2016 has been an incredible and unpredictable year for digital marketing. Witnessing sudden trends going from phenomenal to none was a wow-moment to us marketers. This year also boasts of ad disruptions exciting marketers to explore further. Hinging on this, we are expecting 2017 to be one crazy ride! We’ve listed our top 5 2017 predictions that you may want to factor in when reviewing your brand’s marketing plan.
1. Increase of live platform usage
Having A-list celebrities massively using Snapchat and Instagram stories more than curating their feed, makes it no surprise that live streaming will be a lot more popular next year. Live Facebook streaming of US election polls, Manny Pacquiao’s recent fight, and American Music Awards 2016 were well accepted and anticipated by the market. TV companies might want to rethink their production volume as this trend will only go up.
Producing live content gives the viewers a more personal connection with the brand. It makes them feel like they’re immensely part of the experience as live commentary is also welcome. Seeing less polished real-time moments of your brand makes it more real, more personal, and more intimate.
2. The rise of Immersive Content Experience
Augmented and virtual reality started to peak this year showing marketers how far we can use technology to promote brands. Pokémon Go, a widely popular AR game with at least 100 million downloads and approximately $10 million revenue per day, may have been a sweet autumn fling but this popular game also proved that people are ready for AR. At the same impressive scale, VR technology via smartphones through headsets has introduced 360 degree videos to a wider market outside real estate and automobile industry. Making viewers feel like they are part of the video was just too good to pass.
Immersive content experience gives more life to the smartphone experience , making users feel they are a part of the content. Your target audience may soon neglect one-dimensional content. When that happens, are you ready?
3. Winning Micro moments
The best moments are the ones caught off guard, and this may be universally true even when it comes to your content. Smartphone users do plenty of things between lunch break and going back to their desks, and in between these moments, consumers browse their feed to search their interests expecting real time answers to their at-the-moment needs.
According to Google, 65% of smartphone users rely on the relevant information they get from their search results regardless of the company. This transforms the battleground for brands as it is not just about your brand’s credibility, but of your online agility. Here are essential strategies recommended by Google on winning micro-moments.
Source: “Micro-Moments: Your Guide to Winning the Shift to Mobile by Google”)
Basically, you have to be seen where your consumer is, inform them that you have what they need at the exact time that they need it. Sounds like a lot of work? Programmatic advertising does this for you.
4. Reign of Programmatic Advertising
Programmatic advertising is taking over this 2017. It is expected to grow more rapidly than all other digital medium, making it the most preferred method of digital display. “Programmatic is extremely efficient and unparalleled in its ability to pair rich audience data with ad inventory and targeting,” stated by eMarketer senior analyst Lauren Fisher. Adding, “Buyers and sellers are also becoming more comfortable with the technology. As a result, it is being rapidly adopted across a variety of channels and ad formats.” A projected 30% growth next year for programmatic ads is actually a very conservative figure. Having a target market with goldfish-like attention span and with the rise of ad blocking, having highly targeted ads are deemed vital for achieving cost-efficiency. We agree with Tom Clark, head of Digital at Ve Interactive when he said, “Programmatic advertising is the most effective way to reach people with the best content at the best time.”
5. Media advertising will become more expensive.
Marketers have to always keep up with digital marketing practices, not letting any opportunity of tapping and engaging its target audience pass. As online promotions become a norm, marketers can expect a steady increase of media advertising cost. Social media advertising and Pay Per Click (PPC) are becoming more competitive by the day, making it more challenging for marketers to sustain. Current example of enhanced PPC trend is now the ability to target people with hyper specific ads based on their phone number and e-mail. It could be comparable to e-mail marketing without an option to unsubscribe. This and a lot more improvements are going on in the virtual world. Here are some tips to have a more cost-effective promoted content:
- Create interesting content and make sure online influencers see it. Through this, you can get more organic reach.
- Put more focus on strategic executions rather than tactical activities for more cost-efficient ads.
- Do content remarketing for to achieve a higher amplification rate.
2017 will be the year for great content – insightful, engaging, and personal.
