Familiarizing oneself with next year’s marketing strategies before January 1st is a good way to get a leg up on the competition. Provided below are a few key takeaways from Jayson DeMers recent Forbes article, Top 7 Online Marketing Trends That Will Dominate 2015, as well as explanations of how Respage helps clients act on DeMers’ online marketing forecast.
Trend #1: Mobile or Death
Optimizing a site for mobile devices is no longer an extra option for aesthetic design. Rather, it’s a must-have feature that will prevent your bounce rate from skyrocketing. As DeMers points out, Google has acknowledged that mobile usability is “relevant for optimal search results,” which means sites that are not mobile-friendly will suffer from lower listings in the Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs).
Although mobile design strategies have attracted much attention as of late, the developers at Respage identified and embraced this trend long ago. In fact, all of our turnkey website designs are mobile-ready (and have been for some time). Even better – they’re affordable and extremely easy to use.
Trend #2: Social is Spreading
Increased social media interest will be another rising trend in 2015. This should come as no surprise. After all, consumers spend more time on social media than any other major Internet activity, and advertisers need to be in front of their audiences. Once again, the Respage model has succeeded at staying one step ahead of the game in this regard, as providing quality social media and blogging services has always played a role in our platform.
Trend #3: All Hail Content
Content is king. It always has been king. And in 2015, it’s apparent that it always will be king.
DeMers is correct in his assessment that companies will take budgets originally earmarked for PPC and SEO and reallocate them to content marketing efforts. He’s also correct that “A major struggle, however, will be finding ways to stand out amidst the throngs of other content vying for attention [and that] research-intensive content, and content that abides by the 12 quality metrics, will be what gives businesses an advantage over their competitors.”
While developing content that offers real value is a struggle, the Respage content marketing approach is without equal in the multifamily industry. All of our content topics are based upon analytical data of moving-oriented search queries within a given region. This data provides us with the insight needed to answer a potential new resident’s questions before he or she even asks. As a result, the content that Respage produces on behalf of our SEO clients engages potential new renters from the get-go.
Trend #4: Brands Get Personal
According to DeMers, “brands will realize that their customers are on social media channels to interact with other people, not with brands and corporate-sounding lingo. Brands that are able to connect with their audience on a human-level will enjoy higher conversion rates, better brand loyalty, faster audience growth, and happier customers.”
For years, Respage clients have enjoyed a personalized approach to social media through our blogging services. These services encourage conversations between residents and increase brand loyalty by providing information about local businesses and events in the area. Taking this strategy one step further, our new Reputation Management and Review Response offerings make sure that client communities always know when they’re mentioned so that they’re never left out of the conversation.
Conclusion
DeMers mentions much more about the blurring of SEO, content marketing, and native advertisement. But if truth be told, these three disciplines have always been one in the same. If you are authentic, knowledgeable, and informative in your marketing efforts, you will enjoy a successful year in 2015. And if you need help, you can always contact the multifamily marketing experts at Respage.
