Following the many incredible Christmas advertisements and New Year’s celebrations, it’s time to make our best educated guesses about what 2016 will bring in terms of digital marketing.
What do you think the next 12 months will bring? Many organisations, particularly those in the B2C sector, will be asking themselves this issue. Based on current trends at the end of a vibrant and creative 2015, we can predict that businesses will embark on a journey of more engagement and new opportunities in 2016.
2016 Social Media Advice
This year is unlikely to see a dramatic change.
Facebook, which has one billion active users, is unlikely to be dethroned from its throne. Twitter will almost certainly continue to be a popular business tool. We can also expect Instagram to play a bigger part in digital marketing, as well as a surge in social commerce and the need to work around ad blockers becoming more common. It’s going to be a thrilling year, so keep reading to learn more.
1. Content Marketing becomes the focus
The good news is that content marketing is effective. The most successful marketers are aware of this and are expanding their content investment in order to generate more leads and income. 75 percent of businesses will boost their content marketing budgets in the coming year, with the most astute and astute teams reaping the biggest benefits from their investment.
We’re about to enter a new era of content marketing. The marketers at the front of the pack are no longer concerned with sheer content volume or trying to win the jackpot with a single piece of content. These marketers are laying the groundwork for a technique that uses content to move a complete organisation, rather than just a few people in a small section of the marketing department.
Because of the advancement of content measuring tools and the marketing professionals who use them, 77% of B2C marketers and 76% of B2B marketers plan to increase their content marketing efforts in the coming year.
2. Mobile is growing and so is mobile targeting
It should come as no surprise that mobile devices will continue to play a significant role in social media in 2016 and beyond. It’s important to remember that social media is still in its infancy, and the business community is still figuring out how to use it. Its meteoric rise over the last five years has forced brands all across the world to adapt quickly, and not everyone has escaped undamaged.
Initially, this modification was consistent across all computer devices. Now that smartphones have grown so popular, and the internet is accessible even while people are on the road, your company must be prepared to react to changing expectations. Incorporate the real-time aspect of smartphones into your marketing activities, and be willing to experiment with different forms to get out to your target audience.
3. Get Ready for Social Business
Social media will become a platform for businesses to build a new online shop window, as we demonstrated in our essay How Social Commerce Will Improve Your Sales. Consumers will be able to use Facebook and Twitter to shop for and buy things they want right away (make your CTA buttons as attractive as possible!).
It’s predicted to take off in the future years, and 2016 could be the year that gets the ball rolling for social commerce. Keep an eye on this.
4. If it’s a good time to consider live streaming for your business.
Live streaming from Meerkat and Twitter became the talk of the year in 2015. Periscope, the latter’s platform, is currently the preferred method of communication. It’s not suitable for every business, but the British Museum put it to good use in May of last year with a series of live feeds.
Meerkat was the first to use the technology, but it faces stiff competition from the likes of Blab, Google, and Snapchat, as well as Facebook. Many different sectors have tried it out since then, with differing degrees of success, but if you’re a B2C with a point to prove, this could be the engagement-driving tool you’ve been looking for.
5. Use Twitter’s (Possible) Update to Your Advantage
A rumour has been going around the internet that the famous 140-character limit is soon to be phased away in favour of 10,000 characters. Only the first 140 characters of a Tweet will be seen, but after that, a company can be as verbose as it wants. 10,000 characters would be in the 2,000 to 3,000 character range.
According to the concept, only the first 140 characters of a Tweet will be visible. After that, a company can be as detailed as it wishes. Indeed, a complete 10,000 character restriction — around 2,000 to 3,000 words – could be implemented soon, according to reports. Any company that has previously been annoyed by the 140-character limit may have reason to rejoice.
6. Make use of Instagram
Instagram, which is owned by Facebook, surpassed 400 million monthly active users last year. It has quickly surpassed Twitter’s 300 million monthly users to become the world’s second most popular social media platform, second only to Facebook.
Instagram established a new advertising platform for businesses to capitalise on the rise in interest. It’s a fantastic medium to get to grips with in 2016, with such a large audience and the ability to exhibit true creative flare with your photographs.
7. Be on the lookout for new social media formats.
Of course, we’ll mention any social media formats that appear out of nowhere and surprise the corporate world. In 2015, Meerkat was one such example, however Periscope has since surpassed it in popularity.
At least a few new social forms are likely to catch the industry off guard, and the secret is to be ready to adapt your firm to each format’s unique offerings in order to take advantage of the opportunity.
8. Use video content to your advantage
Facebook recently debuted 360 video. This type of software has opened up new avenues for involvement and innovation. Many large corporations, including Nestlé and Coca-Cola, have already experimented with virtual reality marketing.
The technology would be especially useful for hospitality and tourism organisations, which could create a video exhibiting their unique qualities.
9 Keep an eye out for ad blockers
Marketers saw a significant reaction against mobile ads and retargeting in 2015. Many consumers are annoyed by obtrusive advertisements at the beginning of YouTube videos, sponsored ads on Instagram, and retargeting tactics that follow users around. This has resulted in an increase in the download of ad blocking software, which essentially nullifies marketing campaigns, most recently on Apple’s products.
This has resulted in an increase in the download of ad blocking software, which essentially nullifies marketing campaigns, most recently on Apple’s iPhones. Consider a compromise in your digital marketing plan if customers are unhappy with obtrusive advertisements.
