It is no news that we currently are in a social digital era and for those who believed it was temporary, well it is not going anywhere and is rapidly increasing its marketing and influence power.
Today more than ever we are all connected to some type of electronic devise at all time whether it be a cell phone or a tablet. The way we live, socialize, and work is all connected to a mobile and/or electronic device. From emails, to pictures, to navigation, to ordering food and shopping it is clear that we live in a “digital lifestyle”.
This means that all your customers are online and if you want to reach them your company needs to be as well. In 2015 the mobile traffic exceeded desktop users; even email marketing programs offers opening rates on mobile vs desktops data because it matters.
Gone are the days of top-down communications, of intrusive ads and poorly aligned customer outreach campaigns. Today, we have more data than ever, and we’re leveraging it to come up with innovative trends and ideas.
- Video Ads
Marketers have already realized the power of uploading their business videos to sites such as YouTube and promoting them via their social media channels. The reason is social currency as it ties in with visual marketing where customers want to put a face to a brand and also for SEO power.Google is testing using video ads in their PPC search ads, and these are expected to debut soon. Big companies like Facebook and Bing have realized the impact of video ads as well and are offering it as an option for their paid ads.
- Mobile Website
There was a time where mobile websites were a luxury and an option, but these days are over. Now with mobile traffic exceeding desktop use, having your website optimized for a mobile version is a must! Your customers spend so much time on mobiles that in 2015 Google started testing out “Mobilegeddon” algorithm. It is a new mobile-friendly ranking algorithm that’s designed to give a boost to mobile-friendly pages in Google’s mobile search results. It means that if your business has had the same site since the 90’s, you have been losing online presence and leads since April 2015 and will continue to do so unless you invest in a new website. - Data Analysis Tools and Apps
Apps are no longer just for mobile devices anymore. Now we also have countless web apps and desktop apps to perform about anything. There are many apps out there to help your productivity, data analysis, contact management and more. The quality of data analysis collected from these apps will continue to increase allowing marketers to better understand their market and adapt their marketing accordingly. Many apps are free so make sure to take advantage of them. - Local Search Marketing
Google adding local searches to their recently released Search Quality Ratings Guidelines, releasing a Google My Business API and saying that local knowledge graph results will soon be editable, all point to the fact that local search is getting a lot of attention at Google HQ at the moment. In 2016 companies will increase their local SEO spending. - Visual Marketing
In 2016 the increase of visual marketing will continue with apps such as Snap Chat allowing you to record short videos which are available for a short period of time, streaming live. Businesses can use videos on YouTube and apps to showcase product usage, information related to their field, and behind the scenes of your company. Visual marketing allows your business to seem more transparent, friendly, and reliable. - Rebirth of Email Marketing
Email marketing has always been an important player in a business’ marketing plan, but now it has become more relevant in a different way. With more data available, companies are making their email marketing effort more personal and more segmented in order to connect better and increase conversion rates. - Content Marketing and Social Media
In 2016 content marketing is king! With so much information available online your clients and prospects are looking for valuable and informative content from your company. If you haven’t already started, your website needs a blog and you must update the information to stay relevant online and offline. You can use the power of your content marketing to increase the impact of your social media efforts.
Of course the increase of online marketing does not mean that offline marketing is dead. You still need to visit clients, do direct mail and EDDM, give out promotional products and prints, attend tradeshows, and all your other marketing avenues. It just means that you need to find a way to incorporate your offline and online marketing to create a sales system that works for your business.
Written by Capucine Rismay
