As with all things technology driven, digital marketing is constantly and rapidly evolving. Marketers cannot simply rely on what has worked in the past and with the close of 2015 and the start of 2016, now is an excellent time to take a moment and reflect on both where digital marketing is and where it is going. Below are some of our top digital marketing trends to watch in 2016!
Page Builder Content Editors
With the advent of WordPress, the age of programmer dependent website changes started to come to close. Now the next generation of editors are coming to the market, such as Beaver Builder and Page Cloud. These editors allow a lay person to make edits like adding new images and text without having to access the backend of their website. While programmers may still be needed to ingrate different programs, plugins, and platforms, this will allow users to easily make cosmetic changes to their own websites.
So what does this mean for marketers? Will web development companies be put out of business? We don’t think so – and certainly not in 2016. What will change is the services digital marketing firms will offered. Instead of handling time consuming routine changes and updates, a web development or digital marketing firm can focus on their real value proposition – the actual marketing! By creating the website and then training a client on maintaining routine content, a digital marketing firm will be able to focus on a comprehensive marketing package and provide more value to their customers.
Next Generation Facebook Marketing
Facebook marketing, and social media marketing in general, can hardly be called a new trend. However, there is a behind the scenes reason that Facebook marketing may start to “up” its digital marketing game in 2016: its stockholders. While it has been public since 2012, Facebook stocks initially plateaued and only started rising in more recent years, having only reached triple digits in the last year.
So what does all of this have to do with marketing? Stockholders are looking for a return on their Facebook investment, and in order for Facebook to deliver higher and higher returns to justify its higher stock price, it will need to find new revenue streams. The most obvious of these is by increasing its advertising revenue. Due to its extensive user data and high usage level, Facebook could be poised to open new doors when it comes to both big data analytics and social media in general. Whether they start to offer demographic and analytical data for their broad base or extremely targeted marketing with new marketing mediums, we will have to wait and see! Speaking of new marketing mediums . . .
Video Based Marketing
As bandwidth becomes cheaper and technology becomes more evolved, video marketing is quickly rising a viable form of communication with customers. This can easily be seen on the landing pages of several major websites, such as Paypal and our own website, which utilize a full page video. Another avenue that video marketing can take is YouTube. No longer is YouTube simply a vehicle to watch funny cat videos, today it is one of the top ways that people are searching for new information. Don’t think of YouTube as a search engine? Have you ever watched a tutorial on YouTube? You have used it as a search engine!
This obviously brings new possibilities to marketers. Have a product that customers need to learn how to use; perhaps something new to market or something technologically complex? A video on YouTube or another video source, such as Vimeo, may be a great way to not only reach your customers but turn what could be a confused or disappointed consumer into a happy one. Videos have certainly come a long way from simple embedded content!
Mobile Applications
While, like Facebook, mobile apps can hardly be called new, there are recent developments that are going to make sure that they remain a powerhouse in 2016. As mobile data becomes cheaper and WIFI becomes more available, more and more consumers are utilizing mobile devices such as tablets and cell phones.
These devices can, of course, access traditional websites, especially those that have been rendered to mobile friendly sizes through responsive designs, a mobile app is much more user friendly on these devices. Apps also allow you to contact the consumer without the consumer having to reach out to you first while making sure that any messages you send are both relevant and current. Finally, recent innovations in the way that mobile apps can be developed and maintained have made their costs drop dramatically. For more information on mobile apps and these new cost saving methods, please read our recent Mobile App blog post.
Marketing Moves Beyond Traditional Devices
We couldn’t fit all of the exciting 2016 trends into 5 sections, so we have to admit that this is a bit of a 2 in 1. Both internet enabled devices and virtual reality sit posed to enjoy higher rates of adoption in 2016. The hot topic of the moment, wearables, at least in their current state, may lend themselves somewhat to traditional digital marketing as they utilize apps, but other devices represent a whole new realm of marketing. For instance, when your fridge is internet enabled and able to track, and perhaps even order, groceries and track and research recipes, there exists an opportunities for any company in the food or cooking industries to reach out to a potential customer in a new and innovative way. Likewise, the opportunity will exist for potentially beneficial partnerships that may not have otherwise existed.
Virtual reality is yet another area where digital marketing may be moving into new frontiers in 2016. Samsung’s Gear VR has recently hit the market and with a new medium comes a need for new content. From interactive virtual reality apps to marketing real world accessories, the new opportunities are endless!
So what should I do to keep up with digital marketing trends in 2016?
With so many different trends in 2016, one thing is clear, you need a well-diversified and comprehensive digital marketing plan to successfully interact with consumers. As digital marketing specialists, DesignLoud is uniquely posed to help you do so. Be sure to contact us today before these 2016 trends pass you by!
