Digital marketing is slowly but surely moving up the ladder. One of the challenging and interesting aspects of digital marketing is its ever changing pace and rhythm. There are innumerable changes that happen on a daily basis, and these changes keep marketers on their toes. The basic concept of digital marketing hasn’t changed; the way it has been consumed has. With 2016 being a big year for digital marketing and its allied fields, we are going to see certain areas cementing their worth, some will see big changes and there will be a harmonious utilization of the tremendous reach that these platforms offer us. We as a digital marketing service provider are excited and look forward to this year being a resounding success for us by shaping the digital destines of our clients.
2016 will see digital marketing mature and start setting standards
There are 5 major areas where we will see a good amount of interest being generated. There are certain reasons for this. These areas may be seeing a good infusion of technology into them, or the end user may be using them a lot more than other mediums; whatever the reasons, we need to concentrate and capitalize on these dynamics. Your 2016 digital marketing plan should include these 5 critical aspects.
1) Mobile marketing is set to explode this year
Since the past few years, ever since the first android smart phone hit the market, mobile marketing, restricted to SMS marketing till then, has gone ahead full steam. The last couple of years have been vital to understand the various aspects of mobile marketing with professionals understanding the dynamic nature of this new and versatile approach. With smart phone penetration crossing the 1 billion mark; the first line of contact has changed from the desktop to the mobile. It is essential to have a full fledged mobile marketing plan rather than an afterthought, which was how it was up until now.
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2) There is more to mobile than marketing
This is something we seriously need to consider. There is one hard reason why we should. Ad blocking software. Even though it hasn’t reached the smart phone fully, IOS9 allows ad blocking now and it will eventually become common. It has increased its effectiveness and reach on desktop, and mobile is the final frontier now. Hence, having a good mobile optimized website is essential. With the shocking update from Google that requires a good mobile website for higher ranking, it is not a luxury now, but a necessity, just like how the smart phone has changed from a want to a need. Over 50% of us check our phones 50 times a day and there no better place to be than the mobile in 2016.
3) Individualization is the key to making contact
We are constantly bombarded with sometimes subtle and sometimes not so subtle marketing messages. This has only increased over the years. With the penetration of two-way messaging, marketing has found innovative ways to infiltrate into our lives and thoughts. So, the big question is how to do you get heard when everyone is shouting? Individual attention is the answer. The key to this is data analysis and usage. Using data to understand customer or prospect needs and interests gives you the first foothold. Running generic email campaigns can only work when you have a list that is massive in number. The better thing to do is send it to a small list with high levels of customization. Your chances of a lead are higher, and it helps in brand building and promotion. Personalization can be used in various places such as websites and ads too.
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4) The social media behemoth keeps rolling
Social media platforms have defined this generation. The reach and power of these networks is mind blowing and it is up to marketers to harness it. Combining mobile and social is a good option. The Facebook app has been downloaded over a billion times. Every network is seeing positive growth. Using various platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other smaller ones such as Pinterest, Snapchat and Vine and so on to increase and engage your followers is the best thing to do now. Social engagement never ends. Followers become loyalists when you provide them with the right content, content that connects with them and takes them on a journey towards fulfillment of their desires. This is the real reason and the source of the unique power of social media.
5) Branding needs to be the point of focus
People buy from brands. This is the crux of the marketing world today. All your efforts pooled in through various channels such as email, social and web based assets builds the base for your brand to be present in your customers mind when the final decision is being made. With the aggressive importance given to pitch your products/services, brand building has taken a back seat. 2016 will define the time when brands make it to the center stage and propagate themselves to build lifestyles around them.
Bonus points
Email marketing, as usual will lead the charge. There are certain changes that need to be done to ensure that you get the best out of it. Aspects such as personalization and sending well researched and designed emails with carefully planned out landing pages need to be taken seriously. The customer journey is important and good landing pages ensure that there are no loop-holes through which they can move away.
Content marketing is the back bone to all these aspects of digital marketing. If your content is good, and addresses the issues that your customers face; giving them an option of how your products and services help in solving them, then you will see your brand value going up.Video marketing is popular and needs to be taken seriously. 2016 will see the market expand with the use of virtual reality and connected devices and such other video related breakthroughs.
The bottom line is the market is changing and we need to keep pace with it. There seems to be a whole lot of opportunity that marketers tend to miss out on and this pulls back their ability to make campaigns work well. Here’s wishing you a Happy New Year and let us together make 2016 one of the best years digital marketing has ever seen!
