Incorporating Consumer Trends into Your Marketing Plan

Paying attention to what consumers want isn’t only useful for discovering new markets. It can also help you develop a marketing plan that’s fully in tune with your ideal clients’ needs and interests.

Do Your Research

To get real value from using consumer trends in your marketing, you need to know what the relevant trends are. Your intuition about what’s trending is a good place to start, but make sure you can back it up with hard data before you incorporate it into your marketing. Maybe you’ve heard demand for co-working spaces is booming, but are you sure that’s true for your area? Review the market data, interview suppliers, and hold focus groups to really get to know if a trend you’ve spotted is worth paying attention.

Focus specifically on your target market. Millennials looking to build their first homes set very different trends than older couples who want to remodel their homes for convenience as they age.

Review Your Whole Plan

Every part of your marketing plan can take inspiration from consumer trends. New trends can open up new target markets. For example, you might take advantage of the growing escape room trend by putting together a package detailing how your company can build one. With the ever-increasing concern for environmental sustainability, it’s worth emphasizing your eco-friendly materials and methods in your marketing material.

Look to trends to guide you on where and how to market. Instead of sending postcards with a single marketing message, include a QR code that ties your message into a larger digital campaign. On social media, pay attention to what types of posts are trending.

Trends can also influence your voice. Today’s consumers are generally put off by formal, traditional advertising and drawn to transparency and authenticity, which calls for a more conversational voice. Style trends matter, too. Make sure your website and other marketing material doesn’t look like something from the mid-90s or your prospects might wonder if your construction methods are equally out of date.