Hello there!

Before we get started, I just wanted to introduce myself and give you a little background as to why the heck I think I know what I am talking about. My name is Syd Halbur and I am currently wrapping up my senior year at the University of St. Thomas as a (can you guess it?)…. Marketing major! After 4 years of exams, case studies and papers, I have come to notice a few marketing trends that I wanted to share with everyone.

1. Digital Marketing is EVERYTHING.

I am sure you have had this before but I cannot stress this enough, digital marketing is the future of the marketing industry. The average person spends around 4 hours a day on their phone. With the touch of our fingertips we can access the news, music, that funny cat video you sent your bestie last week, live streaming and much more. So, why not target where people spend most of their time? I’m not talking about creating an Instagram account and then posting 1 photo per year… I am talking about SEO, PPC, Google Ads, etc. It has never been so easy to reach your target market.

2. Dare to be Unique.

I am only 21 and I am pretty convinced I have seen every guerrilla marketing tactic possible. By now I’ve seen a talking lizard, wiener-mobile, coke becoming an interactive app and more. I am not harping on these methods but rather praising them. Wanna know why? Because at the end of the day, they accomplished their goal. I am a consumer spreading positive WOM about their product. Years later and I still can’t get over seeing the Oscar Meyer wiener-mobile driving around my small town of Mankato, MN. Today we think we have simply seen it all, so produce content that pushes that boundary and makes us reevaluate if we really have seen it all.

3. The Use Influencers.

These people are important. Due to the rise in social media platforms, there are also people who positioned themselves on top of this rise and they are called: influencers. Essentially, they make a living through people like you wanted to reach people like me. By using influencers, you not only get an expansive reach but you also get a sense of validation, as well. People see a face they know and love, promoting a product they know and love and soon enough these people come to know and love the product too! What more could you ask for???

4. Less Words, More Photos.

Content marketing is changing! In a time where everything is at our finger tips, we have become almost lazy. If an ad has too many words or does not appeal to us, we will simply not read it. Rather, say what you want to say in photos. If they chose to skip it, at least you got your point across in 5 seconds rather than the 30 seconds it would take to read. Plus, who doesn’t love a fun visual?

My final thoughts I will leave you with today is dare to be different. In a world where we are bombarded with ads from the time we wake up to the time we go to sleep, create content that pushes the boundaries. Thank you for taking the time to read my blog and I hope it was at least a little helpful for you!