Digital marketing is constantly changing, and the Internet has dramatically altered the way we think.
Marketers face new platforms and technologies each year that are likely to affect the way information is shared. Change can be difficult, but it’s important to understand the main trends that will shape the digital marketing positioning for the year.
If you don’t keep informed about your industry every day then the chances of you being left behind are high.
Some effective marketing trends have been around for years but after multiple companies have experimented with them the effectiveness of these strategies can now be observed.
With the possibility of fading into the background in a world of outdated internet methods here are some predictions that will help keep you on top of your internet marketing.
Become mobile Friendly
Your customers are part of the mobile party. We find it hard to go five minutes without checking our smart phones. It’s an addiction that the majority of us are guilty of having and as technology advances, it appears this habit will be a hard one to shake.
Saying this, business owners and marketers can use this to their advantage.
The idea of mobile itself goes way beyond just phones. Mobile is no longer just your phone or tablet. It has increasingly spread to other mediums, from watches to cars.
There’s just one problem. Many businesses do not optimize their sites and landing pages for mobile use and as a result you can be missing out on potential sales.
Video is on the upsurge
One of the biggest trends on the horizon this year is the amount of videos set to be utilized in digital marketing. While the use of videos to get a message across is not a recent development, the level of production is outstanding.
More and more customers are demanding video content and offering this media platform is no longer an option as it is a requirement. Audio and visuals don’t possess the same impact separately, but when combined and turned into a video the impact is massive.
Outlets including video on Twitter, Vine and Instagram is set to increase so prepare for video being used as a content and social media marketing weapon.
Content
Content marketing is by no means a new trend. It has been in effect for the past few years but it’s set to become even more vital this year. The goal is to provide information to customers whilst explaining your brand effectively.
Creating quality content should be seen as a priority for any marketing company. Quality content builds trust whist informing customers, both potential and current. It ensures your brand is given the correct expert exposure, so any business that lacks a content marketing strategy should change their game plan or risk being left behind.
This year is set to see a rise in new publishing options in social media that allows publishers get more visibility to content as compared to their native publishing platforms.
Paid Social Ads
Last year saw a rise in prompted posts for Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. As organic reach declines as social networks push for advertising on their platforms, now is the time to get clued up on the paid social approach as this is one that will get bigger this year.
Small business owners don’t realise the impact of spending a little bit of money to promote posts. Social media feeds can get rather crowded and paid ads could give you the exposure you seek in order to get your message seen.
Many brands consider social to be an ‘earned’ form of marketing and as a result of this, they are wary of spending budgets on social ads. Last year was an exceptionally big year for these platforms and social ads are without a doubt becoming more refined. Tools like this don’t cost a lot and can increase your brands visibility- radically.
The digital era is upon us and it would be silly not to use it to our advantage to attract the attention of potential consumers. There are an absolute mass of opportunities out there which allow you to reach different audiences and engage with them. These trends will transform the digital age creating more opportunities for both consumers and marketers.
