Apps. Plus, social media platforms like Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram are working even harder to give their users complete app-based experiences, optimizing fully for mobile and preventing users from leaving the app whenever possible. Content marketers and technology developers alike are starting to realize the enormous power of personalization when it comes to content distribution and user adoption. Automation. Marketers are also finding it hard to see optimal results while only pursuing one or two major strategies. The only potential downside here is a lack of specialization; if you’re running 10 marketing campaigns, it’s hard to do any one of those campaigns exceptionally well. Buyers’ purchasing decision patterns are also changing, which has shaped the entire year of online marketing. Better conversion opportunities. Other wearable devices and mobile technology (I could even count virtual reality here) are continuing their trends of growth, and online marketers have jumped on these opportunities. Content is becoming more concise and more digestible, making it easier to consume on the go, and apps are starting to become more simplified to cater to the mobile user.
Every year has new and surprising things to offer the marketing world. We’re exposed to new technologies, we become aware of new consumer trends, and we invent new techniques for various processes.
I made some predictions at the end of last year about how online marketing was going to develop throughout 2016, and I’m proud to say a number of these projections became realities.
Now’s the time for us to look back on the year and evaluate which online marketing trends gave us the most new impact, and which ones changed the game:
1. Apps.
“Apps” is a general term, and a confusing one to see on this list because apps aren’t exactly new. However, a handful of breakthroughs in app technology (as well as adoption) have put apps even closer to fully replacing traditional websites—even if we’re still a few years off from the remainder of that transition. For starters, Google has released “app streaming,” which allows users to try certain apps within search results without ever downloading them to their phones. Plus, social media platforms like Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram are working even harder to give their users complete app-based experiences, optimizing fully for mobile and preventing users from leaving the app whenever possible. App-based marketing is taking major strides forward, and those will likely continue into 2017.
2. Personalization.
Content marketers and technology developers alike are starting to realize the enormous power of personalization when it comes to content distribution and user adoption. Platforms like Facebook and Google are releasing more audience targeting features than ever, enabling advertisers and content publishers alike more opportunities to connect with their most significant audiences, and content marketers are digging deeper into specific niches to eliminate the competition and speak more relevantly to a smaller number of people.
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3. Automation.
Marketers are also using automation software in greater numbers, trusting algorithms and machine learning programs to handle the bulk of their responsibilities in areas like content marketing, social media marketing, and online advertising. Programmatic display advertising, which automatically buys and displays ads in different areas, becomes…
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