With 2016 quickly coming to a close, the digital marketing trends of 2017 are now the focus of speculation and strategy for businesses everywhere. We’ve scoured the internet for you to find five trends that everyone is talking about – and that we think you should implement in your online marketing strategy for 2017.
Trend #1: Video and Visual Content
According to this Forbes article on content marketing in 2017, visual and video content will be king of digital marketing in 2017. Popular visual social platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat and Pinterest, and video platforms like Youtube becoming more and more essential to the internet experience, this is a trend that would be unwise to ignore. Sources agree that in-SERP video advertising is the way to get noticed. As stated in a recent article on the IBM site, the release of tools like Periscope and Meerkat, and the launch of Facebook Live indicate a continuation of the video and visual trend into 2017.
Trend #2: Influencer Marketing and Social Media
Internet juggernaut Facebook and other social media platforms, according to another Forbes article, are the places to focus on for digital marketing in 2017. Influencer marketing is a trend that businesses should take advantage of if they want to stay ahead. User-generated content (or UGC) is an organic, albeit slightly uncontrollable way to promote content and build trust with audiences. In fact, 85% of consumers find UGC more influential than brand content. The same Forbes content marketing article states that businesses can build an online influencer following can create trust with audiences that are projected to seriously question authenticity in advertisements in the near future.
Trend #3: Augmented Reality and Wearable Technology
These are technically two trends, but we see them as being very closely related. Everyone agrees that the introduction and success of Pokemon Go this summer has changed how people will interact with technology in the future. We expect that online marketing trends of 2017 will be featuring more augmented reality ads. We see these AR ads getting a lot of help from wearable technology, such as the Apple Watch and the Fitbit whose popularity, according to the Huffington Post, will be on the rise in 2017.
Trend #4: Mobile Interface Optimisation (Including Apps)
One trend mentioned in almost all sources we reviewed was the importance of optimising your site interface for mobiles. Continuing a trend that picked up in 2015, mobile internet use is outstripping laptop and desktop use, and your site needs to keep up. Apps are increasingly popular as well, so if your business doesn’t have one, you should think about implementing one. Ready or not, mobile optimisation should be a top priority for your digital marketing strategy next year.
Trend #5: Mobile, Online and Offline Media Convergence
Cross-platform convergence is the natural result of marketing trends throughout 2016 and heading into 2017. Having a campaign strategy that not only is cross-device but helps consumers interact with your product or brand in the real world is the key to successful marketing in the future. Find a way to make brand engagement an immersive, cohesive experience for your target audience in every aspect of your marketing strategy next year.
We want to help you stay ahead of digital marketing trends in 2017. Contact us for a consultation today!
