The format offers brands more opportunities to create more immersive and interactive ad experiences. 

AR advertising merges the virtual and real-world elements, whether it’s allowing users to try out makeup or explore a virtual 3d object right in front of them. 

Now, AR is neither a technology that is far ahead of its time nor is it less accessible. There is no prerequisite to use headsets as with virtual reality. AR works with the user’s camera with no need for additional apps or equipment. 

It was projected that the number of devices with AR capabilities would hit $3.4 billion in 2020. What’s more, the Augmented reality market is projected to keep growing to reach a value of $124 billion by 2024. About 34 percent of consumers use AR apps, mainly for gaming and social media. 

Reasons to Adopt Augmented Reality in Fb Advertising 

You should consider making augmented marketing part of your Facebook advertising strategy because of various reasons, including: 

• Memorable campaigns: Augmented reality marketing campaigns stand to be more memorable because they are more intriguing and entertaining than normal advertisements. 

• Attention-grabbing: As a less explored format, Facebook AR ads attract more attention. The ads invite customers to tap to interact rather than presenting the CTAs. 

• Boosted sales: Augmented reality advertisements may facilitate the sales process and boost sales by asking customers to try out or visualize products in the real world. 

• Increased awareness: Augmented reality ads are great at increasing brand awareness. They can involve interactive sessions with cool effects that users can share with their friends. 

• Accessible to more people: With more users having access to a smartphone, running AR advertisements is becoming more convenient and feasible. For instance, most smartphones manufactured from 2018 can support augmented reality. 

• Innovative advertisement format: AR marketing has been one of the biggest innovations so far, which may help ads stand out. 

• Less competition and less overcrowding: Augmented reality ads are less crowded and less competitive compared to standard ad formats such as images or videos that have a lower barrier of entry. 

• Less intrusive and fun: Facebook ads run the risk of becoming too intrusive or repetitive, with audiences developing ad fatigue. AR ads are more welcoming and less annoying as the audience chooses to take part in the ad. 

• A chance to replicate real-world experiences: Digital AR advertisements allow advertisers to offer offline-exclusive experiences such as virtual product trials. 

• Disruptive transformation: With AR advertising becoming more of a reality for most brands, the format is held to become disruptive and highly impactful. Brands that capitalize early on the trend will be at the forefront of reaping the maximum benefits. 

Create an Augmented Reality Ad from Ads Manager 

Creating an augmented reality commercial on Facebook is not all that complicated. You’ll only work with Facebook Spark AR and Ads Manager. The Spark AR is Facebook’s augmented reality platform and has two segments:

• Spark AR Studio: Creators can download the software and use it to create AR effects. It offers the capability to add and edit 3D objects, play around with textures and materials, create particle worlds, replace backgrounds, and more. The AR studio offers an extensive library with 3D objects, audio files, and other assets. You can add animation, logic, and interactivity to AR ads through visual programming without the need for coding experience. 

• Spark AR Hub: After finalizing your effects on Studio, you publish them on the Spark AR Hub. You can think of the hub as a stopover before effects make it to Facebook and Instagram. The hub also offers creators metrics about the performance of their AR effects. 

While it’s possible to create ads from ready-to-use templates, you may find that you need to work with an AR agency to create the creatives for your campaigns. You can check the directory of Spark AR partners to find an agency that can help facilitate the creative process. 

How Augmented Reality Makes Fb Advertising Interactive 

Online buyers don’t get the full shopping experience because they miss out on interacting with products physically. That’s all changing thanks to augmented reality ads. 

Primarily, users can interact with two kinds of effects in relation to augmented reality marketing. With people effects, the viewer can simulate various effects on their body. Leflair, one of Vietnam’s largest e-commerce sites, ran an AR campaign with an effect that allowed people to try on sunglasses and lipstick. It resulted in a 7% increase in online purchases, 10% more views, and up to 19% more items added to carts compared to their previous campaign. 

World or object effects similarly offer enhanced interactivity. The user sees a virtual object superimposed into their physical environment as viewed on their smartphones. They can interact with the virtual object, such as rotating it to visualize it from different angles. For instance, Amazon introduced AR View, a feature that allows shoppers to view how thousands of products may look in their homes before purchasing. 

Houzz, a home remodel and design company, similarly launched an AR view feature in their app, allowing users to simulate how various tiles would look on their floor. Customers using the feature were 11 times more likely to make a purchase. 

So, it’s clear that brands offering interactivity in their ads will have a better chance of capturing the audience’s attention by creating an immersive experience. They can also build emotional connections with customers, which may be difficult to achieve with regular ads. The enhanced experiences may make customers more likely to make a purchase. 

How Will AR Transform Fb Advertising?

Augmented reality has the chance to transform Facebook advertising in several key areas. Many brands are struggling with reduced audience response because ads have become repetitive and too similar. While Facebook made the Spark AR platform available in 2018, few advertisers have taken advantage of the format. That makes it novel to many audiences. Note that the AR market is not new. Many smartphone users are familiar with AR filters such as stickers and face effects available on  Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook. Gamers may have played AR games such as Pokémon GO. 

The interactivity offered by AR marketing may similarly play a role in helping brands meet their key KPIs, such as boosting conversions. Someone who invests their time to try on virtual sunglasses may have an increased probability of purchasing than if they quickly scrolled through an image carousel ad. 

AR advertisements may change the way customers find more information about products. They will not need to check various product photos or watch videos. The viewer can spend any time they want visualizing the product, whether it’s checking out the color or simulating how it may look once it’s in their hands. They retain full control over the experience. 

AR campaigns may become a preferred way for brands to introduce or launch new products. For instance, when smartphone company Vivo wanted to launch its V19 smartphone, it looked into AR ads to create an offline-like experience, allowing customers to visualize how the new product would look and discover its new features. Using augmented reality in advertising resulted in a 9.5% lift in ad recall, with the trend being observed in other campaigns. 

Ads need to be super compelling to compete with other items in the newsfeed. Offering an interactive and immersive experience may be the silver bullet advertisers are looking for to increase engagements and views. 

AR may disrupt the normal approach of creating Facebook advertisements. Brands will not simply taunt the best aspects of their products or services. They will factor in the user experience and create more meaningful interactions. 

When Mercedes Taiwan ran a campaign to increase brand awareness among young car enthusiasts, they had a special fun filter that overlaid sunglasses that reflected a speeding AMG. Viewers could share their fun selfies with their friends, which generated more awareness for the campaign. 

How to Create an Augmented Reality Ad on Fb

Creating augmented reality ads on Facebook may entail the following steps: 

Step 1: Create the AR Ad creative

Start by creating the AR ad effect in the AR studio. The software comes with easy-to-use templates and asset libraries. For advanced projects, you may need to work with an AR creative partner. They will use the Facebook Spark AR Studio for the development process. Your Spark AR partner may need to use other software to create new 3D objects and graphics. 

The work involved in creating the AR effects may influence the final price you pay, with AR agencies charging anywhere from $5,000 for simple projects to $100,000 for intricate projects. 

Step 2: Publish the AR effects on Spark AR Hub

Once AR effects are ready and tested on Spark AR Studio, you’ll need to publish them on the Spark AR Hub. It often entails uploading the creatives online. File sizes must not exceed 4 Mb. 

Ads must pass Spark AR Hub review policies and Facebook advertising policies. Creators must also create a video showcasing the use of the new effect to help reviewers gauge if it meets Spark AR policies. The actual review process may take about 24 hours. 

Approved AR effects may be accessed directly in Ads Manager when creating new campaigns. 

Step 3: Create a new campaign in Ads Manager 

Once Facebook approves the ad, it becomes visible under the Ads Effects in Spark AR Hub. Just visit the Ads Manager and create a new campaign as usual. 

Augmented reality ads support limited objectives, including brand awareness, traffic, conversions, and reach. As of the moment, advertisers can only leverage the mobile Facebook newsfeed placement. The ads will not work on desktops or run on Instagram directly. 

The process of selecting the budget, audience, placement, and optimization will follow suit as normal ads. 

Step 4: Setup the AR effect

You may not see an option to select AR Ads effect when you visit the ads creative section. To access it, you’ll need to choose Single Image or Video as the ad format. Next, select Add as an Instant Experience. Facebook will prompt you to select a template. Just Scroll down and choose AR experience. 

Step 5: Configure the campaign settings

After selecting AR experience, you’ll see a new popup menu. You can customize various aspects of the AR effect in Ads Manager, such as the camera-facing settings. You may choose the front or back camera or leave the settings to default. This determines the camera to be used to display the AR effect. Under the Destination settings, you can specify the Call to Action and website URL. 

Now, adding the AR effect does not mean that the add creation process will stop here. When users come across the ad, they will first encounter an image or video, just as with a normal advertisement. It’s only after the tap to interact with the ad that they can enjoy the AR experience. 

After successfully setting up the AR effects, you can add the video. The ideal video should be a teaser video for the AR effect to give users a preview of what to expect after clicking on the ad. 

You may need to upload the video and change the primary text (headline, description, and displayed link). It’s also possible to modify the text overlay shown on the video creative. You can tell users to “Tap to try it on, Tap to Interact, or Tap to View It in Your Space .” 

Step 6: Finish the setup process

Complete the configuration by specifying other settings, such as the language and tracking. It’s also possible to preview the augmented reality ad. Facebook will send you a link through the Facebook app because users will primarily interact with the ad on mobile. 

Is It Worth It to Create AR Ads? 

Yes, it’s worth the investment in time and resources. AR promises to be an engaging and innovative format with unique advantages over regular ad formats. Audiences find it engaging, and the message clearly stands out. 

The Covid-19 pandemic has rocked all spheres of life and led to a conscious awakening that has not spared the digital content world. Many marketers have found themselves considering what they do, how they do it, and what impact they generate.

Things are certainly changing everywhere, and with content, we see new trends gaining a foothold, like the strong emerging role of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning tools in content creation, creative process, and strategizing. 

People no longer have time to spend on content that doesn’t speak to their needs, problems, and goals. It has resulted in a vigorous drive towards personalization. This is the opportune time to re-strategize and pick up new digital content strategies. Let’s get started: 

Why Is a Content Strategy Important? 

Let’s start by defining what a content strategy is. It’s a plan of action that ideates the processes, workflows, timelines, and guidelines for creating and producing helpful content. 

Your content strategy may be as detailed as possible, including content ideas & types, assigned roles, content plans, design specifications, publishing schedules, content objectives, preferred writing styles, target audiences, and publishing platforms. 

It may dive into the post-production processes, such as the periodic auditing and updating of the content. You may also focus on the governance of the content, including assigning roles to different team members. 

The content strategy often culminates into a calendar that contains publish dates for various pieces of content. Because the calendar is a big part of the content strategy, many may simply assume that a calendar is the only thing they need. For instance, a simple content strategy example may look like this: 

Well, the calendar is only one part of the equation.

Digital Content Types 

What is digital content? It’s any content distributed through electronic means via the internet. 

Publishing blog posts offers the lowest barrier of entry for most businesses. But there is a wide range of content types that businesses need to focus on as part of their content strategy for the web. 

Let’s discover more content types, with a focus on what you need to do going forward: 

• Web pages: You probably have your main website pages, such as the About us page or homepage. As part of your strategic content strategy, think of creating more useful landing pages. For instance, you may consider comparison pages, “Us vs. Them,” to target customers at the decision stage. You may create lead capture landing pages to gain email subscribers organically. Landing pages may also contain useful tools like calculators. 

• Emails: With over half of the world’s population expected to have an email account by 2023, emails must take center stage in your digital content marketing strategy. Don’t just share blog updates as it’s the norm. Think of enriching the subscriber’s experience by sharing exclusive newsletters to make their time more worthwhile. 

• Display ads: Often referred to as banner ads, display ads contain a short piece of text, image, and URL. They are shown on third-party websites that have signed up to advertising networks such as Google AdSense. Display ads have often received a bad rep for being annoying. It may be time to reconsider them and focus on native display ads, which don’t exactly come across as intrusive. 

• Videos: With better engagement rates than all types of content online, it’s essential to plan to create videos when you’re building a content strategy. Don’t just plan for marketing videos. Consider educational videos that teach customers about your services, such as tutorials. Host live webinars and repost them on your website or YouTube. Try collaborations with influencers and authority figures in your niche. 

• Podcasts: It’s hard to talk about digital content without mentioning podcasts. Many acclaimed businesses now publish podcasts from the Fortune 500 companies to Mom-and-pop stores. Think of generating a unique idea in your niche, finding a good host, and interviewing industry professionals 

• Blog posts: if you are trying to grow your organic search visibility on Google for various keywords relevant to your business, there is no better way to do it than publishing articles, guides, news pieces, etc. Blog posts make up a huge chunk of most digital content strategies, but don’t just write articles for the sake of it. Offer a new perspective on a topic with insightful reporting and fresh ideas. 

• Social media posts: Your social media posts also fall into the digital media content category. The best advice regarding posting on social media entails making 75% of your posts unrelated to your services and products.

• Case studies: What results have you achieved for your client? Has your business undertaken unique research to ascertain a particular cause of a problem? Well, case studies are highly shareable, and linkable pieces of content that you should consider creating that are part of your content strategy for the web. 

• Infographics: Infographics utilize a combination of images, graphics, and short texts to present information in a highly visualized way. They are still relevant in 2021, with the right infographic having a chance to go viral and attract many backlinks. 

• E-Books and white papers: You can use e-books to grow your email subscriber’s base. Create insightful E-books with exclusive and detailed content. Ask users to provide their email in return for downloading the e-book. You can also consider writing a white paper. It offers an in-depth look into challenges facing a particular topic and advocates for specific solutions.

One of the most successful website content strategy examples comes from HubSpot, an online platform that provides CRMs, among other tools. They follow the inbound content marketing methodology to create content targeted at different stages of the customer lifecycle. They have gone as far as publishing marketing courses complete with certificates. 

Understand Your Audience 

The motivations, behaviors, and preferences of the populace have changed in light of the pandemic. Long-held assumptions about what people want may not hold. 

Facebook noted that more consumers want advice and information that will help them enhance their financial health. The drive towards financial literacy resulted from the financial nervousness brought about by lockdowns, layoffs, and complete disruption of major industries. Financial businesses with this insight can find ways to create valuable content and utilize more engaging formats instead of primarily relying on ads to pass their message. 

You need to have a firm understanding of your audience before you create digital content. It means having specific details about who they are as individuals. Relying on gut feeling and old-fashioned guesswork will not cut it this year. All the insights about your audience need to be factual and backed by hard data from market research. 

What is a Persona? 

A persona is like a fictionalized profile of a character meant to represent your core target demographic. You need to build a highly detailed persona because having someone with tangible attributes makes it easier to personalize and tailor your digital media content. 

The best way to build a persona entails carrying out in-depth research about your audience. You can give your fictional character all the attributes of a real person, including a name, age, occupation, hometown, educational background, likes, hobbies, motivations, and background. It’s like creating a fictional Facebook profile populated with all details. 

The New Paradigm in Content

Is content marketing broken? Many brands are struggling with their content marketing. They are falling prey to common pitfalls such as:

• Using too few tactics;
• Not correctly overseeing the content marketing strategy;
• Lacking a detailed plan;
• Failing to produce engaging content; 
• Spending too little; 
• Focusing on few platforms; 
• Failing to update their content strategies to adapt to emerging situations. 

Additionally, most marketers find it hard to attribute the ROI of their content marketing efforts. Based on a marketing survey featuring 600 respondents, only 39% stated that they successfully tracked their content marketing ROI. 

Brands need to adopt a new way of doing things focused on innovation and the creation of valuable content. Here are some focus areas to consider going forward: 

Augment Reality (AR)

Augmented reality, in simple words, refers to the technology that superimposes digital visual elements on a user’s view of the physical world through the use of devices such as a smartphone camera. 

The technology has proved useful in certain fields, such as real estate, where buyers can use virtual staging apps to render 3D furniture in living spaces. It has permeated into advertising, with platforms such as TikTok offering AR Ad formats through branded effects. 

The barrier to entry has become lower as several platforms have popped up to help content creators build augmented reality content without coding. 

Virtual Reality (VR)

While AR renders digital elements in the real world, virtual reality is entirely virtual, not physically existing but digitally simulated. Users can fully immerse themselves into virtual reality environments by using headsets. Smartphone and desktop users can also enjoy VR content such as 360 videos. 

Is it possible for ordinary brands to add VR to their marketing content strategy? Yes, it’s entirely possible, and the most accessible gateway is to create 360 videos such as walkthroughs, explainers, etc. Such videos offer better interactivity than regular videos. 

You can similarly supercharge your marketing efforts with the 360° video ad format offered by Facebook. The format is fresh and dynamic and may attract more engagements. That’s what Aitarget found out when it helped Forex4you, an online broker platform, experiment with 360-degree videos. 

Following A/B testing against regular videos, the VR videos reduced the cost of registering new customers by up to 20% and improved other key metrics. 

Strong Personalization 

So, what exactly is personalization, and how does it fit into your marketing content strategy? It’s all about tailoring the message based on user attributes such as their interests, geographic location, language, parental status, life events, household incomes, gender, and age range.

Up to 61% of people expect brands to customize their experiences to fit into their preferences. Many marketers also believe that personalization can boost business profitability. 

Start by personalizing your user experience. Think of creating digital content that accommodates different users and their needs. For instance, if your solution targets various verticals, you may publish several landing pages to showcase your products’ value. Consider localizing your websites by showing a translated version of the website based on the user’s preferred language. 

Personalize your digital ads to boost their effectiveness. If you have not installed tracking codes from different platforms, take this as the best time to start. You can record customer interactions and build custom audiences for remarketing. 

When running ads, you may tailor the message based on what you know about them. For instance, an e-commerce fashion website may decide to show suggestions for more shoes after someone views the shoe category on their website. 

The only limitation with personalization is that teams may need to create a huge volume of creatives with personalized messages to cater to different audiences. Aitarget has addressed this problem through the automation of the creation, testing, and upgrading of creatives. Its AI-infused solutions allow brands to leverage their existing assets, such as product images, to build effective overlay ads and videos. 

Content must be dynamic 

Dynamic content is simply not static. It changes following specific factors such as user’s behaviors, preferences, interactions, and characteristics. For instance, e-commerce stores implement dynamic content through product recommendations. Users receive suggestions for similar products based on items they have previously viewed or added to their carts.

Similarly, you can include dynamic content as part of your website content strategy by showing ads or content relevant to the user’s lifecycle stage, awareness, consideration, or decision. It’s also possible to implement dynamic pop-ups to pass different messages or offer personalized incentives. 

H3 Mastering multiple touchpoints 

Don’t expect that all users will interact with your brand through your website. The average user runs through various platforms and devices on a given day. It’s vital to master multiple touchpoints as part of your content strategy. For instance, a customer may first encounter your brand through an online advertisement. 

Before they visit your website, they may decide to check what you post on social media, and it helps to have a solid social media content strategy. The customer may check out your website and subscribe to your email. 

Before they purchase your products, they may check product review sites. It helps to enhance this touchpoint by asking past users to leave reviews. Additionally, the customer may have a few questions to ask before making the purchase decision. Offering them a live chat option can be an enhanced touchpoint. 

Innovation & AI 

As you build your content strategy, take advantage of recent innovations such as the proliferation of artificial intelligence tools. Your writing team can speed up its workflow by using AI copywriting tools to create draft articles and social media posts. 

Some AI tools can help generate a digital content marketing strategy complete with keywords and topic clusters. If you are having a hard time generating creatives for your campaigns, you can similarly use AI-driven creative management platforms. 

With Aitarget Tech, you can solve many of your creative challenges, including:

• Creating dynamic ads from static assets such as product feed data and images; 
• Generating ads for omnichannel marketing without the need for extensive editing; 
• Automating campaign management following a rules-based approach; 
• Improving ads for the best performance as the tool gathers insights by utilizing its advanced ML algorithms to find correlations between the best performing elements of ads. 

To see the full capability of the AItarget platform, you can find your relevant vertical here. 

AI is the primary aspect of data strategies for 61% of marketers. The latest technologies allow brands to zoom in on the micro-level mannerisms of their customers and keep up with their evolving needs. Discover top trends in AI marketing in 2022. 

How is AI Used in Marketing?

Talented marketers can wield these novel technologies in a variety of ways. The applications of AI for marketing are manifold. Machine learning has brought an array of innovations, from predictive forecasting to visual search. Professionals can delegate routine tasks and complex analytics to AI to focus on the creative side of things.

For example, the “If you liked this, you might also like…” recommendations, which are now commonplace, are generated by AI. Machines analyze diverse data about consumers’ behavior on the internet to suggest products, services, or content they may like. E-commerce giants like Amazon leverage deep learning — “teaching” computers different skills — to offer suggestions.

AI produces dynamic and relevant creatives that boost ROAS. According to the artificial intelligence market forecast, the segment will reach $93.53 billion by the end of 2021. The applications are impressively versatile. Discover how AI and marketing are now intertwined. 

AI Marketing Trends

Why is the AI market forecast so promising? First, AI in advertising helps businesses stand out and outshine the competition online. It drives brand awareness, sales, and loyalty. Machine learning tools not only analyze but also predict consumer behavior. Targeting is more precise than ever, while personalization establishes strong connections with customers. 

COVID-19 has accelerated digital transformation. With the shift to online retail, many companies have had to adapt to the new reality quickly. Artificial intelligence for marketing facilitates the transition, as it streamlines campaigns in many respects. Companies can find their ideal consumer easily and reach them where they spend most of their screen time through AI advertising. 

For users, artificial intelligence in marketing brings enhanced convenience through innovations like visual search and voice search. Today, they can find a product by giving a voice command to a smart speaker, or taking a picture with their smartphone. 

The artificial intelligence market brings undeniable value to businesses of any size. The computing power, accessible data, and usability are all unprecedented. Today, marketers can predict outcomes based on rich and actionable insights about their audience and find the highest value lead. Here are the key marketing technology trends to follow in 2021.

Audience Hyper-Segmentation

Successful campaigns on any platform require an in-depth understanding of the audience, its preferences, perceptions, and habits. In the early days of the trade, experts relied on assumptions drawn from limited data. Today, AI for marketing facilitates a granular approach. 

Advanced programs collect and process gigantic volumes of data from multiple sources. The scale is unprecedented. As machine learning algorithms sift through the information, they generate valuable insights and make connections between the data points. Businesses can leverage hyper-focused targeting, which is another reason for the growing AI market size.

Hyper-segmentation refers to dividing existing and potential customers into small subgroups based on shared characteristics. The systems look at how the users interact with your content, how many times they visit particular websites, and how they engage with advertisements. The output is a laser-focused framework. 

The Royal Canadian Mint, which also sells collectibles, has recently embraced hyper-segmentation for its upsells and cross-sells. This has involved defining groups most likely to buy new coin designs and identifying customers most likely to spend more on them in the future. Based on the insights, the institution crafted messages that resonated with them. One campaign with hyper-segmentation has brought 140,000 new customers.

Dynamic Personalized Ad Serving

Artificial intelligence for marketing lets brands optimize ad performance in real-time with an unprecedented level of personalization. Instead of inundating users with generic content, Facebook and Google serve advertisements with a narrow focus adapted to personal needs. Cadbury’s ad campaign matching Dairy Milk flavors to users based on their Facebook profiles achieved a 65% click-through rate (the average CTR for ads on the network is just 0.99%) and a 33.6% conversion rate.

Personalization is based on data collected by the machine learning algorithm. It compiles, digests, and extrapolates these insights on a user’s behavior over time. This is done on a massive scale, and the results are impressive. 

According to Forbes, the vast majority (80%!) of consumers are likely to purchase from brands that deliver personalized experiences. Meanwhile, over half (63%) of them stop purchasing from companies whose personalization tactics fail. Finally, unique shopping cart recommendations prompt 92% of shoppers to make purchases online.

Using AI-powered tools by Aitarget, brands generate relevant advertising for Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Tik Tok automatically. The company’s video tool creates personalized video ads en masse with fine audience splitting to ensure relevance. The system allows targeting by language, country, demographics, interests, and more. The ads are tailored to the corporate identity and give the client full control over the result. They are even updated automatically based on the latest stats and changes in the company’s product feed.

Content Recommendations

Video giants YouTube and Netflix have served personalized recommendations for years. Their users see suggested content based on their preferences and history, which drives engagement and content consumption. Artificial intelligence in marketing gives brands an edge. Not only are the recommendations based on the previously viewed content, but they also incorporate predictive analytics.

Today, Netflix has over 209 million users who spend billions of hours streaming the content. Based on this colossal volume of data, the company builds predictive models to keep them satisfied. Its algorithms consider various data points, such as their preferred genre, search keywords, ratings, preferred devices, and even pausing.

Advanced software drives the AI market size, as it is now capable of predicting what will be interesting for the users, and what types of content they will engage with. Customers are offered content they are looking for in real-time. 

The focus is also more narrow. Previously, marketers could assume that a member of group A would appreciate a video ad about soccer cleats. Now, armed with AI, they can show a female customer an ad about women’s soccer cleats sold at a store near her home. Targeting contributes to the growth of the artificial intelligence market size. 

Email Marketing Dynamic Optimization

This is not the newest application of AI in advertising, as email marketers have leveraged automation and segmentation for years. Today, machine learning lets them streamline their campaigns and dramatically enhance efficiency through hyper-segmentation. They can also optimize timing for narrow cohorts. 

First, marketing artificial intelligence analyzes ways in which users interact with the content. The algorithm uses this data to boost engagement. For example, your emails are delivered at times when each user is most likely to open them, while the content is tailored to their personal preferences.

Artificial intelligence eliminates the guesswork, and it can deal with different tasks. For example, an algorithm may generate effective subject lines that capture attention or even write portions of the messages. 

When online retailer Dixons Carphone used the Phrasee tool to generate eye-catching subject lines, it saw a 10% growth in open rates and a 25% increase in click-through rates. The company’s Black Tag Event with improved subject lines brought a 42% boost in open rates, while the campaign’s revenue doubled.

Marketing artificial intelligence can generate newsletters with unparalleled personalization. You can also clean up your mailing lists to get rid of spammers that can cause blacklisting of your email address or IP.

Marketers do not have to guess what time is the best, or what images and wording they should use. They can create different versions of their emails and let AI distribute them. By delivering the right creatives at the right time, brands achieve improved results and efficiency.

Visual Search

Another reason for the upbeat AI market forecast is the advancements in image search. Sometimes, customers are trying to find a specific product online without knowing the brand. Using real-world images as the input, AI analyzes the content and context to deliver relevant results. 

The benefits of AI for e-commerce are spectacular, in particular for home decor and fashion products. This fuels the expansion of the artificial intelligence market size. A whopping 93% of buyers are likely to purchase a product if they find it via image search on a smartphone.

Pinterest Lens recognizes over 2.5 billion objects across both home and fashion segments. It uses pins and smartphone photos to suggest related products and themes. According to the platform, which is extremely popular with millennials, over 600 million searches are performed monthly through its visual discovery engine.

A consumer searching for a specific piece of furniture or garment can take a photo of the item and find the product via image search in seconds. On the downside, this dimension of AI marketing has a long way to go. Its adoption is gradually increasing as the technology is improving, so we can expect more exciting future trends in digital marketing. 

Dynamic Pricing 

Some marketing technology trends transform pricing, which has always been a pain in the neck for both CROs (Contract Research Organisations) and CMOs (Contract Manufacturing Organisations). Historically, they charged clients based on rates determined by algorithms. The latter considered a mix of criteria, including the prices of competitors, production costs, demand, etc. 

Any business wants to maximize revenue. AI has disrupted the conventional process, as it adjusts pricing to fluctuating variables 24/7. As it is dynamic, the rates rise or fall automatically based on real-time data. They adapt to consumer preferences and behavior patterns incessantly.

Machine learning underlies new market trends in optimization that maximize profit and inventory. Less waste is generated, which reduces costs for businesses and improves their image in the eyes of eco-conscious consumers. Meanwhile, customers get the most accurate value for their purchases. This is a win-win.

Billions of users have experienced dynamic pricing. It optimizes yield for airlines and hotels based on supply, demand, proximity, seasonality, and other criteria. Such popular platforms as Booking.com and American Airlines have embraced AI-powered rates and discounts. This explains why buyers from different locations see different prices for the same flights or the same hotel rooms.

Voice Search

Smart speakers have become commonplace. Today, almost a quarter of the US adult population owns at least one device like the Amazon Echo or Google Home. As these AI-powered gadgets are a household staple, they are viewed as necessities. Google does not only create the devices, but it is continually improving its search algorithm for enhanced processing of natural language. 

AI.marketing has disrupted common SEO practices and created new opportunities by highlighting the importance of getting to the SERP Position Zero (the Featured Snippet of the search engine results page). It is now the holy grail for marketers. When consumers order their speakers to search for products or services, the featured snippet is where they read from. 

These new market trends are developing quickly. Domino’s Pizza allows its US customers to make orders and check their status without even using their app. Nestle has developed GoodNes, a special Alexa skill that is a hand-free cooking companion. It inspires users by providing recipes and step-by-step instructions. Brands like Purina, Johnnie Walker, and Zyrtec have developed Alexa apps that benefit them in different ways. While offering value to the consumers, they keep the brands integrated and prominent at the tech forefront.

Can AI Replace Digital Marketing?

The artificial intelligence market forecast is impressive, which prompts some experts to predict that ai.marketing will render millions of jobs obsolete. However, promotion in the digital space is just too nuanced. These tools and technologies help businesses discover what resonates with their target audiences, but they do not produce fresh ideas. 

Humans are attracted to empathy and creativity, which is the X factor. These are the skills algorithms do not replace. Companies must think outside the box to engage people meaningfully throughout their online journeys. 

Businesses must not expect machines to generate innovative content. Instead, they can develop hybrid models to get the best of both worlds — artificial intelligence and marketing expertise. AI allows them to get to know every user and achieve unprecedented results through applications of machine learning. We can expect future trends in digital marketing to be fueled by AI, but it is unlikely to replace human creativity.

Social media marketing services for small businesses help companies flourish. Discover some of the most effective tools in our guide. Whether you are a newbie or a seasoned veteran, you will find what you need here. So, how to use social media for small businesses?

What are Social Media Marketing Services?

The strategy tool most used by businesses is social media. Professional services allow brands to leverage platforms like Instagram to reach a broader and more multifaceted audience. Social media marketing services for small businesses let them establish recognition, attract and retain customers, and achieve other goals. Companies reach their prospects where they spend their time online and drive sales. 

Generic advertising does not work anymore. Social media is a space for engaging and targeted ads that get users talking about products and services. Forget unsolicited DMs from companies trying to showcase their products. Effective campaigns are complex, focused on relevance and trust-building. 

You cannot expect remarkable results without giving a lot of thought to your goals or methods. Professionals help businesses avoid the typical pitfalls and maximize output. Social media marketing services include:

• the choice of the right channels — sites and apps that drive traffic and demand in your niche,
• data-driven strategy planning based on the goals, channels, and target audience of your brand,
• account/profile setup if the company has not used social media before, 
• creation and publishing of content and ads,
• campaign management,
• monitoring and analysis of the results,
• education and consulting, 
• and more! 

The Value of Social Media Marketing Services for Small Businesses

In many small organizations, marketers have to be the jacks of all trades. They are tasked with graphic design, press releases, and anything remotely connected to communications. With so much on their plates, they are often unable to devote time to all relevant channels. Some employees are not even sure how to use social media for small businesses. When it falls off their to-do list, this is a big mistake.

These networks have become so important that no company can afford to ignore them. Social media allows businesses to boost sales and the bottom line. Positive interaction between brands and users prompts purchases — 90% of consumers are more likely to buy from a brand they follow online. 

Social media marketing for small businesses allows them to forge and reinforce relationships with customers through targeted engagement, build trust, drive awareness and sales. It is also a place where news of poor customer experience spreads like wildfire. This is particularly dangerous when the business does not have a social media presence, so it is oblivious to the damage until it is too late. Negative media content can disrupt trust in a brand quickly. So, how can you harness the power of social media in businesses? 

Small Business Pain Points

Social media marketing for small businesses requires thorough planning and marketing expertise. Here are some of the most common challenges in any industry and digital marketing services that resolve them. 

• We are not able to get new customers

Social media connects you with people who do not know about your brand and can benefit from your products or services. For example, entrepreneurs can use Biteable to create video pitches. Engaging, entertaining, and informing the audience helps them build credibility and drive sales.

Make sure your ads are shown to the right users. They can be targeted based on interests, behaviors, and other demographic data. The Aitarget Video Ad is a social media tool for businesses that lets you showcase goods to the audience that needs them. 

• We are not able to keep existing customers

Offering great products at low prices may not suffice to turn customers into brand advocates. You need to keep track of conversations about your company and fix any issues quickly. Mention can monitor references to your brand, products, or competitors in real-time.

Aitarget will help you present exclusive offers and loyalty programs through well-designed ads. Retargeting is also crucial, as it lets businesses reach 98% of non-returning users and potentially turn them into customers. Our QMODERATION social media marketing service lets you take care of the comment section, so users will feel heard. 

• Our website sucks

Social media ads can drive traffic, but what if the potential customers do not like what they see? Poor design and navigation are detrimental to the user experience. Free tools like Responsive Design Checker let companies check the responsiveness of their sites on different screens. Did you know that 47% of consumers expect a site to load in 2 seconds or less?  The Aitarget experts will suggest the best ways to optimize your platform, so leads turn into paying customers.

• Nobody knows who we are

Boosting brand awareness is the number one goal for 80% of businesses that advertise on social networks. As people learn about your brand and mention it to friends and followers, you will get more referrals. This is the new word-of-mouth. The Buzzsumo research tool shows how your content is doing and who is spreading the word. Marketing services for small businesses provided by Aitarget help them create memorable ads that spark conversations. 

• The competitors’ advertising is way better than ours

Users are inundated with ads, so you have 3 seconds or less to capture their attention. Boring design and generic messages will get you nowhere. The Aitarget social media marketing service ensures the ads stand out, and you can customize successful designer videos to your brand quickly. 

Success also requires consistency. Marketers should follow a schedule based on the best time for their audience. Automated services like Hootsuite Scheduler let companies plan hundreds of posts based on the best time for the audience. Bulk posting is a great time-saver.

• We don’t show up for anything relevant to our business when people search in Google, Bing, or other search engines

Website content must be optimized via different SEO methods, such as keywords for the niche. Handy tools like the Yoast plugin boost the performance of WordPress platforms. Meanwhile, the Drupal SEO Checklist suggests the necessary changes for sites built on this CMS.

Sharing the right links across social platforms increases brand exposure. The look of the URLs also matters, which makes link generators like Rebrandly popular. The Aitarget team will provide a review of your site and pinpoint areas of improvement to help you climb to the top. 

• Sales are down 30% from last year

The lead-to-close rate on social media is twice as high as for outbound marketing.  The Aitarget team will provide a comprehensive review of your campaigns, including ad delivery and optimization methods. We will help you make the most of social media in businesses by advertising on Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat simultaneously. Using Google Analytics, you can see how much traffic comes to your site from each of the networks and measure social ROI.

• There’s some new competition in town, and they look like they really know what they are doing

Any company can gain an edge with an effective strategy. Aitarget will help you outshine and outsmart your rivals. For example, aside from creating memorable and engaging content, you could target users whose interests include your competitors. The Ubersuggest tool lets businesses reverse engineer their rivals’ SEO, content marketing, and SMM marketing.

Setting Social Media Advertising Goals for Small Business

Without clear goals, you cannot determine if your tactics are working. Setting the objectives is crucial, but it is also challenging. Here are three ways to identify relevant targets for marketing services for small businesses.

Based on Your Funnel

This is the path your potential customers travel through. What is their first impression? What can you do to lead them all the way to the purchasing stage? Overemphasis on sales is the reason why 45% of users unfollow brands on social media. Your content must drive brand awareness, generate demand, and drive conversion. Digital marketing services for small businesses drive engagement, so you can get positive mentions and inspire customer evangelism. 

Based on Peer Analysis

Many other marketers are facing the same challenges as you. Look at your counterparts and their goals. According to Sprout, most professionals focus on increasing brand awareness, boosting community engagement, and attracting web traffic. These objectives are probably aligned with your own! 

By industry

Educational institutions may use social media to recruit new students or increase event attendance. Software providers are interested in leads, loyalty, and competitor analysis. Retailers want to drive sales and expand reach. Healthcare providers can attract more patients, build trust and relationships in the local community. Look at your industry to figure out what goals to pursue.

Time to Start Selling Globally With Aitarget Social Media Marketing Ads Tools

Aitarget is a marketing partner for Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat. We help brands create engaging and transferable ads across digital platforms. Our social media marketing services for small businesses help them reach a global audience using:

• The Aitarget eCommerce is a social media tool for businesses that generates powerful video ads for Facebook on the basis of product catalogs. It is packed with eye-catching templates that bring proven results. Just pick the colors, fonts, and effects, and your video will be ready in 45 seconds! 
• The Aitarget Automation small business tool lets you launch ads on Facebook and Instagram quickly. Using versatile settings, you can automate and copy your campaigns to save time and effort. The tool gathers stats, facilitates A/B tests, and supports automation strategies of different complexity. It allows easy scaling and ensures you stay within budget.
• The Aitarget Video Tool creates personalized video ads based on your design, catalog, and audience splitting. Target users by country, demographics, or interests. Update and format videos for different platforms methods, such as Instagram stories, Facebook news feeds, or YouTube.

The First Step for Selecting the Right Social Media Tool

Before choosing social media services for small businesses, collect data on your audience. Its technological preferences will define tailored methods that work for it. For example, Facebook is used by 2.7 billion users, most of whom are between the ages of 25 and 34. It is also used by boomers who have more money to spend.

Many social media platforms have built-in insights. For example, the analytics option on Twitter allows you to get a breakdown of your audiences. You can understand where these users are based, whether they are mostly male or female, there are lifestyle preferences, buyer styles, and more. Make no mistake — the first step for selecting the right social media tools is always studying your audience. 

Aitarget Automated Ad Tool Helps Small Businesses to Achieve Social Media Goals 

With Aitarget, enterprises forge ahead in the digital space through video creatives, management, automation, and scaling of campaigns. We are passionate about social media technologies and help companies of any size reach and engage customers on the biggest and fastest-growing platforms. Our social media services for small businesses help them streamline, automate and manage promotional efforts across this vibrant digital space. 

Our digital marketing services for small businesses help companies make the most of social media tools, as our automation and tracking solutions reduce the workload. You can monitor your spending and performance in one place, and make changes to campaigns at any time. Smart automation by Aitarget allows you to copy ads and UTM tags from one ad set to another. Make your brand stand out on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube! 

Another component of online marketing services for small businesses is expert support, which helps clients optimize their catalogs. Aitarget will turn your product feed into Dynamic Ads that will catch the eye and drive conversions across social media. We assist clients at every stage and monitor the results with them. Customizable metrics let us adapt the insights from web and mobile traffic to your needs. As our tools integrate data from 200+ CRM and offline conversion sources, you can build a robust retail channel quickly. With Aitarget, you will:

Increase Brand Awareness

This is the top priority for small business marketing services. Through ads, you will get the word out. Aitarget will help you choose the right platforms for your audience. Outstanding ads are not just viewed — they are also shared, which means even more people learn about your brand. 

Users repost values-driven content that affects them emotionally. This is impossible without targeting. Aitarget lets you target users by country, demography, or interests to hit the bull’s eye. We provide all prerequisites for an awareness boost: the right platforms, the right strategies, and the right formats. 

Increase Community Engagement

Brands that overlook this aspect set themselves up for failure. After all, social media is all about being social. Users are not impressed by overly promotional content. Online marketing services for small businesses are not a one-way street: aside from showcasing your products, you should also bring value to the audience. Answer questions and manage feedback in real-time using our moderation tool. 

Target your ads, so what the user sees resonates with their interests or buying patterns. Aitarget will help you create ads focused on value, rather than features. Such content gets the users talking, so your ads will be shared and discussed.

Increase Website Clicks

With social media marketing services for small businesses from Aitarget, you can create attractive and relevant ads with a clear call to action. Automated campaigns will drive traffic, as they will resonate with your target audience. Did you know that adding a CTA on Facebook can boost the click-through rate by 285%? 

We will also analyze your website’s Facebook Pixel to help you boost conversions, optimize ads, and adjust targeting and retargeting. As more users will click on your ads, you will get more leads and customers. This helps to boost the bottom line in any industry, which is why the information strategy tool most used by businesses is social media.

Target, one of the best omnichannel retailers in the country, recorded its most impressive quarter in Q2 2020 with sales increasing 24.3 percent thanks to the digital section soaring 195 percent. The omnichannel – a unique integration of digital and physical – made this possible for the company.

Target found out that multi-channel consumers typically spend 4x as much as consumers that only visit physical stores and 10x more than consumers that only shop online.
By integrating both physical and digital channels, the company made huge sales while offering a consistent brand experience.

Omnichannel Means Transformation, Integration, and Collaboration

Omnichannel can be defined as a multichannel approach to sales that focuses on providing flawless customer experience whether the buyer is at a physical store, using a mobile device or computer.

About 73 percent of all consumers use multiple channels during their journey. It is common for consumers to search for a product on a mobile device as they hear from it then research more as they reach their computer. Omnichannel makes this transformation easy and allows consumers to switch between two or more devices without any trouble.

It should also be noted that more than 50 percent of buyers search the web before visiting a physical store. Integrating the two allows businesses to retain more consumers. It doesn’t focus on individual experiences but the entire customer journey.

Online Retail in an Omnichannel Reality

Approaches to retail marketing are fast changing. In these times, success means the ability to reach consumers no matter where they are or what device they’re using. You need to concentrate on omnichannel retail and not traditional methods.

According to reports, more people now use mobile devices than desktop computers. This is why purchase decisions are often made on the go, whether people are in their bedrooms or the shop.

Today, digital is not only driving e-commerce, it’s getting people in stores. It would not be wrong to call smartphones the new ‘shopping assistant’, whether people are inside or outside the shop. 

Retailers are working to ensure customers convert no matter what channel they’re on. Companies seem to have realized the importance of consumers who use both online and in-store channels as they have a 30 percent higher lifetime value (LTV) than consumers who use a single channel.

Retailers need to have a full understanding of consumer behavior in order to attract and win these consumers.

Sellers don’t only need to be aware of consumer demographics such as gender and location but also buying behavior. Despite so much data out there, it is still easier said than done.

Purchase Online and Pick it Up Offline. Everything Becomes Hybrid

You can’t excel in a single environment as things have become hybrid. Companies need both virtual and physical presence as this is the era of omnichannel retail.

Online-to-offline (O2O) hybrid can improve the experience for your consumers. It refers to acknowledging the fact that there will be several online and offline touchpoints during a customer’s journey.

A business must be able to take advantage of all these touchpoints and ensure they work together and not separately. Sellers must understand why consumers intend to buy online and pick from the store.

Consumers are in a hurry and they can’t always wait for companies to ship products. They’re not only afraid of delays and additional charges but also goods getting damaged during transit, hence a large number of buyers are now shopping online and choosing to pick products offline by visiting the store or desired destination.

This offers buyers great ease, especially when it comes to rare products that require consumers to stand in queues to make a purchase. They can book products online, make payments, and pick when time permits.

Businesses need to use this opportunity cleverly by pushing more products when consumers visit the store. This can help increase the worth of a consumer and make them buy more.

Products that a consumer shows interest in (online or offline) can be pushed more when they visit the store physically or on the web. You will need the help of a company like Aitarget to ensure you show the right product to your consumers.

Loyalty Programs

Loyalty programs are designed to ensure consumers don’t choose competitors and keep coming back to you. They were once only offered by big companies like hotel chains and airlines but now even small businesses have points systems that reward consumers for making purchases. 

About 52 percent of consumers are willing to participate in loyalty programs with 92 percent agreeing that rewards can make them buy more. However, loyalty programs today are more dynamic as they take into account multiple actions and not just ‘purchases’.

Businesses are rewarding consumers for sharing content, posting reviews, taking quizzes, and referring friends. Rewards include discount codes, free goodies, cash prizes, and more.

Since more consumers are buying online, traditional loyalty programs may not always entice them. Businesses can use omnichannel discounts to turn consumers in their desired direction, i.e.: by offering online-only discounts they can discourage people from visiting physical stores.

Remember that about 74 percent of consumers choose a brand after looking at its discount program. Moreover, about 71 percent of companies that use omnichannel loyalty programs see an increase of nearly 50 percent in transactions.

You must, however, make it easier to win and utilize rewards. For example, consumers shouldn’t be forced to carry multiple cards to redeem rewards. Technology can be used to identify consumers and apply discounts automatically.

A Consistent Pricing and Discount Policy

An omnichannel pricing strategy can be a little tricky to handle. You have to look at several factors when deciding a strategy. First of all, understand your customers and think about how you want to be different from your competitors. 

Your cost may differ based on the channel you are on. In-store sales, for example, can be more expensive due to additional costs including electricity and rent. On the other hand, online sales are usually more affordable since you do not have to worry about a presentable office or store.

Customers, however, don’t understand these factors and they expect a consistent pricing policy no matter what channel they use. Most companies choose one of the following strategies:

• Omnichannel Price: In this strategy, it’s uniform pricing on each channel. This option removes purchase barriers.
• Channel-specific Price: In this strategy, pricing varies depending on the channel. This one can be used to optimize the price/margin in each channel you use.
• Combination: This one uses the same omnichannel pricing but with a few exceptions. It can help provide a unified experience to users.

Businesses can use any of these strategies and offer ‘channel specific’ discounts to make buyers use more of a specific channel. For example, special discounts for walk-in customers if they wish to attract more in-store buyers, or ‘online only sales’ if they want more online customers.

Social Media 

It is possible to integrate social media into your omnichannel strategy. Social media gives you access to millions of people including your target audiences. Platforms like Facebook and Instagram now even let buyers shop directly on the platform. 

You can use this as an opportunity to improve customer experience by offering the best services without forcing consumers to go to another platform. 

Be consistent with your brand message so that customers can easily recognize you. You can use special media not only to sell directly but also to build loyalty and increase your consumer base.

Unique Experiences Within Physical Stores 

Despite what everyone says, physical stores are here to stay. They have evolved over the years and it is no longer about a boring shelf and products resting on it. Experimental retail is the future.

Fashion labels are using technology to help people see how a piece of clothing or accessory would look without having to physically try it. The concept of AR-clothing has revolutionized the fashion world. However, there are several more ways to keep things exciting.

Product building is a great way to keep people coming back. You can have them create their own product. Magnum’s Make My Own strategy proved to be a success and now many stores are replicating it.

Target appears to have done an excellent job as well. It offers unique experiences by investing in omnichannel, BOPIS, and curbside. The idea is to make it easy and exciting for users to visit your physical stores even if they’re used to the online channel.

Integrate Your Offline Store with Your Online Presence

As mentioned earlier, it is now possible to integrate your offline store with your online presence. 

Make it possible for users to find your physical location through your website or social media pages. This can be done by adding Google maps to your site. Also, use one to promote the other and make sure to tie up your online and offline data because users may not stick to a single channel.

You can use social media to promote not just online but offline events as well. Also, store reps must be aware of both in-store and online prices and deals.

Handling Returns, Complaints, and Exchanges Easily

Some people argue that omnichannel makes returns, complaints, and exchanges difficult to handle since users who buy from one channel may choose the other channel to return or exchange a product.

At the end of the day, consumers want ease. Your return and exchange policy should be the same no matter what channel a buyer uses. Also, pay attention to all kinds of complaints, whether they’re related to online payments or in-store customer service.

The experience should be the same and your buyers should not feel that you prefer one channel over the other. Your agents should have no trouble accessing the information of a client no matter what channel they used to purchase.

Consumers who visit physical stores to make a purchase often file online complaints. Your system should be quick to identify consumers and provide solutions to their problems. If such isn’t the case, they may end up picking one channel over another causing your omnichannel strategy to fail.

Is Omnichannel The Future of E-commerce? No! It is a NEW Reality 

Omnichannel is the future of e-commerce. It is a new reality that counts on data and analytics. With an emphasis on consistency and efficiency, omnichannel has proven to improve customer satisfaction and keep buyers coming back.

Omnichannel doesn’t just benefit buyers but sellers as well. It allows buyers to enjoy a positive experience while sellers enjoy a larger share of the market and make more profits. 

Both big and small businesses have started to adopt this technology by offering more personalization, integration of offline and online channels, etc. 

Mobile is Critical for Omnichannel Marketing

People are ditching computers and using mobile devices to not only know more about a product but also to purchase it. They can watch demo videos, check reviews while on the go. Buying a product online takes a few minutes. Plus, with the option to save payment details, buyers don’t even have to worry about feeding card numbers and other such data again and again. Mobile has revolutionized the world and we know that even people who shop offline choose to use mobile devices at some point in their journey. 

You cannot have a successful omnichannel strategy without integrating mobile. There are several things to take care of including a mobile-friendly website, mobile app, etc.

Digital Touchpoints In-Store 

Most consumers who enter your store will be holding a smartphone. You can make them use the device by offering digital touchpoints such as QR codes to know more about a product.

Remember that it takes around 8 touches to get an initial meeting. You need to make every touchpoint count. Give people reminders about your social media pages, mobile app, online discounts, digital card, etc.

Make it easy for them to find you on the web when they visit your store. This way you will get the opportunity to reach them more often and build a stronger connection.

More About Omnichannel in E-commerce

Is e-commerce an omnichannel?

E-commerce can utilize different omnichannel strategies to make more sales, find loyal customers, and increase the consumer base. This includes offering customized deals, integrating online socials at offline stores, and more. An e-commerce store, however, must work on an omnichannel supply chain to get the best results.

What are omnichannel trends? 

The latest trend is to use social media to promote not only online but also offline events. It improves the omnichannel distribution and bridges the gap between online and offline. Moreover, we have also seen excessive use of scanning technology, i.e.: QR codes to help people reach a specific platform. These trends will continue to increase as companies work to integrate the latest technology to blend multiple channels.

Why will omnichannel retail in 2022 with the surprising comeback of the physical store?

We’re seeing omnichannel retail give a new lease of life to physical stores. You can sell more retail articles by utilizing omnichannel distribution channels. 

With a perfect blend of online and offline channels, omnichannel is revolutionizing retail making it possible for buyers to choose any channel they wish to purchase without compromising on user experience. Experts believe that omnichannel retailing will beat out multi-channel retail as it offers more ease.

Ready to use omnichannel marketing to win more clients and make higher profits? Let Aitarget help you. We can meet creative challenges and create campaigns that offer good returns. 

Marketing in the post-covid world can be tricky, as humanity has never been in this situation before, and the circumstances are changing quickly. Successful campaigns abandon salesy language, focusing on thoughtful analysis of the needs, perceptions, and expectations of the audience.

Even before the pandemic, consumer expectations were on the rise. Today, companies are not competing with one another — they are competing with the last best experience their customer has had. Generation Z has grown up with technology, and the shift to hyper-personalization was already noticeable in 2020. The preferences of the new generation have changed social advertising, and they continue to affect it. 

The outbreak accelerated digital transformation and sent consumer expectations skyrocketing. Today, users want anticipatory personalization throughout their customer journey. Meanwhile, tolerance for engaging with social media ads in such markets as the UK and France has grown substantially. Discover post-pandemic tips that will help your brand shine in 2021. 

Customers Must Be at the Heart of Your Customer Journey

The lockdown experience proves the old axiom — brands must target consumers based on their circumstances and perceptions. This requires a laser focus. Companies should conduct research country by country, ZIP code by ZIP code, to tailor their communications and services. Marketing requires the knowledge of both the segment and sentiment.

One of the key marketing tips to employ is that messages must be relevant both geographically and personally. They should speak to each customer’s situation and values. Targeting an age or gender on social media is not enough. Brands succeed if they create a deep human connection within commercial messages. This requires cross-field research into attitudes and psychographics. According to The EY Future Consumer Index, five distinct cohorts have formed since the start of the pandemic: 

• Almost a third (32%) of consumers are focused on affordability, so they prefer functionality over brands. 
• A quarter (25%) prioritize health and safety, so they opt for products they can trust.
• 16% of customers want to minimize their carbon footprint, so they buy from the brands they view as sustainable. 
• 15% are focused on the benefits for the community, so they purchase from companies with a reputation for honesty and transparency. 
• 12% of consumers live in the moment, so they are most open to novel products and experiences.

Based on segmentation and customer profiles, companies can make the most of their marketing spend. They can drive deeper insights for their creative promotional approaches. While coronavirus has changed social advertising, the old adage ‘Know Thy Customer’ is still relevant.

Transforming Consumer Behavior Insights Into Effective Ads

The above-mentioned insights can inform the entire customer journey. For example, Facebook offers a wide variety of targeting options. You can reach customers with a specific gender, location, interests, marital status, occupation, etc. Target parents with toddlers, new-vehicle buyers, people who donate to world relief organizations, expats, farmers, etc. The sheer number of options for social media is staggering. 

Such granular targeting ensures your ads are shown to people who can see value in your products or services. In addition, they are relatively affordable, even for small businesses. Use the digital space to show how your company has changed due to the pandemic, offer exclusive discounts or promotions related to COVID-19.

Everybody knows that visuals are more appealing than plain text, but video ads are particularly effective. They are 1,200% more successful in terms of engagement than text and images combined. Aitarget E-Commerce creates video ads in 45 seconds using only your product feed and customizable templates.

Lately, the CPM (cost per thousand impressions) has also declined, which means it is a great time to invest in Facebook ads. The platform will also let you reach users who have viewed your offerings in the past but left without making a purchase. Retargeting is a great strategy for post-pandemic times.

As so many consumers are focused on affordability, exclusive discounts and freebies attract new customers and get the old ones to come back. As companies are reopening, exclusive promotions help them regain their audience. This works for different industries, from restaurants to travel.

Change Your Ads to the New Reality by Fusing the COVID-19 as the Context

COVID-19 is one of the most widely read-about subjects. The words ‘COVID-19’ or ‘coronavirus’ now appear in content describing the effects of the pandemic on our lifestyles, habits, and behavior. Such content is highly relevant, as it helps consumers make the right decisions in the new normal. Companies cannot ignore this contextual change — instead, they can leverage it, which is one of the vital marketing tips to employ.

The pandemic has disrupted economies around the globe, but it has also brought new opportunities disguised as threats. They have changed social advertising. Marketers should not rule out uncomfortable topics — they can drive brand awareness and sales by helping users cope with the aftermath.

For example, consider advanced contextual targeting. Using semantic analysis, Google matches ads to specific pages based on keywords. Brands have been able to unlock new opportunities with messaging concerning the global changes during lockdown (for example, articles like Coronavirus: 6 Nutrition, Vitamins & Supplements Tips to Strengthen Your Immunity). 

Ads appearing in such content boost engagement and ROAS for the campaign. Consumers are more interested in news than ever, so coronavirus lets brands reach a wider audience and create ads that attract attention. AI helps them detect new trends and behaviors to maximize the results. The focus on keeping consumers healthy and advertising in the credible sources of news pays off.

Create New Market Opportunities Based on Changing Needs

Marketing practices are ever-changing to keep up with fleeting consumer preferences. Advertising strategies must be aligned with the needs of the target audience. Demographics are quickly changing, and personalization is now at the forefront, which is also reflected in the post-pandemic tips.

Brands have to respond to customer needs quickly. Over half of executives understand that trust-building is a priority for a campaign. At the same time, market data shows that many companies are struggling to engage their audience. 

Companies of different sizes tackle these challenges differently. Major brands focus on product innovation to meet evolving demands. Small businesses emphasize competitive pricing. Open innovation, when customer opinion is integrated into product development, helps companies learn what their customers want, establish a connection, and reinforce trust. 

This is the antithesis of the conventional vertical integration, where products are developed internally based on internal R&D and distributed by the firm. In this concept, ideas come from the outside, while underutilized technologies are transferred to other processes. Open innovation is all about inflows and outflows of knowledge. 

As consumers’ priorities and preferences change over time, businesses must adapt their marketing mix to suit the evolving needs. For example, environmentally conscious individuals are attracted to brands that announce a shift to sustainable packaging. During an economic downturn, customers spend less, so businesses must focus on lower prices and greater convenience. 

Use Your Brand Assets to Increase Effectiveness 

Brand assets are the distinguishing characteristics of a company — i.e., the tangible and intangible things that make it stand out from the crowd. This is one of the top marketing tips to employ. Assets provide marketers with the resources that facilitate finding leads and closing deals. If the team cannot leverage these elements during a campaign, its potential is limited. 

The category includes a variety of elements from the tagline and USP to the logo, visuals, packaging, and ads. According to the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute of Marketing Science, all of these things contribute to the brand identity if they are both unique and well-known.

First, the element must be automatically associated with your brand in the minds of the users. For example, consider the Nike “swoosh” symbol or the McDonald’s golden arches. An asset cannot be confused with your competitor’s identity. 

Secondly, the elements must be recognizable as a representation of the brand. They must reinforce the core values of your company and convey the benefits of using your products or services to the audience.

Not sure what your assets are? List your existing and previously used brand elements, along with any suggestions for the future. Survey your target audience to see how many customers associate a specific element with your brand, and how quickly they make this association. 

This will reveal the prominence of each component. Based on this research, you can create the Distinctive Asset Grid developed by Research Professor Jenni Romaniuk. You will see which elements should be avoided or tested, which of them can replace your brand name in ads, and which require further development. 

Genuine Generosity is Highly Effective

Generosity improves the brand image, making companies more attractive for consumers. According to Forbes, volunteer grant programs are used by such giants as Apple and Google. Many businesses offer paid time off for employees who volunteer at nonprofits, which boosts morale and loyalty. Meanwhile, engagement in sponsorships and product donations boosts sales. 

Such opportunities are plentiful. Businesses can support educational institutions, community organizations, and special events. When consumers see a brand’s logo displayed on the stadium or bulletin, this creates an instant association between the business and generosity. Participation in charitable auctions shows that your company has a heart. 

Generosity is increasingly reflected in marketing, and the benefits are two-fold. On the one hand, millions of dollars are raised for charity. On the other hand, brands see a rise in sales. Cause-related marketing, when a brand partners up with a charity to tackle social or environmental issues, builds business value. The collaboration of for-profit and nonprofit entities is powerful. 

The year 2020 was pivotal, as it exposed multiple social injustices and highlighted the role of brands in fighting the issues that governments failed to resolve. Americans gave a record $471 billion to charity. Some of the most efficient marketing campaigns were based on social causes, such as Black on Depop or Real Change by Persil. 

Soon after the outbreak, brands got to work helping consumers adapt to the changes. Many of them launched ads with phrases like “we’re here for you”, “times like these” and “togetherness”. Ads showing how your company helps can drive bigger long-term equity gains in comparison with ads that offer hope or encourage good behavior.

Your Brand Should Stand Behind Great Values

Our list of post-pandemic tips would not be complete without generosity. Stressing the benefits of your products or services is not enough to make them memorable. In fact, the vast majority of consumers (80%!) forget branded content in just three days. To leave a lasting impression on the audience, your content must resonate with their own values.

Brand awareness is hard to quantify, so here is a simple test. Are you sure that your brand’s messages, visuals, and strategies communicate its core values in a consistent manner? Do you even have a clear-cut set of values? If not, most of the users you have reached have already forgotten about your company’s existence.

Core values are the beliefs the brand stands for. They are a compass guiding decision-making and the entire brand story. Values are constant reminders of what truly matters for your business and the people it serves, and they help executives make the right decisions in turbulent times. Any choices a company makes must be aligned with its overarching vision.

Brand values determine customer perception and choices, as consumers tend to support companies whose values they share. According to Harvard professor Gerald Zaltman, 95% of buying choices are triggered by the unconscious, where values operate. The same works for employees, as values are crucial for engagement. 

Today, when consumer trust is lower than ever, values are critical for maintaining authenticity, as they let you connect to the audience on a deeper level. Finally, the right values will help you grow a brand you are passionate about and proud of.

We live in a time when consumer preferences are highly changeable, and technology marketing is developing at breakneck speed to keep up with them. Advertisers cannot rely on guesswork. They have to constantly manage the balance between proven methods and the latest fads to outpace the competition. 

Discover 18 hottest trends in digital marketing that will help your brand flourish in this age of innovation. From AR to video marketing to influencer marketing & geofencing, these are the things you can implement today to stay relevant in the future. They will boost the visibility of your website, drive traffic and sales. 

AR

According to Gartner, by 2022, almost two thirds of businesses will be experimenting with immersive technologies, and a quarter of companies will have implemented them in production. Despite the hype around virtual reality, augmented reality (AR) is easier to adopt. It also lets brands create a superior customer experience that drives sales.

For example, Sephora Virtual Artist by ModiFace shows the user how different types of make-up products would look on their face. Meanwhile, IKEA Place overlays the company’s furniture on a photo of a room. You can even move the items around and see how they look from different angles.

AI 

Companies hesitating to adopt Artificial Intelligence may soon find themselves at a competitive disadvantage. AI-driven systems analyze consumer behavior and search, aggregate and condense data from blogs and social media. These technologies help brands understand how users find their products or services and boost visibility. 

For example, the MasterCard chatbot on Facebook uses natural language processing to reply to queries and automate payments. ClickFlow’s Content Editor helps companies optimize content based on data from the top 20 ranking pages. It serves up keywords, subtopics, recommended word count, and more to help them climb to the top of organic search results. Aitarget uses powerful AI tools for cross-platform marketing on social media, including fluid creatives based on real-time insights. 

Voice Search Optimization

72% of consumers who own voice-activated speakers consider them an integral part of their daily routines. Systems like Google and Siri are getting smarter, and voice shopping is expected to reach $40 billion in 2022. As consumers are using such assistants to search for products, voice search optimization is becoming a must for any e-commerce site. 

This novelty can provide a unique experience that fosters brand loyalty. For example, Domino’s lets customers order pizza without phone calls or an app. You can even make PayPal transfers using Siri. Nestlé created a “skill” for Alexa that provides voice instructions as you cook.

Programmatic Advertising

This term refers to automated buying and selling of online advertising. The trend is strong: according to eMarketer, 88% of digital display ads in the U.S. will be programmatic by the end of 2021. A great example is real-time bidding, which is more efficient than manual methods. The format translates into higher conversion and cheaper customer acquisition. 

Brands do not have to use separate platforms to advertise on different channels, and they may use hundreds of targeting signals to tailor their ads narrowly. Manual campaigns consider 3-4 criteria, such as keyword or location. Meanwhile, programmatic advertising platforms may target users according to behavior habits or lifestyle. 

Social Messaging Apps

Did you know that WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and WeChat combined have over 4.5 billion users? In Facebook Messenger alone, 10 billion messages are exchanged between individuals and businesses monthly. As social messaging apps are so popular, companies use them to reach their target audience directly, providing a personalized user experience.

If your website has a live chat, customers are more likely to return to it. This is true for 63% of users. In addition, messaging apps will let you deliver valuable information and cultivate contact with your target audience, boost sales, involve customers in events, and provide support.

Shoppable Content

Any image, video, or article may be shoppable, which means it contains a direct link to a buyout portal. This simplifies the journey from discovering products to purchasing them on e-commerce platforms.

This is so much more engaging than standard product descriptions with details, images, and prices. Shoppable content is interactive, and it can tell a captivating story. For example, Instagram users may purchase products directly from a post or story. A similar feature is offered by Pinterest. Brands like H&M are filling their profiles with shoppable posts. Their followers get inspired, discover new products, and buy them directly.

Video Marketing

Research confirms that videos appeal to users more than static images or text. 70% of consumers have shared a brand’s video at least once, while 72% of companies have seen a substantial improvement in conversion rate thanks to video ads. 

This is the most popular way to learn about new products and services. Creating powerful videos is also easier than ever thanks to automation. For example, the Aitarget E-Commerce Tool can generate them from product catalogs in just 45 seconds!

Over half of consumers say that product videos give them confidence in their buying decisions online. This does not only apply to YouTube! Video posts and live broadcasts are now shared on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. 

Instagram Reels

The emergence of Reels was great news for a savvy marketer. They provide twice as much engagement as normal videos and are used for different types of content, from product reviews to behind-the-scenes processes. Instagram also lets you track the performance of these ads using its insights.

Louis Vuitton’s marketers create Instagram reels bound to go viral — each of their innovative videos receives 5 million views on average! When NFL teams’ launched their Reels, they saw 67% more engagement as compared to regular videos. Clearly, this is one of the best ways to grab and retain your customers’ attention. 

Personalization 

Generic advertising is a poor choice, as 63% of users find it annoying. In comparison, personalized emails, recommendations, and products attract 90% of consumers. Personalized videos created by Aitarget help companies maximize their results on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube. Personalization works across industries, as accurate targeting ensures relevance. 

For example, EasyJet found that emails with stories based on the user’s travel history had a 25% higher click-through rate. Cadbury’s achieved a 65% CTR when it launched a video campaign matching a Dairy Milk flavor with Facebook users based on their age, interest, location, and other information on their profiles. 

Conversational Marketing

Today, when a consumer has a sales-related query, they expect an immediate response. According to new research published on HubSpot, 82% of users do not want to wait. Conversation marketing caters to their needs, as it is all about building a real-time connection between brands and customers. Thanks to chatbots, brands can build AI-driven dialogue 24/7 across multiple devices and platforms. 

Conversational marketing boosts engagement, as it enhances the user experience through a feedback-based model. Eventually, this translates into higher brand loyalty. Businesses need to incorporate a wide spectrum of channels and adopt the manner of communication their audience prefers. 

Chatbots 

Chatbots that communicate by text and auditory methods are one of the biggest trends. Instant responses to questions from site visitors boost engagement and let companies reduce staff costs. For example, Starbucks’ MyBarista app lets customers place orders through a chatbot using Amazon Alexa or messaging.

Over half — 63% — of users prefer this format to other channels. Chatbots are also multitaskers, as they can provide 24/7 customer support dealing with hundreds of inquiries at once. Today, delegating repetitive tasks to AI is a no-brainer. Companies may also let the AiTarget QModeration tool moderate comments to their ads on social media.

Visual Search

Now, users can upload an image of a product to find where to buy it or find similar goods. Pinterest Lens, Google Lens, CamFind, and Bing Visuals Search turn your smartphone into a visual search bar. The method is used for many categories from fashion to travel. 62% of Millennials prefer it to other novelties.

Now, Pinterest Lens recognizes 2.5 billion objects, and it has been used over 600 million times. Pincodes found in stores and magazines open the brands’ profiles when scanned. Lens Your Look takes the guesswork out of wardrobe planning, while Shop the Look lets you buy products you see in a photo. 

Browser Push Notifications

Most e-commerce sites (85%) use push notifications to boost engagement. Enhanced with images and CTAs, they can bring twice as many sign-ups as newsletters. They let marketers increase the click-through rate despite short attention spans. Push notifications are also resistant to ad blockers, which are now installed on 615 million devices. Meanwhile, ROI may grow by as much as 2,200%!

These notifications are increasingly sophisticated and customized. Personalization shows higher conversions in comparison with generic messages (54% vs. 15%), and a higher open rate (7% vs. 3%). This is a popular way to re-engage users and remind them about abandoned shopping carts.

Automated Email Marketing

Emails are still the most reliable channel of online marketing. They are six times more likely to be clicked on than a tweet, while a CTA button in an email can boost the click-through rate by 28%, according to Backlinko. However, the abuse of mailshots has reduced the efficiency of conventional methods. 

Innovative systems let a marketer send personalized emails based on schedules or triggers. Automated email marketing campaigns show that the brand is not an impersonal entity, which makes customers feel special and brings tangible results. As we have mentioned, EasyJet achieved a higher conversion through email personalization based on every user’s purchase history. 

Interactive Content 

A whopping 91% of customers are actively searching for interactive content. One of the fastest-growing trends of 2021 signifies a shift from text to dynamic, engaging, and immersive forms. These include quizzes, polls, calculators, AR ads, and 360° videos. 

For example, the Single Grain’s Marketing Impact Calculator lets users see how much more money they can make by using the company’s services. Content built for interaction is more memorable, and it makes people feel connected to brands on a deeper level. This means interactive elements will help your brand achieve its goals better than a static image or article. 

SERP Position Zero

Position zero in search results is a great way to win eyes and organic click-through. It refers to the information shown above the first result (not including paid ads), which is also known as a “featured snippet”. It is the holy grail of modern SEO.

Now, you do not need a screen to run an internet search. This year, nearly a third of queries will be zero-click voice searches. In almost 41% of cases, answers come from a featured snippet. This brings VSEO (voice search engine optimization) to the forefront. Brands are competing for space in Google SERPs, as “zero-click search” is used for 62.5% of mobile searches and 34.4% of desktop searches.

Influencer Marketing & Geofencing

Cooperation with influencers helps brands amplify their messages, as these users (YouTube and Instagram personalities or celebrities) have a huge following. This form of marketing is perceived as more authentic, and 63% of consumers trust the opinions of influencers more than ads. 

Another trend is geofencing — the use of radio frequency identification, GPS, Wi-Fi, and cellular data to trigger a text, email, or ad. Starbucks sends push notifications with great deals when the user is around one of its coffee shops. Meanwhile, Sephora’s “store companion” is activated once the customer walks into the store. It shows current promos, discounts, etc. 

Branding

Google aims to provide users with accurate, up-to-date, and authoritative content on any topic. Its E.A.T. (Expertise, Authority, and Trust) ranking factor gives strong brands an advantage, as it prioritizes pages with high-quality content that comes from experts and contains links to trusted sites. 

Over 65% of consumers feel connected to a brand they trust, and companies must focus on building their expertise. Some of the methods are guest posts on leading blogs in their niche, talks at conferences, and applying for industry awards. Author bio at the bottom of published content builds brand recognition and earns trust. 

When everything is set up, you will need amazing images for your creative ads. Let’s get in touch!

Our team of experts in e-commerce advertising will show you cool overlay technology to scale banner production process. Such companies as Adidas, Farfetch and Philips have already tried it, now it’s your turn. Contact us help@aitarget.com

This is more than another marketing strategy. High-quality visual content is an art. It involves the use of different types of media — images, videos, GIFs, and others — to engage with the target audience. Visuals are widely used for promotion on social networks, and they can also maximize the results of SEO campaigns. Did you know that an infographic or video can boost your position in organic search?

Without a visual content marketing strategy, your business is like a ship without sails. At the same time, visual trends come and go quickly, while new platforms and opportunities emerge. We have looked at how successful brands let their photos, videos, and graphics do the talking to come up with the best tips and inspiring examples for 2021.

The Role of Good Visual Content in Advertising

Powerful visual ads convey compelling messages that speak volumes — sometimes, without a single word. They create memorable experiences that help brands reach different goals, from gaining leads to boosting brand awareness. There are three main reasons to integrate visuals into your advertising strategy.

• Visual information has always been more popular and engaging than text.
• It is an effective way to attract and retain the attention of your audience.
• The consumer will remember more information in comparison with static images and text.

Visuals do not only make the textual content more memorable, readable, and adjustable. They help businesses stand out in the wildly competitive digital space, attract new customers and outshine the competition. You cannot afford to ignore the impact of visual ads in 2021. 

Best Practices and Recommendations to Create Visual Content for Advertising

All photos, videos, and graphics must be aligned with the requirements of the platform and the basic principles of design. Aitarget helps businesses create flawless ads to put their vision on display across social media. Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat all have their unique standards, but the fundamentals do not change: 

Alignment of Visuals with Overall Strategy

Visual storytelling must tie in with the rest of your marketing efforts. Focus on consistency and have a clear plan. Masters of visual content create an unquenchable thirst for their products. Consider:

• what you want to achieve
• content preferences of the target audience
• the problems your product/service solves
• if your brand voice is consistent and communicates target values
• what makes your brand and offers unique
• relevant ad performance metrics

The Rules of Design

Well-designed ads do not just draw the eye — they drive the conversation forward. You cannot create them without the know-how, but there are shortcuts — for instance, the Aitarget eCommerce tool generates ads from product catalogs in under 45 seconds. Discover the essentials of design that you can easily master with solutions from Aitarget:

• Include sufficient white space between the elements to give them breathing room. If an image does not add to the visual conversation, remove it. Make sure the ad is clearly structured. 
• Choose colors that correlate to your brand’s color palette and work well together on mobile and desktop screens. Start with a base color and add complimentary colors — you can use an online color-wheel tool to find them.
• Make sure the compression and size are correct to ensure speedy delivery. Consumers are impatient, so they click the back button on slow-loading content. 
• Choose the right spacing and style of font. Otherwise, your ad may be incomprehensible or confusing. Highly stylized fonts should be reserved for large headers, while the bulk of your ad copy should be simple. 

Why Do You Need to Create Interactive Ads for Your Brand? 

Consumer preferences are ever-evolving, so conventional methods like static ads are obsolete. Your marketing team must keep up with the changes in behavioral patterns. Whatever your goal is, be it drawing more awareness or boosting conversions and sales, interactive ads are the optimal choice. 

Visual content can tell an engaging story, which is crucial for capturing the attention of the modern consumer. Brands that also use personalization achieve the best results. Such content retains attention better than generic messages. The Aitarget Video Tool for Facebook helps companies maximize Return on Ad Spend through hyper-personalization.

The more you personalize, the more users pay attention. The longer they interact with your brand, the more likely they are to make a purchase. Here are a few impressive figures from the MAGNA report. Interactive ads may:

• increase user attention by 47%
• increase the time spent with the customers by 300%
• make people 35% likely to interact with your brand and remember it.

Visual ads are effective for any target audience. As the researchers concluded, the figures were consistent for all gender and age demographics, as well as industry verticals. Without exaggeration, visual advertising is a unique opportunity for all businesses. 

Types of Interactive Ads 

All ads must be consistent with the brand’s overall messaging. For example, you may ask the audience for design ideas or promote a new product in an interactive way. Here are three key formats for 2021. 

Video Poll Ads

Brands launch video polls to engage customers and discover their preferences. The results may then be used to optimize the marketing strategy. This is a great way to build ongoing dialogue. There are three models: Poll only, Poll + Watch & Browse, and Poll + Watch & Install. According to Facebook, when users see polls in their feed, it results in higher brand awareness and conversions in comparison with video ads. 

Playable Ads

A simple HTML5-based game experience may drive consumers from awareness to purchase faster. The user can start playing immediately without downloads, so businesses can get their undivided attention. What’s more, as the interaction time is longer, these ads are great for forging and reinforcing your relationship with the audience. 

Playable ads can drive sales, downloads, brand awareness, conversations, and more. The potential is only limited by your imagination. Giants like Uber, Amazon, and McDonald’s have all embraced playable ads.

Augmented Reality Ads

AR lets you create a memorable and emotional experience by letting customers become part of the ad. This takes interaction to a whole new level, bringing products closer to the consumer. Brands may use animations, face filters, or other tools to help potential customers try on their products. 

One popular example is the IKEA Place app, which overlays furniture on a photo of a room. The user may even move the items around and view them from different perspectives. Meanwhile, the Sephora Virtual Artist lets users try on different makeup products without physically applying them.

How to Create Visual Content That’s Worth a Thousand Shares 

To create shareable content, you need an in-depth understanding of the target audience. What needs and values do these consumers have? Here are some of the practices that help brands boost trust and encourage dissemination. 

1. Visual Hierarchy

Every element of the ad must complement the others, and they should form a clear structure. For example, titles, slogans, striking images, and CTAs must all be prominent. Hierarchy leads the user to look at specific elements in a specific order. This guarantees they do not miss the message you want to convey. They can grasp the entire content more easily and decide whether to share it or not. 

2. Evoke Emotions

Humans remember emotionally charged experiences the best. Create ads that spark positive emotions and conversation. Tug on the user’s heartstrings, so your ad will not be easily forgotten. Empathy-driven content shows that your brand can understand and relate to the feelings of its audience. You can find customer stories on social media and bring them to life through visuals.

3. Encourage Sharing

Every ad must include a CTA to be effective. Tell the users what you want them to do. Is it to follow you, share your content, or browse the latest bargains? Encourage dissemination with 1-2 short phrases. Simple encouragement can go a long way. 

4. User-Generated Content

Leverage social proof by asking customers to submit their own content. Humans tend to trust peers more than product shots and promo pitches. For instance, SupplyHouse.com asked Facebook fans to film themselves talking about their trade as part of the Trades Built on Pride campaign. 

5. Repurpose Insights

Adapt your most popular content into compelling visuals, such as infographics or checklists. This makes valuable data-driven information more shareable. Aesthetically pleasing infographics may be turned into snackable bites for social media. 

Visual Content Marketing Is Fast and Easy to Consume 

In 2014, an MIT study showed that it takes the human brain 13 milliseconds to process an image. However, this was the shortest measurable unit researchers could apply. Our brains may be capable of processing visual information even faster. Images are perceived and understood instantly — 60,000 times more quickly than text! 

Most of the information (90%!) received by our brain is visual. Our eyes can process a stunning number of images per hour — 36,000! It takes a fraction of a second to feel the sense of a visual scene (0.1). This means such stimulants trigger faster reactions that are also stronger. Visual ads that evoke surprise, confusion, or other emotions are more effective, as the combined impact is more likely to be remembered. 

Finally, visual ads stimulate engagement, as an image is worth a thousand words, and stories have a strong effect on everyone. Marketing professionals develop stories that are captivating, emotional, and connected to the objectives of the campaign. The user ‘gets’ an image immediately, so why not put that speed to work in your favor?

General Visual Content Statistics

As brands are looking for fresh ways to communicate with their audience more efficiently, visual ads are increasingly popular. According to HubSpot, 70% of businesses invest in content marketing strategies that may include visual content. Here are the key statistical insights.

• Video is the primary type of content marketing media. 
• 25% of marketers are investing in content marketing that promotes products.
• Over a fifth of marketers invest in branded storytelling.
• Professionals devote the most time to content creation for Facebook and their company website.
• One in four marketers finds design and visual content to be the most challenging part.
• 49% of professionals consider visual marketing very important to their strategy, 22% regard it as important, while 19% consider it to be the cornerstone of their strategy. 
• Almost half of the marketers share visual content primarily on websites and blogs, while social media channels come second.
• Most people remember just 10% of the information they heard three days ago. This share grows to 65% if the same information is paired with a relevant image.
• Adoption pays off — 87% of marketers say that videos have boosted traffic to their sites. 

It is hardly surprising that the majority of marketing professionals surveyed by Venngage (63%) believe that over 60% of brands will rely heavily on visuals in 2021 and 2022. Clearly, visual content is a crucial strategic component, and we hope this guide has inspired you to show off your brand’s personality! If you need help, try automatic tools by Aitarget that bring leads and conversions on Facebook, Instagram,Snapchat, and Tik Tok

FAQ

Can you create visual content marketing if you’re not a designer?

Yes! Some designers are born with an aesthetic vision, others are just good learners. Have you heard that creativity can be taught? The design has rules, and those who apply them diligently eventually become proficient. Gradually, these principles become ingrained in their perception. The more you practice, the better you get! There is also a shortcut — Aitarget tools let nonprofessionals create powerful ads easily. 

Is Visual Content Important for Better Results of Advertising?

It is absolutely crucial. As there is so much content online, most users skim-read their feeds. Old methods do not work, as brands need content that captivates in a second. Visuals are unbeatable — these types of information engage and retain attention better than text, and they are also more memorable. 

When you thought that advertisers had been through the worst of the storm, they are dealt with this new card, talk about hitting them when they are already down. In this light, marketing companies have no option but to look for unorthodox means of getting new customers and also keeping tabs on the current ones. 

One option for achieving this is by getting data directly from consenting customers as a Direct-To-Customer (DTC) brand. The whole privacy improvement idea is centered around removing self-attribution networks that have become major players in this field. New features like masking the IP and email address will make it difficult to use them as the only online tracking identifier. For advertisers and marketers, this new update requires different strategies, lets discuss what other implications it has for digital advertisers.

iOS 14.5 + iOS 15 – the Difference

As far as general differences between the two operating systems, there are several updates that come along with the recent version. While most of the features have remained pretty much the same, Apple shifted its focus on new apps and improving some existing features like Siri and Maps. 

But, let’s get away from that, the differences in the updates that make sense to the digital advertiser and online marketers are the improvements on privacy. The recent update essentially builds on iOS 14.5 and comes with three significant upgrades. iOS 15 builds from its predecessor’s tracking dashboard. The App Tracking Transparency feature makes tracking consent-based. The user has full control over the trackers they want to be involved in or not. Users can also see who is collecting data from them through a detailed but easy report. This new update is also putting a stop to email tracking by masking the IP address. The last significant update for privacy is to enable Siri to operate offline to avoid the risk of unwarranted audio recording.

App Privacy Report

In the spirit of putting matters of privacy in the hands of the user, the latest update comes with a detailed yet easy-to-understand privacy report. This report is a summary of how frequently applications use the permissions the user extends to them, for instance, microphone, camera, location, and even contacts. The user can then critically analyze the data and see whether it makes sense to them or not. 

It doesn’t stop here, the report also puts to the fore who their data is shared with by highlighting all the third-party domains associated with the particular application, how often the domain contacts the app, and vice versa. Right from this feature, users have the ability to decide on what to do with the applications that share data with other third-party domains. One possible course to take is to remove all the permissions previously granted by the user. Such detailed reports were not available on other previous updates. This new version affects digital advertisers who depend on third-party domains for data. 

SKAdNetwork Postback Aggregation in iOS 15

It is not all bad with the iOS 15 altogether, it is however good to see that Apple is acknowledging the presence of advertisers in this equation although in a small way. SKAdNetworks are a friendly way of sharing information with the applications on the phone while withholding user and device-level data. Now advertisers have the opportunity to receive copies of winning postbacks that come via the API privacy attribution, SKAdNetwork. 

This particular change is very much welcomed because it gives marketers and advertisers better transparency, what’s more, getting data right from the source is a better option for many advertisers. Once you opt in, you will receive postbacks on every successive install via an ad. This feature is not just beneficial to advertising agencies but also to developers who have been pushing for this feature for the longest time. On the flip side nonetheless, advertisers do not have the control or power over the SKAN campaign ID. The control lies with the ad networks where each network has its own individual mapping.

Intelligent Tracking Prevention

Intelligent Tracking Prevention is not an entirely new feature exclusive for this update, on the contrary, this feature first came into existence back in 2017 as Apple introduced API to Safari. Essentially, ITP changes how advertisers and different websites were accustomed to using cookies to tailor-make advertisements. The owners of different sites and digital advertisers track user’s digital footprints across different domains and from that they are able to personalize ads and campaigns to offer services or advertise goods. 

ITP is evolving and different web browsers are taking the Apple approach by incorporating ITP as part of privacy protection to its users. Firefox has an ITP that blocks and reports back to the user how many cookies have been blocked but doesn’t indicate who placed the cookies. However, Google Chrome is blaming Apple and Firefox for the more harmful approaches to tracking that are now taking shape because of blocking cookies. 

Changes in the New iOS Affecting Digital Advertisers Negatively

Let’s face it, ad performance is the bread and butter of any marketing or digital advertising company, and Apple is not slowing down on strict privacy updates. These privacy control features are giving digital marketing companies a hard time in getting their hands on important conversion data. 

For instance, the API Safari feature blocks cookies from tracking the online activities of users making it difficult for marketing companies to come up with ads exclusive to different individuals. Moreover, the opt-in feature that Apple requires apps to consent to in order to access identifiers from the user is counterproductive since the user can decide not to give certain permission to that particular app or worse still, no permissions at all. 

How do Changes in iOS 15 Affect the Activities of Digital Advertisers?

The current iOS version; iOS 14.5 dealt a big blow to digital advertisers and the latest version; iOS 15 is not getting any lenient to them. In fact, this latest version is coming with more privacy options for users, digital marketers have just been dealt a significant blow. The most significant change in the new version that is going to affect the activities of online advertisers is the Mail Privacy Protection. 

With the introduction of the Apple Mail app, the Mail Privacy Protection will prevent the sender from knowing whether the email sent has been opened or not, therefore, making it very difficult to determine whether that action is linked to other online activities. For online advertisers, email marketing has been essential in their business, giving brands the highest Return on Investment. Considering the footprint Apple Mail app has on all the available devices, the future is not looking too good for digital advertisers. With the Mail Privacy Protection, online advertisers will have a difficult time assessing the relation between email activity and the Return On Investment making business difficult. 

Difficulties Encountered When Working with Versions 15 of iOS

Similar to the previous version, there are a few bugs that mainly affect the general user experience. These bugs, however, were mainly evident on the beta version but the September release promises to take care of the few hitches. Nonetheless, digital advertisers have more than a few hitches to worry about. The whole transition to consumer privacy control is what will bring roadblocks to the business. 

While the previous versions had the identifier for Advertisers  IDFA where advertisers could know what ads to present to a particular user, the new version iOS 15 comes with an option to disable this feature. Technically this is similar to blinding the advertiser, it will be virtually impossible to know what the user’s online activities are and also how to reach them in any network. For the first time ever, this new update gives the users control of what market will have some access to their data and who will not.

Recommendations for Overcoming Difficulties in iOS 15

The silent war between digital marketing and privacy will not end any time soon. However, it is imperative to develop new ways of navigating this murky world that is proving to be a tough nut for online marketers to crack. Regardless, overcoming difficulties for advertisers will mean looking for new approaches to marketing. 

The silver lining in this dark cloud is that marketing will have to take a more valuable approach. Data is like currency, marketers will have to provide value before asking for data. Now, digital advertisers will have to come up with creative ways of reconnecting and building stronger ties with their audiences. Moving forward, it will be necessary to have to show value and accountability before asking for data. Forging more honest relationships with the audience will also mean that their feedback is reliable, transparent, and trusted. 

Now you will be able to curate emails that the recipients want because they will be able to give you their preferences. No more guessing about what users may fancy. The move towards more privacy will help marketing go back to its former glory. Because the information will be willingly given to you by the audience, as a marketer you can now create meaningful and valuable content which is relevant for them. Finally, the best way to get ahead of any situation is to equip yourself with relevant and up-to-date information. Understand the direction marketing is going and also work with other experts in trying to find the best solution that will work for you. 

Direct-to-consumer Brands and iOS 15

D2C brands appear to be barely taking the brunt of the recent iOS 15 upgrade. This is because they are already making use of the direct-to-customer approach that digital marketers will soon have to get into. Right now, direct-to-consumer brands are getting first-hand data from consistent and consenting clients. However, D2C brands have not been relying entirely on consenting clients, to the contrary, they have been relying on social media platforms for advertising and customer acquisition. These brands have been able to critically assess client’s purchasing patterns thanks to detailed tracking. 

So what does the new upgrade have to do with the direct-to-consumer brands? With the new update, D2C brands might still be able to push advertisements but they won’t be able to tell whether clients made purchases through their phones. This will in turn compromise their ability to make better business decisions without the effective data from the advertisements. Now D2C companies have to fall back to their original ways of getting loyal clients who will give them reliable feedback to work with.

Embrace Personalized Messaging

All is not lost yet, despite the new update coming with the Hide my email feature, the mechanism of operation still gives some room for smart advertising. It goes without saying that the online marketing company will not be able to see the email address of the user that has given consent, but they will still have a line of communication. Understanding how to personalize the emails and sending them at the right time is key. Digital advertising agencies need to come up with creative ways they can use to persuade users to share data through this channel. 

For instance, you could offer a discount on sales or services offered if the user agrees to fill in simple and fast surveys. Through this method, digital advertisers can collect valuable data on the user’s preference and purchasing intentions for free. What’s more, this process will also give you accurate information directly from the user which can be relied upon. Moving forward, the digital marketing scene will require deliberate efforts to get the right information using this channel of direct communication to the user. 

Conclusion

Apple isn’t stopping any time soon with the privacy-centered approach. With the soon-to-be-launched iOS 15 updates, more privacy features are expected. This will further destabilize the digital advertising space, but the good thing is that businesses still have ways to work within the system. Through restrategizing and changing tact, digital advertisers will be able to adapt to the soon to arrive upgrade.

Many shoppers are eagerly waiting for this year’s Black Friday. It’s when stores offer irresistible bargains, prompting a shopping frenzy and competition for the limited items on offer. 

Last year, in-store traffic decreased by up to 52.1% compared to 2019. The long lines outside stores may be gone this year too, as more customers have become accustomed to shopping online. This presents massive opportunities for E-commerce stores. You can look forward to boosted sales from new customers and welcoming old customers back. Black Friday may present the chance to clear out excess and slow-moving inventory. 

But there will be challenges, some unique and some familiar. Many traditional retailers are shifting their focus online. It may mean increased competition. You will also need to generate effective black Friday marketing ideas and streamline your marketing campaign to promote your discounts.

Our article today offers insights on the truth about Black Friday for e-commerce and tips to help prepare your site. 

Let’s get started: 

Black Friday Statistics 

The most anticipated holiday shopping season report, Adobe Digital Insights, presented the following statistics about the 2020 holiday shopping season: 

• Black Friday shopping grew by 22% in 2020, reaching revenues of $9 billion compared to $7.4 billion in 2019; 

• Cyber Monday had more online sales than Black Friday at $10.8 billion vs $9 billion; 

• There was increased online shopping activity by 51% in 2020 between April 1st to December 14th, compared to the previous year; 

• There was an uptake of buy-online pick-up in-store options contributing to about 1 in 4 orders; 

• It was more expensive to ship last year as COVID-19 placed stress on the shipping infrastructure. Consequently, orders shipped for free decrease during the Cyber 5 days from 70% to 64%; 

• Most retailers began offering deals before Thanksgiving across tracked items (toys, computers, and televisions); 

• Paid search traffic accounted for the largest share of revenue, closely followed by direct traffic, organic search, emails and newsletters, affiliates, social networks, and display. 

Why Is Black Friday Important to eCommerce Stores? 

What is the truth about Black Friday? Well, it presents a massive opportunity for e-commerce stores to boost their sales. Buyers are actively shopping for deals and many people may have delayed their purchases waiting for prices to fall. 

The importance of the day is evident in some of the most successful Black Friday campaigns. Patagonia had something to celebrate on 25th November 2016, when sales hit $10 million across its global network of 80 stores, far surpassing the initial goal of $2 million. They pledged to give the revenues away to environmental groups. 

Walmart broke its traffic records for the event of a digital sale with its #UnwrapsTheDeals campaign, where the goal was to spread awareness about the store’s Black Friday Deals. The TikTok campaign featured a branded AR filter that displayed randomized gift-wrapped items, and users could raise their hand to stop and unwrap the virtual gift boxes. 

After finding out what they got, they could tap for deals, which redirected them to Walmart’s website. Thousands of TikTok users took part and created about 1 million videos viewed over 5.5 billion times. 

How to Prepare Site for BF 2021? 

Anticipate more website traffic on Black Friday. If your web servers can’t handle the increased traffic, your pages may load slowly, which may impact the user experience resulting in issues such as cart abandonment. Diagnose your site performance by performing real load and performance tests. 

If your checkout process is complicated, slow, or inefficient, it can similarly increase cart abandonment. As a best practice, organize the checkout process to one page. Offer multiple payment options such as Venmo and start asking users for feedback about their checkout experience. 

Another way to prepare your site before Black Friday sales is to make sure that you’re fully capable of providing real-time support during the day. More website visits will mean more queries. Don’t make customers wait for email replies. Instead, offer a live chat widget. You can also have quick links to the FAQ page to answer questions that people commonly ask. 

If you’re running ads, provide the best post-click experience. For instance, if someone clicks on an ad for shoes, they should be taken to the same item on your website. The page should load quickly, and your site should have high-quality product images. 

Develop Black Friday Marketing Campaigns 

The first step of preparing your Black Friday marketing strategy is to figure out who your target buyers are. Review your analytical data to check who has been visiting your website. If you’re not reaching your target audience, figure out ways to change. 

Your value proposition should be clear. Black Friday is all about deals and promotions, nothing else. Your offers need to be marvelous to prompt users to make impulsive purchases. Some commonly used Black Friday promotion ideas include offering coupons, discounts, flash sales, buy-one-get-one deals, discounted gift bundles, free shipping, and more. 

Switch it up this time with novel Black Friday marketing ideas such as offering mystery discounts or personalized prizes. You can even have a cause-related promotion like supporting local businesses. 

Additionally, plan for an omnichannel Black Friday marketing strategy. Most people don’t spend time on one device or platform all day. Your potential customer may spend a couple of minutes on Facebook before checking their TikTok feeds. 

Optimize Campaigns for Mobile Shoppers 

According to Adobe Retail Shopping Insights, sales through smartphones accounted for 39% of online retail sales from November 1st to December 31st, 2020. The number of mobile shoppers has been steadily growing with total mobile e-commerce sales estimated to reach $3.56 trillion in 2021 compared to $2.91 trillion in 2020. 

You may pull in more mobile shoppers this year, and it’s important to optimize your campaigns for them. One way to do this is to advertise on apps that people are using. 

TikTok has been by far the most downloaded app of 2021 and now attracts other demographics. Facebook is still another place to advertise as it’s the most downloaded app to date. Lastly, you cannot discount Instagram, which remains popular with Generation Z and millennials. 

Your E-commerce website needs to be user-friendly and fast. According to a Google and Verto study, mobile websites that loaded in two seconds or less experienced a 15% higher conversion than slower loading sites. The checkout process should be equally simple. 

Prepare with Pop-ups 

Pop-ups can increase eCommerce conversions by up to 44% and may be quite useful during your Black Friday advertising. However, you need to use them in moderation to avoid impacting the user experience. 

Pop-ups are regularly used for email capture, but during Black Friday you can find better uses for them. Some Black Friday marketing strategy examples involving pop-ups include: 

• Creating urgency: You can use an urgency pop-up with a countdown timer to encourage people to leave their emails for updates when particular flash sales go live. 
• Pushing discounts: A discount pop-up can offer a coupon on the cart page to combat abandoned carts. 
• Cross-selling: You can even use popups to push complementary items for up-selling and cross-selling. 
• Related item suggestions: Customers who are returning to your site after a long time can receive relevant suggestions based on items they have previously shopped. 

Send Personalized Black Friday Advertising Emails 

Email marketing and newsletters brought more sales to businesses than social networks and display advertising for the 2020 holiday season. Sending out emails can be particularly lucrative because you will be communicating to an engaged audience. 

Once you decide to use emails for your Black Friday strategy, don’t just send out general emails. Only 39% of online retailers send personalized product email recommendations.

Personalized Black Friday marketing offers will stand out in subscriber’s inboxes. Addressing the person by their first name in the subject line can even result in more email opens. 

Another way to personalize the emails is to segment your subscribers into different groups based on their age, gender, location, interest, prior purchases, visited pages, etc. 

If you’re not doing this yet, you also need to ask for more details during signup to make it possible to create more segmented lists. You can also experiment with various Black Friday email promotion ideas such as offering special subscriber offers or promoting time-sensitive offers. 

Make Target Ads with BF Discount Code

You may have great discount codes but if your potential audience doesn’t know about them, don’t expect to experience a huge surge of customers during Black Friday.

How can you promote your discount codes? Use all your available digital channels from your website to social media accounts. You can also send special discount coupons to your subscribers for use on Black Friday. Some e-Commerce stores also promote their coupons on couponing websites. 

Take the next step by creating targeted visual ads showcasing your discount code. For instance, you can add visual discount codes to existing product images by creating overlay image ads. Add a sense of urgency to every advertisement for people who come across the promo code to use it as soon as possible. 

The most successful Black Friday campaigns find creative ways to promote their discount codes. Walmart utilized branded effects on TikTok for their #Unwrapthedeals challenge. Costco leaked their deals. Kohl’s had a campaign where they asked questions such as finishing the song’s lyrics for a chance to win gift cards. Some brands have rebelled against Black Friday such as Patagonia when they ran their “Don’t Buy This Jacket ad.” 

Welcome Returning Customers with Related Recommendations 

You can show related product recommendations to returning customers based on their purchase history, browsing behavior, and other custom attributes. 

Related products can comprise similar products based on what someone may have bought before or items in their carts. The related recommendations can also be expanded to best sellers and trending products. You can also show new arrivals.

The goal is not to sell as many products as possible but rather to make the experience more personalized. 

Capture Customers’ Interest Early with Black Friday Sneak-peeks 

If you want to have big Black Friday sales, it’s important to build up momentum for the big day. A sizable segment of shoppers starts their holiday shopping early, prompting many brands to offer deals as early as November 1st. 

You can get people excited by offering Black Friday sneak peeks. Costco, an American discount store chain, apparently leaked their 2020 Friday Deals a month earlier by publishing a 30-page catalog. 

They planned to run their campaign from November 5th through the 30th. The deals were redeemable during certain dates, and their plan worked so confidently that it allowed them to shut down their warehouses during the Thanksgiving Holiday. 

Try out this Black Friday Facebook marketing strategy by sharing image overlays with slashed prices and a date on when the offer will go live. You should always use eye-catching graphics and visuals, and keep sending reminders as the big day approaches. 

Prepare Holiday Sales as Early as You Can 

Before Black Friday sales commence, you need to have undertaken a lot of preparation work. If you start late, you’ll lack adequate time to prepare. You may end up rushing during the final days and make a lot of mistakes. 

When is the best time to start? Start strategizing as soon as three months before Thanksgiving. That means as soon as August or September.

You need to prepare by creating a marketing outline for the various activities you need to undertake before and during Black Friday. Allocate sufficient time to brainstorm and test several Black Friday marketing ideas. 

Leave adequate time to analyze your target audience and ad targeting settings. Start planning for any contingencies such as supply delays because suppliers may get busy during the holiday season. 

The timeline should give room for testing ads or experimenting with new formats. You may need to scale your ad spend as bids may start becoming more expensive approaching the holiday season. 

Customize Ads Pictures with One-Click Aitarget Solution 

One big challenge you may face heading to Black Friday is how to create scalable ads to promote various offers you’ll be running. You may have hundreds or even thousands of products to promote across various categories. 

Manually creating ads for each item will be too time-consuming and counter-intuitive. That’s why you may choose to create mass-targeting awareness ads. But the current emphasis is on personalization, which entails showing the right product to the right person based on their needs. 

Aitarget offers a one-click solution for generating dynamic overlays and videos from an existing product feed. It offers more enhanced capabilities than Facebook’s native dynamic ads format. 

You can easily create channel-friendly ads that can run on other platforms including YouTube, Snapchat, and TikTok utilizing designer templates. 

Some possible ways you can use the tool to enhance your Black Friday sales include: 

• Creating data-infused overlays using existing product information such as pricing, discounts, product labels, and more;

• Enhancing your product images for placement into templates through scaling and correct positioning; 

• Generating video ads for individual products or product categories; 

• Carrying out automatic upgrades and improvements of creatives for the best performance. 

The most notable Black Friday campaign using Aitarget creative solutions was carried out in conjunction with Adidas and Reebook. Aitarget Tech helped create a unified brand identity across the social networks with consistent creatives based on on-brand templates. Product images were enhanced using overlays to contain information about offers, discounts, and brand identity. 

Up to 51 marketing videos were created from thousands of products in the catalog. They were shown to relevant audience segments based on different targeting settings. Where the goal was to increase app conversions, the automated videos increased sales while reducing the CPI. 

Track Everything and Analyze 

Your Black Friday strategy should include a plan to track and analyze your performance. Based on what you learned this year, you can make further improvements in the coming holidays. 

What do you need to track and analyze? Here are some key things to consider: 

• Measure the efforts of each promotional channel, including your emails, social media, or paid search;

• Analyze the engagement rates of different social media posts teasing your Black Friday offers; 

• Account for the number of support requests; 

• Analyze the effectiveness of and performance of various ads, including the conversion rates, CTRs, clicks, impressions, etc.; 

• Check for the most effective promotional tactics; 

• Find out the percentage of the abandoned carts; 

• Compare sales for the different days, starting from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday. 

Up-sell and Cross-sell Products 

Consider upselling products as a strategy to increase your profitability during Black Friday. For instance, it’s regularly cited that it’s five times cheaper to retain an existing customer than to acquire a new one.

Up-selling involves suggesting more expensive products than what someone wants to purchase. You can also cross-sell products, and it involves suggesting complementary products to go with certain purchase items. An example of this Black Friday marketing strategy may entail suggesting a bathroom mat to compliment a bathroom scale. 

Aitarget can create cross-selling creatives automatically by grouping different products in your catalog after detecting similarities between product features. 

Add a Touch of Personalization in Everything You Do

According to an EConsultancy and Google marketing survey, 90% of leading marketers believe that personalization can significantly boost business profitability. Now, you can personalize your user experience on your e-commerce website by creating relevant offers based on user interactions on your website. New and returning users can be greeted by a small questionnaire that asks quick questions to help tailor the experience.

Another way to personalize the experience is through up-sells and cross-sells, which may improve their overall experience by helping them remember products that they may have never thought of. 

Your Black Friday marketing campaigns can take into account the user’s location, interests, devices, and other targeting settings. For instance, don’t offer deals for Android devices when your targeted audience is primarily iOS users. Target people based on their interests, for instance, offering crockery deals to people who love cooking. 

Retarget, Retarget, Retarget

Retargeting is often an overlooked part of a successful Black Friday marketing strategy. It can be particularly useful in combating the high rates of cart abandonment during Black Friday. About 81.93% of users abandoned their carts in 2018 compared to 74.5% in 2019. 

The most utilized channels for remarketing include Facebook custom audiences closely followed by Google remarketing. For instance, with Black Friday Facebook custom audiences, you will first need to set up the Facebook pixel that reports on events such as the number of items a particular user added to the shopping carts. You can then show ads to your custom audiences.

Big Black Friday sales don’t come without good initial preparation and a solid marketing campaign. You don’t have to do things as usual, but find new ideas to spruce up your offers. It’s vital to start preparing early and have a project timeline leading up to the start of the Cyber 5 days.