Marketing has been around for as long as currency and trading have been in existence. Of course, in those early days, advertising was limited to word of mouth. Later, with the industrial period came mass printed flyers, newspaper ads and television and radio commercials. Nowadays, marketing is even more complex and has become a war of attrition between competing businesses vying for consumer attention. These days, it’s all about SEO, social media and mobile marketing. Even seemingly offline ads have some sort of digital component to them, such as the use of signage systems.

Traditional Ads are Falling Out of Favor

How often do you change the channel during a TV commercial break or tell a telemarketer that the person they are looking for is not home even though you are that person? Consumers have become desensitized to ads because they are bombarded with them wherever they are. To make ads effective again, businesses have to think outside the box and present them in a way that draws eye-grabbing attention.

Top Marketing Trends Worth Exploring

The following are some innovative approaches that put a whole new spin on marketing. These methods are effective because instead of just showing an ad, they make it an interactive quest where consumers play an active role, thereby increasing their interest and piquing their curiosity.

Digital Signage 

Signage systems are often found inside stores or located right outside the entrance. Digital signage allows different messages to be shown at preset intervals. A more creative way to use them is to make them interactive. A few stores now implement QR codes on the display, which consumers can scan with their mobile devices to receive additional information or freebies like discount codes and redeemable coupons. Some systems can also transmit messages to GPS-enabled devices. The phone, for example, may alert its owner of the latest deals when he or she comes within several feet of a store’s digital display.

Digital Billboards

One of the hallmarks of driving on the freeway is seeing all those billboard ads promoting the latest movies, sporting events or nearby business. Like store signs, billboards are also going digital. In fact, in an effort to personalize the ads, which has long been known as an effective element for increasing conversions, some companies are using digital billboards that use facial recognition software to identify the passing driver’s gender in order to use the right pronoun in its message.

Social Media

Social media is so ubiquitous nowadays that it’s with you even when you are out and about. It only takes 10 seconds to pull out your smartphone and post a quick update on your Twitter or take a selfie and post it on your Instagram. Companies with a business profile on social media can periodically add content and display them on their digital signage in real time. Think about the creative ways in which this can be utilized. With a restaurant, for example, the head cook can post a digital menu board and announce what the chef’s special of the day is through a signage in the lobby where patrons are waiting to be seated. Customers can even respond to the post and watch the display as their comment is added and seen by other patrons.

Look Beyond Conventional Marketing

This is way past the point where businesses can get by simply by mailing a few flyers and broadcasting a few television commercials. Even implementing modern technology in the form of web-based advertising is hardly enough anymore. Rather, you have to use those methods in ways that go above and beyond the conventional norm. The way to do this is to make the ads as interactive as possible. Ads where consumers can become an active part of a discussion or take some sort of step to receive freebies tend to fare far better than ads that are for display only.

No matter what industry your business is in, your ads can pack a lot more punch if they incorporate technology and invite consumer engagement. This will ensure a far more favorable response rate.

About Ashley Williamson

[quote]Ashley Williamson is a professional freelance writer and an occasional guest-blogger on various sites interested in tech, business and marketing related topics. When she is not working she likes to travel and read as much as she can. If you have any question feel free to leave a comment.[/quote]

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