If you are an online entrepreneur then you appreciate the fluidity of digital marketing. While the market is fraught with opportunities the volatile nature of marketing strategies is bound to keep you awake. The capricious nature of the market means your team will have to embrace emerging ideas every other day. A Salesforce State of Marketing report in 2015 showed a jump in online orders by 14% highlighting the latent opportunities that abound online. But there is a catch in this silver lining; just as you expect to cash in on more online customers a study by MediaPost shows spending in digital marketing in 2016 will increase by around 14.7%. This translates to more competition in this already stiffly competitive marketing platform.
Leveraging Digital Marketing Trends
To stay ahead of the pack in this fast-paced world of digital marketing your team must be cognizant of all emerging trends and also learn about the predicted changes. By doing that you will not only have more insight for your marketing strategies you will also enjoy a competitive edge in your niche. You will also be well positioned to attract the right kind of expertise and resources to leverage predicted trends in online marketing.
Digital Marketing Predictions to Lookout for
Now that you appreciate the importance of future trends in online marketing why not get an idea of the major ones? Here are some ideas collated from influencers in the industry:
1. The Online Video Boom
That video is the future of online marketing is no secret. A study by Invodo shows that 92% of mobile video users share the content with others. Another study by comScore report shows that video ads had already surpassed 20 billion by 2013. It gets better; 300 hours of video are uploaded on You Tube every sixty seconds according to the company. Industry analysts say video will account for 69% of all online traffic by 2017.
Based on these alluring stats more businesses are going to join the bandwagon. Indeed Google is already into in-SERP video advertising ranking which is set to popularize adoption of this medium. If your company is not utilizing corporate video ads it is time to embrace the trend.
2. Rise of the Mobile Over Desktops
It might have taken some time coming but at last the gap between mobile and desktops will widen further. The fact that desktop has dominated for so long still makes it popular, but with mobile commerce taking center stage globally it is not going to remain at the top for long. As a digital marketer it is time to optimize all your marketing strategies including social media for mobile lest your company sinks into oblivion.
3. App Explosion
If you are not leveraging mobile apps your business is headed for a cul-de-sac. With Google providing app indexing it is expected that more brands will launch their apps to capitalize on the increasing number of mobile users. The importance of online visibility using a dedicated app is becoming more obvious and top brands are embracing them. Consider this; 90% of mobile usage is on apps and developers will now be able to shorten customer searches significantly.
It is important to remember that while you might have a cool mobile-optimized website an app can do all your site does and much more. They are more accessible and intuitive and hence this is a digital marketing prediction you must watch out for.
4. Virtual Reality Finally Becomes Reality
A few years back it might have sounded like virtual reality devices were just futuristic projects which would never hit but this is now changing. Virtual reality devices are already launching both for games and ordinary use. Tools like the amazing Oculus Rift are introducing a new spectrum on digital marketing especially when integrated with social media and some forms of direct messaging.
If you want to fully immerse your customers in your online marketing campaign it is time to adopt virtual reality. The technology provides a fuller and more realistic experience of your products and services.
5. Relationship Marketing Emphasis
One hindrance that relationship marketing experiences is ambiguity in its definition. Marketers will have to adopt strategies that focus on customer interaction, engagement and loyalty in the long term. Such strategies defy common marketing tools which focus on lead conversions in the short term only. By personalizing marketing campaigns your business will stay ahead of the pack.
6. Evolution of Marketing Automation
This is still a developing field in digital marketing and it is not surprising that marketers are divided over the effectiveness of automation in marketing. However, predictions indicate that automation software will be adopted more widely to predict marketing platforms over a number of years, offer recommendations and provide predictive analytics to be used by businesses.
With time automation software will be more efficient and effective to use. As an online entrepreneur you need to look out for more intuitive predictive intelligence programs that will keep your brand ahead of the competition.
7. Live-streaming Social Platforms
If you are a keen digital marketer you must have observed the launch of Meerkat keenly. The live-streaming platform promised to change online marketing and when Twitter entered the arena things got more exciting. Twitter’s Periscope has battled Meerkat to the top position in the field. More entrants in this arena include products such as YouNow, QIK among others. These platforms help provide interactive customer support, product demonstrations, remote focus groups, share live customer feedback, share breaking news, live Q&A sessions, flash sales and so much more. Whatever you want to achieve for your brand live-streaming social platforms will help you achieve it in real-time.
8. Digital Assistants
If you have already used Siri and Cortana then you have an idea how search engine optimization is going to get transformed in future. While PPC advertising has been all the range in helping your ranking you need to make sure your content is now readily available to these digital assistants. The idea is to avoid funneling people to your site and instead making use of digital assistant to let potential visitors get your content instantly. Geographical relevance and immediacy of needs guarantee the place of digital assistant as the future in online marketing.
Final Thoughts
There is no denying that the fast-paced world of online marketing can confound even the most seasoned online marketer. However, understanding impactful marketing techniques that are expected to grow helps you build a solid and smart digital marketing strategy. It is natural to feel like the changes are too vast to keep up, but with regular research you can stay on top of things. Today it might be digital assistants, but tomorrow virtual reality technology might be the more effective trend. Whatever you do make sure you have a cutting edge by regularly reading up and trying out these emerging online marketing trends.
Image: DigitalRalph
