Source: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/270259
Digital marketing strategies are constantly changing. Hence, it is impossible for businesses to just sit back and relax. You must always be on the cutting edge if you want to stand out from the competition.
Things You Must Know About Digital Marketing In 2016
1. Video advertising is on the rise – People spend millions of hours watching YouTube videos every day. Expect to see lots of dollars spent on video advertising. And as a marketer, you must not ignore this medium. It has become an integral part of successful digital marketing strategies in all industries.
2. Live-streaming social platforms will take off – Live-streaming social media platforms were born last year. During the latter half of 2015, it gained some serious stream. Hence, expect that this year, this will certainly take off. So start leveraging this new medium in a unique way.
3. Mobile will slaughter desktop – This year, the number of mobile-only Web users exceeded the number of desktop-only users. And this marked a transitional period in the Web history indicating the future relying on mobile devices. Thus, you must optimize all of your efforts around mobile users.
4. Virtual reality will grow – Last year, there were plenty of signs showing virtual-reality technology to become mainstream; however, it did not happen. All of these signs indicate that there will be a significant growth in 2016.
5. Relationship marketing will be on the rise – Based on one definition, relationship marketing refers to “a strategy meant to foster customer loyalty, interaction, and long-term engagement”. Businesses must use personalized marketing campaigns aimed at specific individuals.
6. Marketing automation will gain prominence – Although personalization will be important, this does not mean marketing automation becomes useless. Experts agree that it will become prominent as more and more businesses will rely on these features when it comes to managing time-consuming tasks.
7. Location-based marketing will take off – It will bridge the gap between online digital marketing and in-person digital marketing. Approximately $9 billion were spent on location-targeted mobile ads in 2015. It is expected to become $15 billion in 2018. 2016 will be a pivotal period of growth and market education.