As planning for 2019 kicks into high gear, now is a good time to take a look at what’s “en vogue” in the marketing world. Is your marketing plan ready to strike a pose?

Some things are classics, and your go-to, wear everyday piece is CONTENT. Quality, engaging content is the cornerstone of any successful marketing plan. Beyond that, the following trends are simply accessories to be mixed in when they fit a brand’s individual style. Much like the latest  fashion fads, not every trend is the right stylistic fit for every brand.

With that caveat out of the way, here are five things walking the marketing runway:

Marketing Automation

ROI has been realized in 75% of companies in just one year of marketing automation use. Companies using marketing automation have reported a substantial 34% increase to their sales revenue, regardless of company size or industry.  In addition, 91% of users say it is “very important” to their overall marketing success. It’s all the rage – which puts marketing automation at the very top of the 2019 trendsetters’ list.

Chatbots

Chatbots can quickly recognize and respond to data … in real time. This gives both consumers and brands a virtual assistant to do anything handling customer queries to ordering a pizza! This saves time, money and human effort. We need look no further than the hugely popular Alexa to understand why the use of chatbots is taking over automated web communications.

Video Marketing

The growth of video will continue. Facebook Live was rolled out in April 2016, and in just two years, the average number of broadcasts doubled, earning more than 150 billion reactions. Video ads are still going strong as well. In August 2018, 65% of ad impressions on Instagram were the result of video content. If those stats aren’t enough to convince you that the video marketing craze will continue, consider this: When customers watch a video on a website, Google pushes that site up in its search results … ideal for any brand.

Native Advertising

Native advertising is on the rise over the use of banner ads, because it doesn’t disrupt the user experience. This increases consumers’ willingness to share it, which generates more sales leads.

Inbound Marketing

Because it’s simple, versatile and 61% cheaper than traditional marketing, inbound marketing remains a cost-effective method of connecting with your audience. Keeping inbound marketing hip is:

• Blogging. Statistically, blogging is three times more effective than traditional marketing in its ability to generate sales leads. It also allows you to include a variety of content that isn’t strictly direct product advertisement.
• Social Media. While AI and Chatbots create a life-like assistant, a strong social media presence creates an opportunity for consumers to engage with real people – making your brand appear more relatable. It also makes it quick and easy to provide exclusive offers or coupon codes to generate customers. To allow for a more seamless experience for consumers, you can also expect to see the continued integration of services into third-party apps by social media companies.
• Email-marketing. Companies that choose e-mail marketing can double their number of generated leads over those that do not. Adding automation can then double that amount. With numbers like those, e-mail marketing continues to be the top model of effective inbound marketing.

Here on the Porch we would love to design a marketing plan for you to premiere in 2019 (perfectly coordinated to your brand’s individual style, of course).

This time of year, the stakes are high in the charitable giving arena, making nonprofit marketing more important than ever. Roughly 30% of all nonprofit giving happens during the last month of the year, from #GivingTuesday (the Tuesday after Thanksgiving) through December 31.

Donors are feeling generous, so the time is now to launch a compelling marketing campaign to support your annual appeal. The competition for donation dollars is real, so keep these things top of mind to ensure you don’t get lost in the noise:

Keep Your Messaging on Point

Messaging should be compelling and concise. What will inspire donors to give to your nonprofit over another? Your messaging should be clear and speak to your audience in a resonant, emotional way in a voice that supports your mission and is undeniably yours.

Make Sure Your Website is Ready for Prime Time

This is likely your biggest campaign of the year – your website should be ready to receive visitors. Make sure your website is compelling, current and eye-catching, and that your campaign is highlighted on your homepage with a clear call to action. Your donation page should be front and center – make it easy for people to give!

The Time is Now for Email Marketing

An optimized website only works if you’re driving traffic to it, so create some well written emails that will resonate with donors and drive people to your site. Consider using storytelling in your campaign – it’s a powerful way to arouse emotion and inspire action. A good narrative brings people together, evokes emotion, and creates empathy. Fundraising is a very human-centered enterprise, and when our emotions are tapped, we are much more likely to act.

Support Your Campaign with Social Media

Nonprofits are all competing for dollars, and social media will be abuzz. You can’t afford not to be telling your story there. Every platform has a different voice and demographic, so tailor your messaging to each channel. Establish a monthly social media calendar to ensure all your touchpoints are covered, and encourage sharing by your stakeholders and friends.

Don’t Forget to Say Thank You

Recognize your donors and their gifts quickly. Leave them with something that makes them feel undeniably good about supporting your organization.

It’s go time for Nonprofit Marketing! Are you ready to rumble? If not, come see us!

You are a small business owner or a business leader who knows their business inside and out – no one will know your business like you do. And in terms of marketing to your ideal customer, that is the problem.

When you are trying to sell to your target customer, it’s tempting to imagine their wants and needs. But, there are limits to what you can imagine your customer wants, and what their lived experience is. Remember: you are not your customer.

Unless you are …

A middle-aged dad with two volleyball playing daughters and a penchant for craft beer … you are not Greg.

An entrepreneur with a Division 6A football playing son and a daughter who is ready to take over the world at the age of five … you are not me.

A thirty-something woman with a deep and unabiding love for bulldogs who has never lived in one place for more than four years … you are not Maria.

What does any of this have to do with marketing to your target customer? I have no idea, but unless you take a hard look at customer research and insights, you might miss something important that has a bearing on whether your customer chooses you over a competitor.

Marketing is not one size fits all

Each customer is unique and has different needs.

Does your customer value convenience over cost or vice versa? Do they care about how their product is made and its impact on local communities? Are they early adopters of new technology? Do they want a Swiss Army knife or one product that does a few things well? Do they like to try new things spontaneously or are their purchasing decisions based on thorough research? How do they find out about new products and services – social media, word-of-mouth, content creators and influencers? All these factors affect how you market to your customer.

Let’s look at a product that many of us on the Porch are about to take on soon – college. It’s easy to think that with this digital generation, all that matters are engaging with them on an online, social media level. But you would be wrong. Students have a ton of options – what makes one school stand out over another? If you look at the experience of our summer interns, their answers might surprise you. Go here and here to find out.

Reaching different customer audiences can seem overwhelming. The solution? Your friends from the Porch. We love a good marketing challenge and we want to help businesses reach their customers through the channels that make sense for that target market.

We are a company comprised of people with very different skillsets, backgrounds and experiences. We are moms, dads, fur parents, former corporate folks, nonprofit fans, football lovers and football nubes, big thinkers and specialized experts.

We are different. Just like your customer.

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Any good marketing plan wouldn’t be complete without the inclusion of some event marketing as part of the mix. Hosting an event allows you to reach people personally, build a relationship, and increase brand loyalty.

I love a good analogy, and I liken running an event to conducting a symphony. A symphony needs a strong conductor to unify performers, set the tempo, and control the pacing of the music. It needs a strong and diverse instrumental ensemble to provide a beautiful, multi-layered performance. And it needs a captivating musical score that sets the tone and crescendos in spectacular fashion.

Planning and executing a successful event lies in these details:

Crystallize Your Vision

Start by “scoring” your event. Identify your audience, define your message, and determine the experience you want to provide. Having a clear vision is important, because all the smaller event details and decisions will flow from it.

Logistics Follow

Your “score” will inform your logistical decisions. Choose a venue, food, music, entertainment, format and feel in keeping with your vision. Stay true to the experience you want to provide and these decisions will flow easily.

Choose Your Partners Wisely

Ensure the professional  partners you choose to assist you are on board with your vision. Your caterer, photographer, videographer, etc. should be well versed in what your plans and expectations are for the event.

Plan and Train

Plan everything, down to the minute. Have a schedule and a timetable. Ensure that your “orchestra” understands their roles from beginning to end. Identify your transition times, your presentation times, time spent ramping up and time spent winding down. It’s all important. Extremely important.

We love planning and executing events for our clients. Most recently, it has been our privilege to partner with Practice Ministries in order to “Set the Table” for the future success. We look forward to delivering an exceptional experience to their attendees bright and early on Thursday morning!

Do you need some help planning an event? Come see us on the Porch!

When it comes to marketing plans, there are a plethora of opinions about how best to approach them. And who doesn’t love a good analogy to break down a complex topic? We certainly do.

Today marks back-to-school for many districts, including our beloved client, Faith Family Academy. Enjoy this day, parents and teachers! It’s always a good one! Commensurate with the beginning of school is the official end of summer travel. We rockers truly enjoy our summer adventures, and we love to share them on Instagram, so check us out if you are in need of a ‘lil travel inspiration!

Travel planning is a great analogy for marketing planning, so let’s GO!

Destinations = Goals

All brilliant marketing plans start with goals. A goal is a destination that you want to reach. If you were planning a trip you would naturally start with your destination. For the sake of illustration, let’s choose Vancouver.

Method of Transportation = Strategy

So you want to go to Vancouver, but how are you going to get there? This is your strategy. You can travel by train, plane, automobile, boat, motorcycle, or you can walk! Depending on where you’re travel is originating, some of these might be instantly ruled out (walking from Arlington to Vancouver … nobody has time for that!). For my family’s summer trip to Vancouver, our transportation strategy was to fly to Seattle and ride the train to Vancouver.

Packing List = Tactics

Up next, tactics. To execute our travel strategy, we needed to pack the following: plane tickets, rental car, train tickets, passports, lodging, sightseeing itinerary, tickets for attractions, and a suitcase packed with the proper seasonal attire. These are all considered tactical elements to make our Vancouver destination memorable.

Goals, Strategy, Tactics.

Apply this analogy to how you want to reach your target audience and you will achieve your marketing goals. Need help getting started? We would love to meet you on the Porch and get rockin’!