The New Year brings with it hope and promise. It’s a time to evaluate your marketing options and research the latest trends so that your business can stay relevant in today’s market.
To get inspired, we took a look at what marketing trends the experts say will rule supreme this year. Here are the top 5 that we think you should keep your eye on:
- Live Video Streaming
Maybe you watched parts of the presidential debates via live streaming video or maybe you jump to watch when your favorite comedian goes live on Facebook. In both cases, you have experienced the power of live streaming. This trend shows no sign of slowing down.
Facebook reports that people watch 3 times longer when a video is live versus when it is prerecorded and that video posts have 135% greater organic reach than photo posts. Live videos let the viewer feel like they are a part of something, giving them the chance to interact with other viewers and those in the video in real time. This type of interactive content is slated to soar in 2017.
- Mobile Optimization
If you’re one of the few businesses that still haven’t optimized its site for mobile use, stop what you’re doing and do it now. The numbers don’t lie. Mobile users outnumber desktop users and if your website is not optimized for mobile, you are losing business.
If your site is already optimized, it’s time to take it to the next level by offering even more mobile friendly options such as mobile pay or a personalized mobile app.
- Social Media Specialization
We think you’re going to like this one. In 2017, marketers will shift focus from trying to use every new social platform that pops up and instead will work to perfect their technique on a select few platforms. Brands will identify early in the year what platforms work best for reaching and interacting with target audiences and divert efforts to being rock stars on their chosen channels.
As a result, we may see social media platforms become more specialized and tailored to the industries that tend to use them the most.
- Niche Content
Forget about casting a wide net and crossing your fingers in hopes that you’ll reach your target audience. In 2017, you’ll need to know your audience and create content that speaks to their needs. What you think should be important to them, may not be. Make sure that you are listening to them and creating content accordingly.
Being highly targeted allows you to understand your audience’s problems, frustrations and concerns formulate a plan on how to best serve them. People like feeling that they are understood, not that they are constantly being pitched to.
- Paid Advertising
If you spent any amount of time trying to market your small business online, you have noticed that the organic reach of your content has been steadily declining for the past few years. This decline will continue well into and possibly beyond 2017. Investing in paid advertisements on Facebook, Google and LinkedIn will become the norm rather than an add-on. Earmark a portion of your 2017 marketing budget for paid advertisements to ensure that you are competitive and that your brand is being delivered to the right people.
So, now that you have an idea of what the future holds, how do you feel? Excited, scared, anxious or maybe a combination of all the above? Don’t fret; we’re here to support your business’s leap into 2017. Contact us now to get a jump on the competition and plan a powerful and effective strategy for the New Year.
