Your customers are humans, not robots.

Although that thought is a little silly to say and think, when you analyze your marketing strategy, ask yourself: are you catering to humans or robots?

Over the last few years, customers have gravitated towards companies and businesses that display empathy and try to connect with the customer on a one-to-one basis.

Although marketing strategies require machines and robots for SEO and research, remember that it’s customers you’re ultimately trying to reach – not a search engine. You can see this shift in marketing strategy when looking at the different marketing trends in the first half of 2022.

To help your business navigate the ever-changing waters of digital marketing, here are three trends to follow and ways laundromats can adapt these strategies into their business model.

#1: Invest in Video Marketing

Video dominates the internet. 

If you want to improve your image and have more people find your business, you need to create video content. Videos are 53 times more likely to land on the front page of search engines than traditional SEO content (prose).

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A video includes the same content you would write, but the medium is easy to engage with. Viewers are more likely to watch a video than read a long article if given the option.

So, what kinds of videos should you include?

Prerecorded videos are the most popular kind because they allow you to plan your content, including graphics and music, and finetune the editing to create a masterpiece that captures the viewer’s attention.

However, for some people, the amount of work is daunting, and it can be a financial investment in the beginning, to buy the necessary equipment for filming, storing files, and editing programs.

Another great option is live video. Many platforms, like YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram, offer live video features to their users.

Live videos are a great way to interact with your community. You can show new machines, answer questions about your business, and sell products.

Additionally, live video is pretty affordable in comparison to prerecorded video. Yes, it would help if you had a camera, but a smartphone can work. It would be best if you also had some good lighting, but an essential component of a live video is someone who is animated and speaks well in front of the camera. Nothing is more challenging to watch than an awkward video.

#2: Consider Push Notifications

Over the last six years, smartphone users have nearly doubled. With more people than ever using their phones for daily activities, companies need to reach them on their phones.

So use email marketing and newsletters.

Well, not exactly. Although this method is excellent and helps you share the fantastic news with your customer base, most people don’t open their emails regularly, but they do unlock their phones all the time.

As the email marketing world continues to oversaturate, consider how web push notifications can be a beneficial route for improving website traffic and engagement for your business.

You can set up push notifications using a third-party program to update your customers about anything new on your site. And since most people look at their phone more often than email, they’re more likely to see it.

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When setting up push notifications for your business, consider the messages you want to send.

• Store updates
• Holiday schedule
• Sales
• Video drops and live sessions
• Important payment changes
• And anything else your customer base wants to know!

Push notifications are a great way to grow engagement, share exciting news, and keep your customers in the know about important information.

#3: Cultivate the Customer Experience

No matter your industry, customers want a positive experience. You cultivate a positive customer experience through your employees and a clean store. 

When customers feel that a business cares about them and that the employees want to help, they’re more likely to return–customer retention.

But improving a customer’s experience exceeds the four walls of your store–it starts on the internet.

For 2022, digital marketing focuses on improving customer service in ways that were never possible.

Although the physical interactions at a store or on the phone are just as meaningful as ever, the following standard that people use to gauge their experience is through digital channels.

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You should have up-to-date technology mixed with human interaction and an easy mobile experience.

Improving your digital presence helps you build a positive customer experience.

Which Trends Will You Adopt?

Marketing trends in 2022 are growing and developing, and businesses like laundromats must learn to adapt to the changing landscape to stay relevant.

Digital marketing in 2022 is different than in 2002. Nowadays, you need to invest in videos (live and prerecorded), push notifications, and improve customer experience.

When you apply these three strategies to your current business model, you’ll find greater engagement in the virtual world, which will help grow your business.