It’s that time of year again. No, not time to stuff your face with obscene amounts of food at Thanksgiving (although we’re not judging). Nor is it time to mask your disappointment over that ugly tie your child got you for Christmas. Behold! It’s time to start planning ahead for the new year by looking at some of the key digital marketing trends of 2017.
Data Visualization
With one glance at Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook, it’s clear that the internet is a visual medium. Regardless of the value of your content, your audience is less likely to engage without some level of visual appeal. When executed effectively, visuals can communicate huge quantities of information in a way that more holistically engages the brain and helps users understand the significance of the data.
As marketers, our data is truly only as valuable as the way we present it. As we learn more about our audiences and their behavior with our data, we must also keep in step with our visuals and continue to serve up our content in simplified, engaging formats. These visuals can be designed as both static and interactive images, so the possibilities are limitless.
Augmented Reality
Two words: Pokemon Go. In 2016, the augmented reality experience took the world by storm with over 20 million active users. Although Pokemon was not the first to attempt AR, theirs was the breakthrough that brought it to the public at large. But while the Pokemon Go craze may have since died down, IDC predicts that by 2020, over one million users will regularly access AR and VR content.
These experiences will include exclusive content, incentives to return or reuse the application, and be easily sharable to maximize their potential. Consider AR ads, AR broadcasts, and AR campaigns as you look for new ways to deliver fresh and interesting content to your audience.
Live Video Streaming
Over the past several years, the production of engaging content has become a cornerstone of digital marketing. This naturally coincided with the rise in popularity of video content, culminating with video becoming the most widely consumed type of content on the web. In 2017, however, video content is getting a face lift.
Primarily by way of social media, millions of users are consuming more in-the-moment, happening-right-now, live content than ever before. Much of this is due to increased connectivity and, in general, increased internet speed. Here we see the opportunity for live-video streaming. As more and more platforms incorporate live streaming options, more and more businesses and organizations are following suit.
Native Advertising
We’ve actually talked about this one before. Native advertising consists of ad content that reads more like an editorial article than a traditional advertisement. It’s also certainly been around a lot longer than augmented reality or live video streaming. Businesses have already been utilizing the subtle technique to integrate natural looking advertisements into content consumers actually want to read. The difference is the massive increase in native advertising that looks to play a significant role in 2017 and beyond.
With recent algorithm advancements, marketers are now capable of placing native ads online so they appear alongside similar content. This makes ads even more effective than in the past as readers continue the trend of rejecting and ignoring traditional banner ads in favor of seeking information from sponsored articles. Native ads are also infinitely more shareable than traditional ads. This will most likely prompt a new wave of native advertising from companies and organizations that have previously failed to utilize the technique.
It’s never too early to start planning your New Year’s resolution. This year, consider heeding our advice and commit to incorporating some of these trends into your digital strategy. Oh, and go easy on the turkey.
