Marketing is one of the most important things to business, small and large. There are several different reasons for this, ranging from building relationships to boosting sales.

Whether you are trying to run your business going forward or trying to make more profit eventually when selling a business, it should be a goal of yours to grow the company. Marketing and reaching new customers is one of the best ways to do that. In general, there are two main types of marketing, which are inbound and outbound marketing.

Inbound is all about drawing customers in, and outbound is about companies pushing their message out in hopes of getting a positive response. While each can be beneficial, this article is going to focus on inbound marketing. With that in mind, let’s look at some marketing trends and techniques that your business can use in 2020.

Boost Your Personalization Efforts

The needs and preferences of customers change a lot over time. In 2020, personalization is very important. People want to feel valued, and simply aren’t swayed by generic advertisements, emails or messaging. They want to feel as if you are reaching out to them directly, and have their best interests in mind. If you can personalize or customize your messaging for customers, it can go a long way. It can help people become more loyal, make them more likely to make purchases and improve your reputation.

Since people want personalized recommendations and messaging from companies they support, it is best to provide that to them. It could be as simple as including their name in marketing emails, or even sending them a short personalized video message. You could also send them unique offers or deals for products/services that the data analytics show they might have an interest in.

Use Lifecycle Email Marketing

(via: https://pixabay.com/illustrations/email-newsletter-marketing-online-3249062/

Email marketing has long been one of the best types of inbound marketing. It can help boost conversions, as well as build relationships with customers throughout their journey. If you want to take your email marketing to the next level in 2020, however, you need to use lifecycle email marketing. Using AI, this strategy allows you to be extremely specific with your messaging.

Instead of sending the same emails to every customer, the email can be tailored to the point in the sales funnel where the potential customer resides. For example, the email that a customer who has items in their cart will differ from the person who simply browsed. This trend and technique is all about gently reminding people to check out what you have to offer, finish the transaction or complete another action depending where in the sales funnel they are. Of course, be sure to provide some value or an incentive in these emails, as well.

Take Advantage of Influencer Marketing

One type of inbound marketing that is taking the world by storm is influencer marketing. This is when you will work with an influencer, in order to get your product or service in front of a wider audience. For example, if you sell a fitness product, reaching out to a YouTuber in the space to try out and review your product could gain you access to many new customers.

People trust influencers a lot, and many of their followers will check something out simply because the influencer promoted it. These influencers are credible in their spaces, and could contribute to a lot of organic growth for your small business.

Of course, be sure to be selective about the influencers you work with. You should not only check out their numbers, but also ensure that their audience is made up of people who would have an interest in your product.

In conclusion, we hope this article has been able to help you learn about some valuable inbound marketing trends your small business can use.