future, and there are enough reasons for companies to go for this in terms of marketing too.
Companies who can market their products as green and offer everything to their customers, ensuring everything is taken care of throughout the process, will be at the forefront of getting their attention. Surely, big companies would be going for this without any doubt forcing small players to follow suit. So, this will be the test of their mettle if small businesses need to think about it.
If you think that everything that I have mentioned is just based on the hypothesis and most of the people in the real world would go for any product they like, think again. According to the latest research by McKinsey, 38% of consumers say that they will prefer recycled products and will pay a premium price for that. And 26% said that they would buy higher quality items that would last longer.
As the consumers are willing to pay a higher amount for green products, there is no reason for businesses to delay their production in this regard. Think about what the green revolution means for your business and how you can sustain yourself in the market after the next five to ten years.
If you think that you can add something to this blog or want to ask a question, you are more than welcome. For any feedback too, please use the comments section below.
You may also like: Amazon May Not Need Aggressive Marketing as We Head into the Holiday Season
Image source: Pixabay.com
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