The upcoming year is going to be huge and every marketer is keeping a wary eye on the signs. There have been several improvements and innovations that have rattled the digital marketing world. Every year, we see the same approach to marketing trends because every year, things change. Google, Bing, and social media giants are constantly introducing new services and rules that force digital marketers to adjust their thought process and their perception of the industry.
It’s important to know what’s heading towards you. As the old saying goes, being forewarned is being forearmed. If you know what’s coming, you’ll be able to implement strategies and direct your resources properly. Here are the top digital marketing trends for 2016.
Increased Investment
There’s definitely going to be an increase in ad spends in 2016. Digital marketing is overtaking traditional marketing up leaps and bounds. Better and more sophisticated digital marketing techniques are being developed. There are new avenues being introduced that would demand more revenue. In essence, you’ll have no choice but to spend more money if you want to keep up with the rest of the world.
Mobile Is Continuing to Race Ahead of Desktop
Desktop will continue to play an important role in 2016. Most people would prefer evaluating and purchasing products from their larger desktop or tablet screens. However, for search, mobile will continue to be king. After Google included mobile-friendliness into the site ranking system, mobile saw unprecedented growth. That growth would continue. Business owners would have to shift their focus to mobile, making sure that their ad revenue is directed properly.
The Jarvis Look-alikes
Well, no one has created Jarvis yet, but they’ve come pretty close with the trio offering of Siri, Cortana, and Google Now. Voice directed search is going to change the game. The SEO tactics, especially the content marketing aspect, would have to change to accommodate this new technology. What people are too lazy to type, they’re not too lazy to speak. Keywords with questions will dominate in 2016. The content would also have to start becoming more precise, giving direct answered to questions rather than just general information.
Apps
Business website apps, particularly e-commerce apps, have been slow to catch on for some reason but that trend is going to change in 2016. This is because Google has now introduced app indexing. This allows content from apps to appear on mobile search results. It’s another ranking factor, one that most businesses would be keen to take advantage of. Apps will become popular, though to what extent is unknown.
Wearable Tech
3 or 4 years ago, wearable tech like the Apple Watch or the Moto 360 would have seemed that something that would never catch on. Sales are proving otherwise. People are buying smart wearable and will continue to do so in 2016. With wearable tech come different marketing strategies, which would include content fit for a very small screen.
These are the digital marketing trends that you need to keep an eye on for 2016. If you’re prepared, they’ll allow you to get ahead of the crowd.
