Trends Research Project
Have you been noticing a larger number of ads appearing while you’re on the internet? Well, the reason why is that so many people are buying ad-block software that companies are losing a ton of money in ad revenue. An add is short for advertisement. Most companies use ads to persuade you to buy whatever products they are promoting. Ads can appear on almost any site you visit. Some companies even pay YouTube celebrities to include ads in their videos. Many people now are getting tired of all these ads and have taken the initiative to get ad-block software. The problem with this is that companies are losing money from this as it is now more challenging for them to advertise their products. It has gotten so bad that even YouTube has taken the initiative to include two ads in almost every video you watch.
Before this marketing method came to be, entrepreneurs would use other methods to boost their sales, including email marketing, co-branding, and referral programs. For example, in co-branding, two affiliate companies would market their products and services to each other’s already existing clients to boost their clientele base. In so doing, a client gained by one of the companies would automatically be a client to the other. Email marketing, which is closely related to YouTube ads, was used to source clients through the mailing system. Once a client logs in to their mail accounts, they would find attractive ads that would naturally persuade them to click and view. After clicking, they would be provided with an option to subscribe to get more information about the product or service. The shortcoming with this method was that it gave potential clients a choice to subscribe or not the current ads that one has to watch for a stipulated time before continuing with the actual business they had on the internet.
An example of another past trend in marketing is the point of purchase marketing. In this method, marketers wait for clients to come purchase goods at their premises. They introduce new product stands next to older stands containing related products. They then focus on the improvements that have been made on the new products that seem to solve the other products’ shortcomings in the market. This marketing method is mostly used in supermarkets.
Several celebrities are currently majoring in reality shows, allowing viewers to peek into what their real-life is ‘away from cameras. Afterward, recordings of them on their natural habitats are either streamed live on YouTube or posted later after editing. Their followers take time to view and comment on the same (Mingyi 538). The ads came in between the shows as an interruption for a few seconds forcing the followers to wait for them to finish (Jason 28) patiently. The strategy is that should one of the viewers be interested in what is being marketed; they would click on it and make inquiries hence closing a sale.
The marketing trend has changed the nature of everyday business. Potential clients no longer have to walk to malls or wait for billboards to be hung to know about new products that might be relevant to them. In addition, there is always an option to complete the business transaction online and have a door-step delivery. This has dramatically reduced physical interaction between sellers and buyers.
The likely next step after this trend Is improved virtual reality. Unlike now when pre-recorded videos come in as interruptions when following YouTube, in the future, there might be a chance for the marketers to have a chance to video call their potential clients and give comprehensive news about their products and services (Corigan et al. 160)
As technology changes, so do marketing strategies. Marketers come up with creative ways to market while keeping up with technology to stay relevant. In so doing, they can meet client needs in a user-friendly environment.
Work Cited
Hou, Mingyi. “Social media celebrity and the institutionalization of YouTube.” Convergence 25.3 (2019): 534-553.
Miles, Jason. YouTube marketing power: How to use video to find more prospects, launch your products, and reach a massive audience. McGraw-Hill, 2014.
Corrigan, Hope B., Georgiana Craciun, and Allison M. Powell. “How does Target know so much about its customers? Utilizing customer analytics to make marketing decisions.” Marketing Education Review 24.2 (2014): 159-166.