Keep Current in Marketing Trends
Keep Current in Marketing Trends
Any business owner (or teenager, for that matter) can attest to the fact that keeping up with trends can be exhausting. Our fast-paced society lends itself beautifully to fads coming and going in the blink of an eye. Nowhere does this exist more prevalently than the marketing industry. Believe it or not, everything from the medium to the copy to the imagery of a marketing tactic is changing on a near-daily basis. Tired? We know it. Here, we’ll offer some tips on how to keep current in marketing trends—before your strategy grows stale.
First, let us explain the value in staying updated with marketing trends. You may have a strategy that’s working just fine, and perhaps you’re questioning why you’d rock the boat. A word of advice: what’s working today may take a turn for the worst tomorrow. American consumers are unpredictable and constantly keeping us on our toes, so it’s best to have a close eye on where marketing is headed. You’ll have a competitive edge in knowing what’s trendy at the moment; customer satisfaction will increase since you’re hip to what’s new; and it’ll push your business to innovate, especially in a world where businesses are so cautious to stray from what they know.
Restaurant Industry News
This might seem slightly obvious, but it’s our best piece of advice. If you’re not subscribed to industry newsletters or regularly perusing the latest information about marketing your restaurant, you’re missing out. Anything from journals to magazines to blogs is chock-full of updates on marketing trends. To keep your business current, be sure to stay on top of these publications.
Embrace Feedback
Listening to industry leaders’ marketing advice is definitely a winning idea. But so is forging your own path to marketing success. And how do you do that? By listening. Gathering customer feedback is hands-down the easiest, most reliable method for developing your own best marketing practices based on real-world advice. Put your ego aside and open your mind to the ideas your patrons throw out. Not only will your guests feel as though they’re being heard, but you can blaze a marketing trail for other restaurant owners.
Keep an Eye on the Competition
Similar to taking guest feedback into consideration to stay on top of marketing trends, you can also lean on your competitors’ strategies to realize what’s new and working (or not working) in marketing your business. Competition down the street may be privy to a trend you’re not aware of, and you can always take that trend and throw your own spin on it.
Set up Google Alerts
No time? No problem. As defined by Wikipedia, Google alerts send “emails to the user when it finds new results—such as web pages, newspaper articles, blogs, or scientific research—that match the user’s search term(s).” In setting up a Google alert (you can do so here), you’ll be notified regularly when any new content is posted about whatever you’ve entered as a search term or phrase. With this method, you’ll have the unique ability to stay updated in real-time on the latest industry trends.
For more marketing ideas fresh out of the oven, be sure to check out The Pantry every week. Here at ARF Financial, we’re always working on new recipes for success—from marketing strategies to new loan products and everything in between, there’s something for every palate. We can’t wait to see you!