We have accomplished a great deal in the marketing industry this year, and there is more expectation for this year. Every year, new players come to play and change the game forever. Marketing is an industry that will not affect only itself and neighboring sectors, but it changes everything. It changes how business takes place, wherever you are.
Last year we have seen the glimpse of new trends that will grow and make their mark this year. This year, most brands have embraced the customer experience model throughout the corporate world. It was implemented to create excellent user experience by connecting with empathy for all products as well as the service industry.
Will this remain or grow into something more? Ad blockers have come as a relief to counterface marketing, but will it make an impact or will the advertisers grow and just adapt? Some of these trends will fade, but others you will have to face. It is better to be prepared than take a risk that affects your business for years to come.
These 6 marketing trends you need to stay on top of if you’re a marketer.
Augmented reality
Virtual and augmented reality took over a part of the industry this year. We witnessed the hyped gaming craze of Pokémon Go in the summer of 2016. It turned many heads to the possibility of the use of augmented and virtual reality in the marketing industry. Marketers, application developers, and consumers are excited for its potential use in retail, tourism, advertisement, IT, and for local markets. Augmented reality will make it easier for companies to interact with their customers face to face and bring the user experience at a different level.
Google has announced Daydream and plans to build android operating systems into it with hardware and software. This will change not just the way phones are used, but also the ways consumers will connect with each other, the world and companies.
Live interaction
The idea of interacting with the audience live has been around for ages, which is why we have world tours, live performances, and shows with a live audience. This year live interaction turned to social media, with Facebook and Twitter’s live feed and YouTube Live, changing the idea of interaction with their beloved stars. Currently, the idea works great at a smaller level for chat sessions, but there have been technology failures when trying to implement the same idea on a larger scale. The Grammy Awards faced streaming failure, which caused a lash-out on social media by the eagerly anticipating viewers.
This year is bound to fix the technological backlog and make it easier for everyone to access the platform. Talented companies and individuals will come up with amazing and creative ways to use this platform to connect with their audience. It could be the next social media craze that picks up within days or even hours over the globe.
Video content
The only remaining connection among users and providers was through videos. We always have contact with the company in person, then came distant conversations through text and email support systems, the availability increased through a medium of audio phones and now you can even connect to your consumers through video content. The video trend bloomed in 2016 and brought developments like immersive videos. The viewing experience will change in this year with 360-degree videos. Quick adopters to this tech will be seen in retail, real estate, tourism. A new platform like YouTube 360 is already in the making and will change the way everyone sees and engages in video content.
Bring back the old strategies
Brands tend to view its social presence and viewability as a measure of its success. It is high time that brands come back to the importance of business objectives, its user experience and its reliable measures like subscriptions, purchase, and downloads.
Performance-based measures will bring the companies a balanced structure of the brand image and brand performance. This will also help declutter some of the most saturated markets and bring more opportunities to the survivors.
Influencer marketing
We have seen the beginning of influential marketing during the second half of the last year. With YouTube, Snapchat, and Instagram at its peak, these platforms have created a huge amount of influencers that connected directly only to the required target audience.
With a direct link, it was only a matter of time before marketers exploited the potential market. The new generation stars a.k.a. the internet starts are just as famous and come from different backgrounds that cater to different target segments. These influencers are tied to a relevant audience and can benefit both brand and celebrity influencer.
Social Media – not a Strategy
Social media has been perceived as a strategic component ever since the platform was open for marketers to exploit. According to the unconscious changes in industry and user patterns, social media no longer works a strategy. It is a channel on its own used for exposure and awareness, just like any other print and non-print media. Social media works great as a supporting channel for bigger and broader campaigns and is also an uninterrupted contact between the consumer and the marketer.
This realization will change the content used on social platforms and will reshape the marketing strategies, its objectives, and the budgetary contemplation.
These trends have existed before but in a subdued manner. They have a heavy impact through actions taken in the industry and can lead to massive growth when focused on. It is expected for them to grow in the next few years to their full potential. It will be wise for all brands to work with these trends and understand them, as it will be an intense year with new discoveries.
