Artificial intelligence, voice search engine optimization (VSEO) and data-driven marketing at one time were considered far-fetched concepts. These are some of the most popular digital marketing trends today. And why wouldn’t they be? After all, if a company wants to be competitive in today’s crowded digital marketplace, it must keep up with the latest innovations.
Marketing trends are changing at an alarming rate as a result of the digital revolution. Where there was an increase in demand for unrestricted flexibility, however, it opened the way to more effective outreach to a broader and more targeted audience.
It’s difficult to keep up with all of the shifting aspects of digital marketing. The digital landscape is continually evolving as new technologies, strategies, and algorithms become accessible, from SEO to PPC, tools, platforms, and best practises.
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However, it also imposed some restrictions on the scope of marketing methods. Every campaign and trend nowadays revolves around individuals’ evolving behaviors and cultural trends. This means that personalization is more important than ever before, and 2022 will be no exception.
Let’s take a look at the top four trends for multi-location marketers from Monica Ho, Chief Marketing Officer at SOCi.
The Consumer Journey Is No Longer Linear
With the amount of time consumers are spending on digital on the rise, the consumer journey has shifted. Rather than having a defined need and researching it, consumers constantly realize a want or need and are looking to make purchases immediately and without much thought. By understanding this, businesses can ensure their brands and location data are available on the digital channels where this activity is happening the most: social and search.
Social is the #1 Discovery Engine
In order to compete on social, the multi-location business must blur the lines between both local search and local social, and activate similar strategies. Ensuring that the business locations have social channels updated with the most accurate local information (website, hours of operation, service offering etc), while also posting content and interacting with the target audience, is key.
Messaging and Chatbots Enrich the Customer Experience
Consumers are now online 24/7, and the quicker they can communicate with the business and get their questions answered, the better. In short, chatbots can:
- Answer consumer questions without the teams intervening.
- Enrich the customer experience through AI – machine learning and natural language – which gives bots a distinct personality.
- Increase customer interactions by providing a personalized experience.
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Localization = Personalization
In order to stand out in relevant searches multi-location businesses must leverage what makes them so unique; their presence and participation in a local community. To be more visible localized, personalized content is a must. Local search and social content can include:
- Upcoming events
- Promotions at the local store
- Local team member highlights
- User-generated content and success stories
- Any relevant changes happening at the local store
Adding localization into the marketing efforts will help personalize search efforts and increase online visibility with the target audience.
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