Today more than ever, effective marketing is based on psychology. Whether you are using direct mail, email, or mobile, these five trends have been growing in importance over the past few years. Why do these trends continue to grow? Because they work.

1. Let your culture and personality show.

Increasingly, consumers are looking at the character and culture of a brand as much as they are products and price. Offer behind-the-scenes looks at your people and your mission. Tell stories about real people using your products. Humanize your brand.

2. Give back. Consumers love to buy from brands that give back. There are many ways to do this, from investing in ocean clean-up to promoting social justice. Look at the meteoric rise of TOMS shoes, which gives a pair of shoes for every pair purchased. If you give back, talk about it!

3. Build brand advocates. Consumers trust one another more than they do brands, so encourage buyers to become brand advocates and loyal customers. Encourage and incentivize them to tweet, share, and promote their positive experiences with your products and company. What people say about you on social media matters.

4. Tell a story. Brand storytelling is hot in marketing right now, and it doesn’t require words. Great images do the job, too. Nonprofits do a great job of this by printing pictures of abandoned pets or children in need on the outsides of their envelopes. You don’t need to read the copy to be convinced that you want to help.

5. Boost your use of metrics. Incorporating metrics into your marketing proves the value you are creating for the organization. Response rates alone aren’t sufficient anymore. What is your conversion rate? Your average dollars per sale? There are many different types of metrics you can use to evaluate success. Find the ones that work for you and take advantage of them.

Don’t worry — you don’t have to tackle all five of these marketing trends at once.

Pick one that makes the most sense for you and give us a call at 620-767-7000. Let us help you get started!