Radical changes from mobile integration to web design have intensified in the recent years. With these changes, a business can only do its very best to constantly shift its online marketing strategies for future benefits.
In a poll conducted by Smart Insights, they asked readers to give their views on which digital marketing technique gives them the most profits to their businesses in 2016.
This graph shows the results of the survey
(as of 8 February 2016).
We’ve gathered six broad online marketing trends you be watching out for to continue into the rest of 2016.
6 Digital Marketing Trends
1: Mobile Usage Is A Must
For those who are not aware, a “responsive” website is one that adjusts to fit the width of the browser, making the viewing experience optimal for any device it is loaded on.
It’s reported that the number of mobile users worldwide is predicted to exceed 2 billion in 2016.
So, undoubtedly, the use of mobile marketing and responsive websites will continue to increase for the rest of this year and the next year to come.
What this means to your business:
It’s definitely a time to build responsive websites and landing pages, as well as invest into mobile advertising. If mobile-specific content is a thing to mobile users in mind, then more and more websites should take action on becoming responsive.
In all your marketing efforts, you should always ask, “Will this look good on mobile? Click To Tweet2: Content Marketing Continues to Dominate
Content marketing is a growing force in the online world. Research shows that 80% of decision makers in businesses will most likely get information about a company from articles rather than from advertising.
When Buzzfeed became one of the biggest Internet sites of 2013, it was known that interactive content is one of the most effective marketing strategies. Buzzfeed had a series of quizzes such as a personality quiz. They were able to turn it into a viral activity that whenever someone would take a quiz, it would stimulate them to share their results and encourage their friends to take it as well.
As Amanda Maksymiw of Content Marketing Institute puts it: “Traditional advertising shouts at prospect customers whereas content marketing talks with them.”
What this means to your business:
The demand for more content is hotter than ever. Your move is to create landing pages with keywords and phrases a reader might search for so they know they’re in the right place. Once they’re onboard, continue with a strong marketing message offering useful content like eBooks, demos, free trials, and How-To articles or videos.
3: Social Media and Real-time Engagement
Businesses are going more and more social. In 2015, marketers spent an estimated $8.3 billion on social media advertising alone. The marketing trend now is personalization across all social media channels.
People can deliver targeted messages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, as well as Pinterest. Virtual Reality (VR) technology goes mainstream and everyone starts to connect and engage in real time.
Top 4 social media trends to utilize:
- Live Video – two of the biggest sites are Periscope and Facebook Live
- Real-time Engagement – customers and prospects expect a fast response time
- Go Mobile – people use social media on their phones 82% of the time. Make sure your website, Facebook ads, and posts are interesting on mobile.
- Data Driven Decisions – nowadays people don’t have to guess on what’s working. Let the data guide you. Analytics tools are there to help you out.
What this means to your business:
Maximize the power of real-time engagement on your social networks. Make them contextual and personalized, and always respond to customer inquiries.
Websites can also offer a virtual brand experience from creating virtual stores to guiding visitors through virtual representations of real estate offerings, etc. This will help convert landing page leads and turn them into customers or clients.
4: Live Video Streaming
It is proven that videos are able to engage users at a much higher rate.
Live video is becoming a much bigger content platform. It’s like having your own reality show. Click To Tweet
Popular sites like Periscope and Facebook Live are key players in live interaction with viewers and followers.
What this means to your business:
With over 10 million users and 2 million being active, Periscope is just one of the platforms that you can try out. Facebook Live is another. In this way, you can gain more followers and build trust and loyalty by showing your authentic side.
5: SEO Isn’t Dead
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) will continue its shift to content marketing. What was once seen as a shady practice is now evolving into what many marketers are calling “Content Marketing”.
The search engines algorithms become more advanced, and they are constantly filtering what content you have published and what is truly useful for the users.
6: Necessity of Design and Speed
How many times do you have to leave a website and look for another just because it took ‘too long’ to load on your screen?
Yes, design and speed matters. A poorly designed website with heavy graphics and videos can affect the overall user experience. The websites that get more visitors are not just those that provide the best content but also the most effective and efficient way possible.
The way your pages are designed and how quickly they load determine whether the visitor becomes a lead. Click To TweetOne’s goal should be to provide useful content that is visually attractive and quick to load on the end user’s screen (whether viewed using mobile or desktop).
Online marketing evolves at a rate everyone could hardly keep up. But it happens and will continue to happen so the best time to act is NOW. Let’s do the best we can in the remaining months of 2016 and watch out for the digital marketing trends in the coming year.
Resources:
http://www.inc.com/dan-scalco/5-digital-marketing-trends-to-watch-for-in-2016.html
https://instapage.com/blog/3-online-marketing-trends-to-follow-in-2016
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/4-monster-social-media-trends-you-must-pay-attention-2016-gremaux
http://www.smartinsights.com/managing-digital-marketing/marketing-innovation/marketing-trends-2016/
