As we move into the year 2016, it’s a good opportunity to take a look at some of the potential marketing trends for the coming year. What do marketers and small business owners need to anticipate in order to hit the ground running this year?
Here are some trends we see for 2016:
A continued focus on content marketing
With Google now rewarding sites that have unique, fresh and high-quality content, organizations large and small are scrambling to create that content and leverage it to drive engagement and generate leads. We don’t see this diminishing in 2016.
Cross-platform engagement, recognition and connection with consumers in seamless ways
Today’s consumers are in a multi-screen environment where they might be engaging at one point in time via mobile, at another via laptop, and at another through their smart TVs. Savvy marketers need to find ways to ensure that these experiences aren’t segregated, but seamless, to make the engagement as simple as possible. Technology can make this happen, but two ongoing concerns remain: the “creep factor” and privacy/security.
Showrooming and webrooming impacts
As showrooming (looking at products in brick-and-mortar environments and then buying online) and webrooming (just the opposite — looking online and then buying in-person) both increase, small businesses need to consider how they can maximize, leverage and coordinate both to remain relevant and protect market share.
Virtual reality
Technology is making the ability for consumers to engage in simulated use of products a reality, as this AdAge article reveals. This is truly helping to bridge the gap between brick-and-mortar and online retail, allowing business owners to have (most of) the best of both worlds!
Podcasting making a comeback
I wrote about this one earlier this year for EContent, and signs indicate that it’s a trend likely to continue into 2016. Consumer expectations in terms of quality of production have declined, although expectations for quality and engagement are on the upswing.
So there you have it: our predictions for 2016. At the end of the year, we’ll look back and see how we did, but any marketers would be wise to pay attention to these trends this year and beyond!
What would you add to the list?
Recommended Reading:
The Everything Guide to Customer Engagement
Tags: content marketing, cross-platform engagement, Marketing, marketing trends, podcasting, showrooming, small business marketing, virtual reality, webrooming