A marketing renaissance is occurring for some old trends that may have once become tiresome but are now starting to appear fresh again. Email, direct mail and videos all fall into the category of areas that slowly grew stale as newer digital trends emerged and old ones evolved. Now they’re gaining popularity, usage and vitality again. Therefore, I think it’s particularly beneficial for anyone looking to adjust or change their company marketing strategy to keep on the lookout for these trends and possibly implement them as well.
Podcasts
The biggest comeback of them all has to be podcasts. Whether it’s business, tech, sports or even spirituality, people are flocking to have sweet nothings whispered into their ears while they drive to work, take a shower or even work out.
Whatever the reason for this resurgence might be, there’s no doubt that podcasts have seen a rise in popularity amongst consumers. Personally, I think people are looking for compelling stories after having cut the cable cord, and podcasts offer them. After I escaped the corporate clutches of Comcast, I found my way to popular podcasters like Joe Rogan and Bill Simmons. Hit series such as Serial and This American Life have creeped their way into success and popularity with hundreds of thousands of listeners.
Silent Videos
You might briefly think it’s the early 1900s once you come across this marketing tactic, but the reality is this is a trend that’s spreading like wildfire in the modern marketing world. According to various publishers, a total of 85% of all video on Facebook is played with the mute function activated, an important point of consideration for today’s marketing content generators.
Perhaps the most popular version of these that I’m seeing involves some subject of interest with a steady succession of facts or bullet points that appear as text on the screen. These often take the form of tips or statistics that can keep people interested for several minutes.
People might be in their offices, in a library or just lying in bed wanting to experience some peace and quiet. They might not want to disturb others around them with a pestering sound, or might even be embarrassed to have someone hear what they’re watching. Whatever the reason might be, the trend gives the silent video its somewhat unexpected and certainly exceptional comeback. It also gives you a reason to create visually appealing video that might require a bit more creativity.
What was often a nuisance to consumers is now a more valuable medium to get information about new product discounts, promotions and sales for brands people love. This trend is not as new, but, since 2015, the email inbox has become a very significant and invaluable battlefield for marketers desiring attention from potential and current clients. Analytics and insights show that email is used more widely and effectively that before and is ready to continue on that trend.
The revival in direct mail can be attributed to new tracking capabilities, which give it a greater cut through in a B2B environment. Novel and immersive technology takes the traditional direct mail platform that used to bore us, and revitalizes the experience with something that is better at grabbing our attention or even a clickthrough.
Brand as Publisher
Marketing communications strategy is taking the lead in captivating and retaining clients that have been acquired. It’s a strategy that blends all channels into a wider marketing plan and steers the conversation a company is trying to have back to the audience. Content is now more often being placed at the heart of a brand, and audiences are relying on the actual brand to promote themselves.
Town Criers
The town criers you used to read about in old stories have been re-birthed into unique Internet versions. These are people who disseminate current news to the masses thanks to our reliance on social media. Because social media has changed our consumption of news and has consolidated where we get our information from into single platforms, brands are now defaulting to pushing their news bits out to individuals who will put the word out for them.
We can expect to see a resurgence of news being curated These marketing strategies all do one thing: They go back to the consumer and focus on what the audience wants. With all the technological advancements, analytics and percentages we rely on, it can be hard to remember that humans are at the end of our strategies and communication models. These old, new trends focus on interacting with the discourse already happening in the potential client’s head. It gives them the trust and convenience they want. The “old-fashioned” standard of marketing to humans needs to stay top-of-mind. We shouldn’t always be so fixated on visitors or even session numbers. Concentrate on engaging the end user more. This will give us more bang for our buck as we continue developing our marketing strategies.