To readers who areused to the term fastmoving consumer goods, we introduce

even faster moving consumer marketing! Stayingup-to-date in the rapidly changing digitallandscape is a huge challenge, so here are sometips on how to use the latest digital marketingtrends to grow your business in 2014.With so many digital media options and

innovative technologies, one thing always remainsthe same – the need to create strong strategicmessages to engage the consumer, solve a problemor just make us smile.

1 - Digital strategy While it may seem obvious that you should have adigital strategy, many organisations are only nowcreating their own digital strategy for the firsttime to include digital, social and mobilecommunication channels and integrate withoffline marketing. A digital strategy encompassesevery aspect of a company’s digital presence andallows it to streamline communications and sendcoherent messages across multiple digitalchannels. A digital strategy is a must for allbusinesses!

2 - Real-time marketingReal-time marketing aims to reach consumers atthe best possible time and place. It is a form ofmarketing that seeks the best and mostappropriate message for a marketing opportunity.With real-time marketing, you immediately givecustomers something they want, need or desire bybeing at the right place at the right time. Forexample, using social media during events allowsbrands to engage a receptive public by sendingthem relevant messages.

3 - Social media visual contentSocial media allows people to upload usergenerated content and share it with their networkof friends. Pinterest and Instagram are being usedby an increasing number of people because ushumans love visuals and text is proven to be lesseffective on its own. These two social mediaplatforms are free and a company can use them tolead wonderful campaigns generating largeamounts of interaction from consumers.

4 - Social networking applicationsIn order to get maximum impact on socialnetworks you should utilise bespoke applicationsfor platforms like Facebook and Twitter supportedby social networking advertising. Socialnetworking applications are only limited by yourcreativity and will offer a tailored experience toyour customers - and are great for consumerengagement and data capture.

5 - Mobile websitesMobile websites - or responsive websites - aredesigned to work on desktops, laptops and also onsmaller devices such as smartphones or tablets. As50% of Google searches now happen on mobiledevices, it is imperative to have a mobile readywebsite to satisfy busy and nomadic consumersalways connected to their mobile devices.

6 - Mobile appsMobile apps are a great medium for brands totruly engage customers and are the next step in

creating deeply engaging experiences with theirsmartphone. Since most people are connected24/7 via their smartphone, mobile apps offer awide variety of functionalities and can beefficiently used to engage customers.

7 - iBeacon - Indoor mobilecommunicationiBeacon is an indoor positioning system thatextends location services in Apple devices. iBeaconcan alert smartphone users when they approach orleave a location with iBeacon. Retail stores areadopting iBeacon to provide customers withproduct information and the best deals. Thistechnology is fast, easy to use and also speeds upthe checkout process with a completely contactlesspayment system.

8 - Digital videoThanks to video technology we can recordmessages, ads, interviews and make short moviesusing only a digital camera or smartphone. Theyare handy, simple to make and very easy to shareonline on social media. Video is one of the bestways to present content to the public in anattractive way. Several brands have taken the leapand use their marketing budgets to utilise video,sometimes getting great results on a low budget.

9 - Online shoppingNowadays with our busy lives we want tominimise time wasted each day so that we can domore things in our spare time. Saving time is a keyreason for the growth in online shopping which isa form of digital buying from an online store oftenusing mobile devices like smartphones or tablets.

10 - Digital listeningDigital listening is the observation and analysisof discussions that occur anywhere online. Wecan now monitor the internet for the keywordsyou have chosen that are being discussed byindividuals and communities and report to youon what people are saying and whether itexpresses a positive or negative sentiment.Digital listening can also be used as a tool tounderstand competitor activities, identifyinfluencers and online communities.To have a successful business you have to

keep up with these trends and we hope youhave success using some of our top 10 trendsfor 2014. ■

34 ShelfLife April 2014FEATURE

:: Connector360 is a marketing agency with award-winning expertise in digital, mobile and social media marketing integrated with offline marketing. The company works with brands from retail,FMCG, education, pharmaceuticals, energy and financial services. For more information see www.connector360.net.

Conor Lynch, CEO of Connector360offers some tips on how to use digitalmarketing toenhance yourbusiness in theyear ahead

Conor Lynch, CEO,Connector360

Top 10 trends for digital, social and

mobile marketing in 2014

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