5 Marketing trends to watch in 2017

What a great year 2016 has been for online marketing, but the online industry never slows down. We haven’t quite reached the end of the year and it is already time to start thinking about how the industry’s going to change in 2017 and how you can prepare accordingly.

Social

Social channels will continue to evolve: The biggest trend to come in 2017 is obvious. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other platforms have become such a part of our lives, it’s hard to imagine how we lived without them. As people come up with more innovative types of content and ways to distribute them, social media will only get bigger.

Recently Instagram has done two amazing things. They have introduced Instagram Stories and the Explore tab. The Instagram Explore tab’s algorithm works very well, and you can get lost (just like with YouTube) in clicking videos for hours. The more time that users spend on Instagram equals success. I am sure in 2017 as people come up with more innovative types of content and ways to distribute them, social media in 2017 will only get bigger.

It’s time to change the way that we think about Social Media for Marketing. Social media strategies should market less and sell more. Often, brands use social media to blast highly generic content—content that people are ignoring. Social media should be personalised too, and it’s not too hard to accomplish. Use social media for the frontline marketing of sales and services. Use it to engage with consumers rather than for blasting messages.

Video

So, you have heard the saying ‘content is king’ and content is still king, but the kind of content that rules the web is changing. Video content is really moving forward. Considering the success of games like Pokémon Go in 2016, expect virtual and augmented reality to take us into the future to create an immersive viewing experience. Brands that fail to incorporate visuals and videos will be left by the wayside.

Live Video Streaming

We have talked about video content but, it is suggested that live video streaming, as opposed to just video content, may well be a trend that’s continue to grow. More social networks are offering live streaming content, including Facebook and YouTube, being an indication that this trend is here to stay.

You should use this technology to build brand awareness, and boost engagement. Is there a way to tie in your product and other marketing aspects into some form of live video streaming? Not a lot of companies have figured a way to do this, so get ahead of the game. The more creativity you can bring to the idea, the better. Nifty companies are beginning to use live streaming for company events, announcements, interviews and video blogs.

Mobile

You probably already know that mobile marketing is BIG. But, studies are projecting that in 2017 it’s going to be even bigger than you thought. According to Smart Insights Mobile Marketing Trends, over 50 percent of searches are made on mobile devices, not laptops or even tablets. In addition, 91 percent of Facebook use and Facebook advertising revenue comes from mobile-exclusive marketing.

Therefore, improving the mobile experience is paramount and a top priority for digital marketers in 2017.

SEO

Search algorithm will change and change and change again.

Like it or not, search engine algorithms will change as always. With the enormous amount of information being added to the internet every second, the search engine giants will keep updating their algorithm to decide which content should be prioritised and rank higher in search engine result pages (SERPs), and which should not.

Therefore, the only strategy should be to remain original, informative, and helpful to your audience.

If you want to know anything more about the above trends, or are thinking of undertaking projects in any of these areas in 2017 then Wish can help you.

We wish you a happy and healthy New Year.