We like the guessing game and making our own predictions, be it about the World Cup or the Olympics.
It’s also a common conversation in the world of marketing, especially with the arrival of each New Year. We’ve seen technologies come and go, and so we always question their future. Will this turn out to be a fad? Will that remain a trend for years to come?
On that note, we’ve done our homework and gathered some of the best marketing trends in 2016:
Mobile
Mobile is giving desktop a good run for its money — so to speak — becoming the primary screen for many of us. 2015 saw mobile traffic finally overtake desktop traffic in 10 countries, including the US and Japan.
Facebook is another good illustration of this, as 75% of its revenue stems from mobile advertising. So, the importance of mobile has definitely reached new heights, and marketers will need to adapt to the new trend.
Make sure your website is more than mobile-friendly, and ticks all the essential boxes: readable content, simple calls to action, and easy-to-find contact details.
As mobile domination is nigh, apps have also become an essential investment. They might have been a bonus once, due to their initial high costs, but fortunately that scenario has changed dramatically. Apps are increasingly affordable, and businesses are encouraged to see them as a necessity in their strategies.
Social
Paid strategy is still the way to go for social media, and as platforms extend their strategic targeting options this year, your brand can see an increase in its acquisition value.
Additionally, social media remains a powerful channel for other reasons, specifically for giving a voice to brands and their audiences — so do take full advantage of the medium. Respond to individual social engagements, as dialogue is key to foster loyal communities. Brands can’t get away with the one-to-many approach anymore, consumers want interaction, so go ahead, give the people what they people want.
Video
YouTube’s success is striking: with more than four billion views per day, the video publishing platform holds the title of second most popular search engine in the world, and the third most visited website.
Videos are not only here for good, but their popularity is set to rise even further. According to a study by Cisco, 80% of all Internet traffic will be to videos by 2019, a 64% increase compared to 2014.
Live-streaming
Popular apps like Meerkat and Periscope have put a fresh spin on live-streaming. Besides expanding a brand’s reach, the medium gives digital access to those who can’t physically be at a particular event, which translates to happier audiences.
Brands like Doritos, Adidas, and Nestlé have great examples of live-streaming in their marketing campaigns, You can choose one or two, and use them as your benchmarks.
The boom of social media and SMS distracted us from email, and made us re-think its longevity. But misconceptions aside, email remains the main communication tool for brands, and 2016 will only strengthen this.
Email is still essential for acquiring leads and customers. Additionally, the channel is also becoming increasingly visual: some brands have already adopted emojis for their subject lines, in order to appeal to millennials. Marketers also predict that emails will shift away from heaps of text, and incorporate concise, interactive videos instead.
Design – Flat 2.0.
While the Flat design does exactly what it says on the tin (lacks three dimensional effects), its new 2.0 version combines the flat style with subtle shadows and highlights, creating a discrete three dimensionality.
The depth and realism present in the 2.0 version facilitates usability, as the images stand out and help users find interactive, clickable components quicker.
Both designs offer benefits such as streamlined websites (thanks to minimalism), transparency, and faster loading time. The flat design’s simplicity is also present in mobile platforms, which boosts the common prediction that the flat 2.0 trend will remain popular in 2016 and beyond.
Motion
As the world of content becomes more competitive and users become more selective, marketers will make pages more immersive by adding movement and animation.
Some examples combine still pictures with 2D animation and cinemagraphs, creating a mere flicker of movement. This effective technique captures just the right amount of our attention, without distracting us from the main content.
What about you? What are your thoughts on marketing trends for this year? What are your predictions? Drop us an email and let us know!