Trends move at the speed of the internet these days, and marketers can be tempted to turn to hashtags, influencers, or buzzy articles telling us about the next best thing to understand what’s happening. It can be hard to sort through the noise and determine what’s an actual trend and what’s just something someone, somewhere, is trying to make happen. If you take too long analyzing the data, by the time you’re ready to take action on a trend, you’ll already be behind.
Whether you’re trying to sell your product or services, or you’re seeking to stay up to date on the best platform or channel to reach high-value customers, being late to a trend can mean losing business to your competitors—or spending a lot of time and money, only to miss the trend completely. Working with a team of trend researchers who know how to spot trends and respond to them in an e-commerce capacity is key to the success of your digital marketing strategy.
Trends are Changing Faster than Ever
Whether we’re talking about fast fashion or social media crazes, trend cycles are accelerating. By the time you’ve realized the “coastal grandma” summer trend is transitioning into “prep school chic” for the fall, as we at NetElixir describe in our new e-book on trend research, and updated your stock and content accordingly, consumers may have already moved on to a cozier look for the winter holidays.
If you’ve previously tracked trends in-house, this may be your cue that it’s time to work with external researchers who are focused on understanding and predicting trends. Outsourcing this analysis to the experts will leave you with more resources to focus on how to create a trend-proof digital strategy for your business, one that is flexible enough to keep up with developments but also sturdy enough to carry your business through as trends come and go.
Keeping Your Business on Trend
Having up-to-date knowledge of trends will allow your business to react and adjust your strategy to meet the needs of your customers. The trends may change, but your response should focus on key actions to take advantage of them.
Stock products and offer services that match trends.
Does a new trend fit well with your existing brand? Will it be easy to add new offerings or adapt existing ones? Start ordering stock and developing services as soon as possible to maximize returns on the interest and avoid supply chain issues. Make sure to refresh your content and SEO so customers know to turn to your brand for relevant trends.
Stay on top of emerging platforms and how customers engage with them.
Has your target customer base adopted a new platform recently (hello, growing TikTok user base!) or shifted to buying products straight through their favorite social media app? Don’t miss out on reaching potential customers or converting their interest into sales.
Develop content and strategy curated to perform well on new platforms and channels.
Not every piece of content you create as part of your digital marketing strategy will be appropriate for all channels. Tailor your content so it fits the parameters and tone of the channel you’re sharing it on—and monitor algorithm shifts to make sure you’re reaching your audience.
Focus on trends that appeal to YOUR current high-value customers or have the opportunity to grow your customer base.
Some trends are meant to pass your business by because they don’t fit with your brand or they don’t appeal to your customers. Don’t advertise through a new channel if your products or services won’t be interesting to the channel’s audience, and don’t offer a product or service just because it’s trending—stay authentic to your brand.
How NetElixir Can Help
You’re the expert when it comes to your business, and NetElixir’s team of expert trend researchers is here to help you decide which trends are suitable for your brand. Our industry and client trend research allows us to be nimble and help you capitalize on short-term trends while creating long-term SEO and brand impact.
We’ll help you spot significant trends while they’re developing and evaluate how to adapt your digital marketing strategy to capture the wave of interest. From content creation and SEO to analytics, NetElixir is here to help you develop or adapt your digital marketing strategy so your e-commerce business is ready to be a trendsetter and reap the rewards of staying current.
