| | DECEMBER 20198EXPERTS TALKTHOUGHT LEADERSHIPEver since marketing was ac-knowledged as a discipline in its own right, marketers have been using a multitude of tools and strategies to reach-out to their target audiences. However today, when technology is perme-ating through to each and every part of our day-to-day life, market-ing is undergoing unprecedented changes at a rapid pace. Strategies that have held true for decades have largely become redundant, and new approaches that emerged only a few years ago are no longer that effective. It is clear that mod-ern-day marketers have to evolve in step with this change in the sen-sibilities of their target audiences ­ and fast-evolving trends in con-tent consumption.A question here arises: why is this change happening? Because our millennial consumers have so many choices available to them to-day, be it in terms of content or ser-vices. Such wealth of options ties into and feeds their love of experi-menting with newer products and instant gratification. This is why marketers need to think beyond flashy ads and focus on creating a unique value proposition. They need to be authentic in order to engage millennial audience, and to get these new-age consumers to `stop scrolling and start clicking'. The Power of Social Media In-fluencers & Affiliate NetworksSocial media has become like a chai point that millennials visit anytime they want. What makes it different is the amount of time that they do spend there; accord-ing to recent market research, mil-lennial audience spent upwards of six hours every week on various social media platforms. More im-portantly, the fear of missing-out (FOMO) on social media makes 57 percent of them make unplanned purchases. This makes social me-dia a lucrative avenue for market-ers looking to engage their target audience and to drive favourable purchase decisions.One of the biggest social media marketing trends to have emerged in recent times is the marriage of influencer and affiliate network marketing. It combines the dis-tribution and tech capabilities of affiliate networks with the strong connect that top social media in-fluencers/bloggers have with their By Neha Kulwal, CEO, Admitad IndiaHolding an MBA in Finance & Marketing from ICFAI Business School, Neha has close to decade of experience in the sales & marketing domain, and specializes in Search Engine Optimization, Customer Relationship Management, Market Research, and Management areas.A NOTE FOR A MODERN MARKETER: CONTENT IGNITES ENGAGING CONVERSATIONS WITH MILLENNIALSNeha Kulwal, CEO
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