7 minute read
Feature Digital Trends
The top 3 digital trends for landscapers to consider for 2023
As part of your membership benefits, the Association is collaborating with Adtrak to support your brand and business grow with expert marketing support and advice. Our digital marketing partner, UK digital marketing agency, Adtrak, take a look at the top trends in the digital industry and why landscape professionals should be aware of them going into 2023.
1. The power of rebranding
The word ‘brand’ is widely misunderstood. It can be quite daunting from the outset, and even confusing as to what it actually covers. It’s ironic then that something which is all about identity does not have a clear identity itself.
The most common misconception that people have is that your brand is your logo. This is wrong. A brand is not a logo. It is not a colour scheme. And it is not a font. These elements all form part of your visual message, but that’s only part of the story.
Your brand is how your customer perceives you. This can be quite scary, because it means that they are, in fact, in control of your brand. You can’t control how a person feels, but you can encourage them to feel a certain way. A well-thought-out brand, built on solid foundations, will speak to the customer how you want it to.
Why should you rebrand?
Rebrand to differentiate - In a highly competitive market, your brand can provide an extra edge. Brand drives awareness and people naturally gravitate towards the brand that presents itself best and speaks the clearest.
Take the landscaping industry, for example. Most people are trying to say a similar thing, and present themselves in the same way. It’s green, it’s landscaping - it’s difficult to stand out and choose one company from another.
Rebrand to change perception
- Is your message communicated how you would like it to be? How do consumers feel about you? Do they feel much at all? Your brand can lead this perception.
Businesses can use branding to present themselves in a fresh and more coherent light to attract new customers and demographics.
Rebrand for corporate change - Often, the right time for a rebrand will be in alignment with corporate
change; whether this is at a time of business growth, new offerings or a shift in corporate structure.
Whatever the change, the brand should move with it, and choosing the right route to communicate your new message can become a highly charged symbol of a new strategic direction.
Rebrand to simplify - A business can already be well established, but a clearer, simpler message is more familiar and more memorable. It’s human nature to shorten people’s names, so many brands are doing the same with theirs in order to become more accessible and approachable.
A strong brand will provide value to your organisation well beyond your physical assets. If you’re looking to buy a new television, will you buy it from a small online business with a basic website? Or will you spend a little extra to buy it from a household name? You’ll go with the brand you trust, and you’ll be happy to pay that bit extra because of the perceived value the brand has.
2. The rise of social media commerce
The crossover of social media and e-commerce is predicted to be one of the biggest rising trends over the next few years. So, what does this mean for the landscaping industry?
What is social commerce and how could it work for you?
Social commerce allows users to buy your products directly via social media channels. Sounds simple, right?
Tapping into this market with effective social media advertising puts your business directly in front of people who fit your target audience. Social commerce is also particularly suited for low-cost purchases or impulse buys, all without having to redirect the consumer externally.
One example of an e-commerce advertising option is Facebook Product Ads, whereby adverts use your very own product catalogue in order to show the relevant ads to relevant users. These ads are ideal for instant purchasing or just to usher users further down the purchasing funnel.
Who is it for?
Social commerce could well apply to a lot of landscaping businesses, regardless of size. That’s because any company of any size or scale can enjoy the benefit of social media advertising when it connects you with your target consumers and generates more business online.
Research has indicated that a large percentage of millennials are more likely to become loyal customers who engage with brands online.
Know your audience
So, how can you launch your social media commerce strategy to ensure a great experience? Well, it all starts with getting to know your audience.
Data is very important, allowing you and your marketers to make informed, stats-backed decisions on who to target with adverts. Website analytics and social media platforms can give you this valuable insight into user behaviour and how consumers are interacting with your brand online.
Utilising Facebook (now ‘Meta’) Pixel - a piece of code that can be built into your website - will allow you to gain insights from those who have already visited your website.
Finally, support your ads with content
As well as creating a social marketing and advertising strategy, you’ll also want to make sure that your social media platforms are performing at their best. After all, they’ll be functioning as your virtual shopfront for potential customers, so it’s important they do their job well. Scheduling regular content and posts makes your company more trustworthy and authoritative in the eyes of consumers. High-quality imagery is crucial, with videography increasingly becoming the preferred medium for communicating with social users.
3. Core web vitals: improving website performance
Building and maintaining a healthy website for your business is an absolute must. In the past couple of years, there has been a surge in consumers moving to online channels due to the pandemic, so it’s crucial to stay up to date and relevant when it comes to the digitalisation of your business.
What are core web vitals?
Google issued an update in June 2021 that added more criteria on which websites are assessed and ranked, otherwise referred to as the ‘page experience update’. The aim of this is to reward pages that offer better user experience (UX) based on various ‘page experience signals’, of which Core Web Vitals is one. This is made up of three main areas:
1. Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) measures the point in the loading process where the page’s main content has appeared; the quicker this happens, the more user-friendly it is. 2. First Input Delay (FID) refers to the time it takes for a visitor to the website to carry out an action - such as clicking on a link - and the page beginning to process that action. 3. Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) is a term used for how much the site moves when it is loading - the lower the CLS, the more user-friendly it is.
Why should you care about core web vitals?
In a nutshell, if you neglect your vitals, then you’ll end up neglecting your users.
Businesses should care about Core Web Vitals because it provides a better user experience for visitors to their website, which helps to foster trust in their brand and is rewarded by Google. When combined with other website improvements, such as safe browsing and mobile-friendly design, it can also contribute to a gradual climb in organic rankings.
Summary
The top 3 digital key trends for Landscapers in 2023 are: 1. The Power of Rebranding 2. The Rise of Social
Media Commerce 3. Core Web Vitals: Improving
Website Performance
For more information and advice on digital marketing, get in touch with Adtrak to learn more about how you can improve the digital performance of your business.
adtrak.co.uk
Find more member benefits by logging in to your members’ area at
bali.org.uk
Reap the rewards as an Association member
Designed by James Scott MBALI The Garden Company.
Join the leading membership network for landscape professionals and access a range of exclusive benefits:
