As direct marketers, having your message stand out from the crowd is critical. You never want to blend in or become part of the noise. Today consumers are bombarded with more messages daily, than they ever have been before. So marketers need to find ways to cut through the overload and make a meaningful impression. One approach that has proven effective time and again is “emotional marketing.”

Don't look now, but 2024 half over.

And it's been quite a year, hasn't it? We've seen everything from the AI revolution with ChatGPT to the USPS grappling with inflation. But here's the million-dollar question:

Seems everyone is talking about AI these days.

But the big question is, what are the best ways to use it in our everyday business?

First things first, let's address the elephant in the room: AI is no longer a futuristic concept; it's a reality that's already making waves in our industry. In fact, a recent Hubspot survey revealed that a whopping 64% of marketing professionals are already using AI tools in some capacity. Impressive, right?

As a direct marketing pro, you know that the playing field is always changing. So let's take a sneak peek at some key trends that are going to transform how we do business in the next 3-5 years.

So you’re not seeing the response from your content marketing you expected.

It was well written, it was useful information, it was witty. So what happened?

Well, it’s more common than you might think. And over the years, we’ve discovered that there are certain pitfalls that often plague content marketers.

Customer loyalty can be fickle, as only 28% of customers loyal to brands, according to research from Accenture. As a result, marketers are left anxiously fretting over customers’ actions or inactions.

Today’s average customer has high expectations of businesses. People are no longer loyal to brands simply because they have a history with certain products or services. Customers remain loyal despite the many other brands clamoring for their attention because a company has created strategies that build long-term relationships, promptly respond to customers’ needs and desires and also generate multi-touchpoint engagement measures with content marketing.

Customer loyalty is nurtured by increased positive engagement with a brand.

Customer-centric content is key for developing a positive relationship with your target audience.

After all, everyone is looking for new ways to increase efficiency, improve results and make regular responsibilities easier. Different types of content marketing help your audience achieve their goals more than others. Content formats like checklists and templates are easy-to-use tools that help your customer, which means you remain top of mind later when they may be in the market to buy or engage.

If seeing is believing, then it only follows that visuals play a vital role in communication. That’s especially true as you decide on what types content marketing you are going to include in your content marketing strategy.

Marketing has changed immensely over the last decade. Primarily, customers now expect to interact with brands the same way across different channels. This poses a problem for the traditional marketer targeting a single channel. Marketers need to adapt and refocus their aim on a specific audience but across ALL channels. From websites to in-store visits to mobile apps, customers want to have the same experience of that company across the board. So how do you change? Going from one channel to multiple has to be hard, right? Actually, it’s an easier adjustment than you think. Here are 10 skills that can help make your transition simple.

In the age of the Internet, content marketing is key. From social media to web platforms to email, there are so many avenues you can use to share branded content. If you’re not taking advantage of this, you’re falling behind.

As an insurance company or an independent agent, you should use content marketing in order to build authority, increase exposure and offer help to your customers. To get started, take a look at these four forms of content that you can incorporate into your marketing plan today.