With 2016 now officially kicked off, I started to think about what trends and opportunities will be in store for digital marketers. I’ve put together a list of potential changes and issues that are expected to occur in the coming year and added my thoughts about how this could affect search engine marketing and digital strategies.
#1 – Social Ads
2015 was a phenomenal year in social media advertising. But let’s be honest, social media advertising isn’t new. So why bring it up?
In the past year, social media ad spend has increased over 33% (that’s about $6 billion). Digital marketers have started to realize and test their capabilities with social platform advertisements. Social media ads allow for precision targeting and appear “native” with sponsored posts.
By 2017, it is expected that digital marketing spend will overtake TV marketing spend. This year is probably a good time to start your social media marketing strategy.
#2 – Customer Matched Digital Ads
Want to target an ad to leads that attended a specific event? Google’s new Customer Match helps you do that. Organizations can upload lists of segmented emails that they have collected and reach precise audiences.
Being able to target users by knowing where they are in their purchase funnel can let companies reach users on a personal level.
(This is also available on Facebook & Twitter.)
#3 – Video
Social videos are becoming more and more popular, utilizing social platforms like Snapchat, Vine, and Periscope. With this in mind, your consideration of video advertising should grow as well. Display and video clicks can be drastically cheaper than search, meaning more bang for your buck.
Remember that video consumers might not all be in the same stage of the purchasing funnel. This is where targeting comes in and could take some time. I’m interested to see how the video advertising platforms evolve to allow for more precise targeting.
#4 – Podcasts
How many of you listen to podcasts? According to Edison, the average American listens to 6 podcasts a week. I find myself listening to them during my commute, trying to stay up to date on current SEO trends.
Again, podcasts aren’t new, but the listener base is on the rise. Utilizing pay-to-play advertisements, sponsoring a podcast series, or even creating your own can help define you as an authority in your market.
#5 – Native Advertising
The increase in Ad Block users has created quite a scare in the advertising community, and for good reason. Global active ad block plugin users grew over 40% in the past year. How can marketers reach web users without digital ads?
Native advertisements are similar to real, engaging content. There are advantages to exploring native that should cause you to incorporate it into your marketing strategy. Mainly, ad blockers won’t block your native content.
#6 – The New Mobile (Wearables)
Everyone was eager to see the new smart watches and wearables unveiled and ready to purchase them in an instant. With this technology, mobile data will be more expansive and local user experiences will be even more important.
As wearables and other connected technologies become more prominent, more personal and precise targeting may begin to take place. Companies will have more control of how they engage with customers.
Even though mobile advertising and usage is growing, the need for designed omni-channel consumer interactions is greater than ever. Creating seamless experiences for customers helps solidify their perception of your brand and its quality.
#7 – RankBrain
Google’s newest addition to its search algorithm, termed “RankBrain,” has changed the playing field for SERP results. The new machine-learning system utilizes user engagement to determine content quality and relevance for contextual queries.
This changes how you should approach your digital strategy (just a little). With RankBrain, SEOs will have to work to build relevant, unique, quality content that focuses on topics and relative terms. Content that answers users’ questions and keeps them engaged with your site will rank higher.
Will RankBrain learn and adjust the algorithm to meet the correct needs? With continuous changes being made to topical terms and connections, the machine-altered results may begin to be less applicable if not carefully monitored.
#8 – Curated User Content
One great opportunity that many organizations still haven’t explored is harnessing the marketing power of their customers. And in the digital world, this is a lot easier. Not only are users looking for products to purchase, but they also are interested in how others are using it. Using real customer’s content, companies can see other customers’ satisfaction.
One of my favorite companies with phenomenal curated content is REI. With the 1440 Project, they let users upload photos of them enjoying the outdoors. Not only does the potential gear get some spotlight, but also other users can get inspired to try out something new (possibly leading to a sale).
The SEO and digital marketing industries are constantly growing, and many new disrupting forces are bound to pop up in 2016. Make sure you explore how your digital strategies and tactics can also change with the digital landscape.