Marketing in 2015 moved fast, and it seemed like every single week there was a new update, a brand-new piece of hardware, new software, brand-new start-ups or a new tool was launched. It is an amazing world for anybody who is keen to remain up-to-date on the latest trends, and 2016 looks set to continue at a very similar rate. Here a few of the upcoming trends in 2016 that are anticipated to make things fascinating in the internet marketing world.
# 1 Mobile will dominate: The last year was big for mobile. Mobile traffic surpassed desktop in many nations all over the world and Google launched their Mobilegeddon algorithm upgrade in April, a modification created to punish websites thought for not being mobile friendly. The outcome of these changes is a mobile-first frame of mind for many forward thinking companies such as business school’s who are now offering courses like a business diploma online. We have seen a shift in interest from the traditional use of the desktop PC to the increased use of mobile applications and web search. As users develop a far more fragmented user journey involving several touchpoints, developing a multi-channel method with a heavy concentrated focus on mobile is essential.
# 2 App indexing: App indexing walked into the spotlight in 2015, despite being around for a while, and it is bound to become even more of a prominent function of online marketing in 2016. There are numerous forecasts that suggest that the mobile web will soon be surpassed by mobile apps, and with this will come a more intricate ranking system for apps. Although this might not happen by 2016, a steady adoption of apps by many more companies will become a popular pattern throughout the year.
# 3 Wearable tech: The year 2016 will be an amazing year in regards to wearable tech and how businesses will manipulate the information produced from old and new wearable devices. Customers, specifically millennials, are looking for gadgets that are more upcoming with details to assist them in enhancing their lives. Wearables will start to alter the landscape of digital by offering more customised experiences for users based on their information. Instead of app alerts and notifications, companies could use wearable devices to inform users when they are close by to a shop hosting a sale and so on.
# 4 Marketing automation: Next year marketers are expected to become far more complex with their projects, targeting users with a much more customised outreach. Why? Since the user has grown to anticipate this, and brands will discover that users just click, and respect advertisements that appeal to them on a personal scale. The tools will be there to assist and as their algorithms develop and advance, online marketers will be able to determine the optimum time to deliver and message individuals to generate the highest conversion rate.
# 5 Video marketing: Video marketing is nothing new; nevertheless, now that Google is considering video advertising within SERP results, it is definitely more and more valuable. In the last several years, especially in 2015, we have seen an increase in video marketing being used by companies to increase cash flow. There are many examples of this being undertaken for marketing activities, where school’s who are offering online business course structures utilising this very well. Naturally this lines up with the fact that Google owns YouTube, and also that users are becoming more comfortable with video advertising. It will be interesting to see how video advertising will develop throughout 2016.