Marketing Trends That Are So Last Decade
Trends are funny things. “Planking” didn’t last that long. Eating tide pods should have never happened in the first place. And let’s not forget that about 100 years ago we all thought that you could simply vibrate the fat off your body with one of these sketchy-looking things →.
That’s not to say there haven’t been plenty of trends that have stuck around, but the vast majority of trends tend to die fairly quickly.
Marketing is no different. So much has changed since advertising began - especially since the advent of the internet. It’s not uncommon for us to see trends come and go on a yearly or even monthly basis. So since we’re celebrating not only a new year but a new decade, we thought we’d take a look at some marketing trends from the 2010s that we should all just agree to let go of.
Keyword Stuffing
Repeat after us: there is such a thing as too many keywords. Now, this is something that search engines have been penalizing websites over for a good while now, but there are still a lot of people out there who just don’t get it.
“But you need lots of keywords for good SEO, don’t you?!”
No. You need good keywords for good SEO but having lots of keywords is usually bad. It’s time to stop pretending that good SEO is based solely on keywords because it’s not. Truly good SEO is based on a whole bunch of other things, too, like page speed, metadata, quality content, links, and mobile-friendliness.
Unimportant Content
Have you ever had a conversation with someone where you feel like they’re just talking and talking but not actually saying anything? It’s annoying, right?
Reading content that’s wordy and superfluous tends to elicit the same reaction. Customers can tell when you’re writing just to post something, and the search engines can too. Unimportant content is a turnoff and it usually goes hand-in-hand with keyword stuffing, so if that’s all you have to offer, it’s better to not post it at all.
Your website content should clearly outline what you do and the services you offer, without being lengthy for lengthiness’s sake. Likewise, your blog should provide noteworthy, relevant information that your customers will find useful. Writing blogs that are informational builds trust with users, and it gives them a reason to keep coming back to your website.
Pop-Up Anything
Whether it’s an ad, newsletter subscription box, or a contact form, pop-ups are super annoying. Nobody likes them and nobody’s ever liked them. We can’t say for sure why they still exist, but the fact remains that they do.
Maybe it’s because there’s a school of thought that thinks if you make it “easy” for someone to do something, they’re more likely to do it. But there’s a big difference between making something easily accessible and literally shoving that thing in someone’s face. Most of us are pretty internet savvy nowadays. We know how to subscribe to newsletters and we know how to fill out a contact form. And as far as advertisements go, pay-per-click marketing is a much better way to serve someone's ads.
Autoplay Anything
In keeping with our “marketing tactics that are annoying” theme, let’s talk about autoplay.
It used to be really popular for a website to play music automatically when the user landed on the homepage. It’s less popular now but people still do it and yes, it is still irritating. The same goes for videos that play automatically. And believe it or not, some websites still have videos that pop up and then play automatically.
So there’s no need to keep beating a dead horse. Website music is entirely unnecessary and most of us know how to find and play informational videos all by ourselves. Autoplay music and videos are aggravating, so please, can we nip them in the bud?
Long-Format Content
Specifically things like e-books, white papers, and videos. Here’s the thing - in this day and age people can get the answer to pretty much any problem in seconds. They can learn facts, get phone numbers, find addresses, and make purchases with just a few finger taps on those magical little computers they keep in their pockets. And that’s great, except when something takes more than a few seconds to find or absorb.
Our collective attention span is rather short. Sure, we’ll sit down and read Facebook updates for an hour or watch ten consecutive YouTube videos about pandas falling out of trees, but when it comes to gathering information, most people want it to be quick and easy.
That’s why ebooks, white papers, and long informational videos are largely unnecessary. They occasionally still have a time and place, but they’re much less useful than they were say, ten years ago. Best to spend your time and money on something your customers can easily digest, like social media marketing.
Cookie-Cutter Marketing Campaigns
This applies to both direct mail and email marketing. Customers want to feel special, and nothing is guaranteed to make someone feel less special than getting the same exact email or postcard as everyone else. Ultimately, generic mailing campaigns end up being a waste of time and money, since most people put them directly in the trash.
Instead, you have to do something different. Your campaigns don’t have to be crazy, but email marketing and direct mailers should be customized. Doing something as simple as learning more about your customers to determine what kind of content to mail/email can go a long way. Just a little bit more effort can be the difference between a lost lead and a new client.
The best time to update your marketing strategy is always going to be right away. Get the most out of your marketing budget by letting us develop a custom digital marketing campaign just for you. Click here to schedule a time to chat or give us a shout at 910-795-2280.
